We ran a webinar for parents about supporting young people to manage anxiety during these unusual times.
In this recording, Jen and Fiona, provided an overview of what anxiety is along with some practical coping strategies. They then took questions from parents. The video below is a recording of the webinar.
We live in a competitive world, where comparison is everywhere. It’s often present in school or college, on the sports field or in relation to social status.
There can be a focus on ‘being the best’ when we are ranked and compared to those around us.
At school or in college there is often competition, with exams designed to assess our academic ability. Ratings can be compared to every other person our age in Ireland.
Sports can come with pressure and a focus on winning. Even in non-competitive activities, such as the gym, we are encouraged to try to get a ‘personal best’. We might focus on doing more weights or improving our time, in competition with ourselves to be our best.
Online and on social media, we can usually see how many followers/friends, likes, or comments another person receives. We often compare our social media stats to those of others. Looking at posts and wondering why some got more support than others can become a habit. What stories are we telling ourselves about success and failure?
We ran a webinar for parents about helping young people manage disappointment. In this recording, Maebh and Dan gave a short presentation. They then took questions from parents. The video above is a recording.
Being single doesn’t seem like something to celebrate. Relationships are the focus of a lot of the popular culture we consume.
It can also take a period of adjustment if we recently find ourselves single, through a break-up, or ending a relationship.
Our Instagram feeds are filled with snaps of ‘happy couples’ and #relationshipgoals. There’s a mountain of advice on how not to be single. So, you’d be forgiven for thinking everyone in the world is in a relationship except you.
However, that’s not the case. According to the most recent Irish Census, 41% of people over 15 years-old are single. Yet still, we can feel the pressure to ‘couple up’ and this can be challenging.
Life can feel full of pressure sometimes. Especially while we figure out who we are, what we want, and how we want our lives to be.
Young people who come to Jigsaw often talk to us about the pressure they’re feeling. Some of the things they feel pressure from include:
Depression is a term that is used in many different ways by different people. Commonly, people use the word depression to describe feeling sad, upset, or fed up.
Many of us describe things, such as news stories, as ‘depressing’. We may also describe ourselves as being depressed at different times in our lives and for different lengths of time.
In this article, you will find:
We know that many young people hear voices or sounds that other people can’t hear. The recent My World Survey found that over one in five adolescents has had this experience.
This can feel frightening or confusing. Particularly with a backdrop of movies and tv programmes that portray hearing voices as ‘crazy’. However, there are many explanations for the phenomenon of hearing voices.
We know that friends turn to each other for support. Friends can often be the first port of call when times are tough.
It can be hard to see friends going through a difficult time and know what you can do for them.
As technology advances, the accessibility of porn has increased. We know that many young people in Ireland are consuming porn.
The recent My World Survey, a study of young people in Ireland, had relevant results on this. It found that almost two-thirds of young adults had watched pornography on the internet.
Without being able to go to class because of Covid-19, you may have been forced to do all your school work from home.
Up until recently, school more than likely involved direct teacher support, and a structured learning environment. Self-guided study is not something that comes naturally to many of us.
Whether school was something you loved or hated, having to do school work from home can bring a whole new set of challenges. These can differ depending on your circumstances but can include:
If you’re struggling to keep on top of schoolwork, you could also experience feelings of guilt, frustration, anger or stress. Know that you’re not on your own. It could be really helpful to reach out and let teachers know how you are managing.
Below, watch teacher Darren Byrne talks about staying connected with school.
