Adults can help youth learn to be emotionally resilient, develop a positive mindset August 27, 2024 - by Paul Schattenberg As students return to a regular school routine, it’s important that the adults influential in their lives help them adjust to changes, making them more emotionally resilient and positive. Emotional wellness and resiliency are foundational to learning. A negative attitude or other issues that conflict with good mental health can impact learning and a student’s potential.
“Positive thinking tends to breed positive results, and being around positive people is the simplest and most effective method of ensuring a positive attitude,” said Lakshmi Mahadevan, Ph.D., Bryan-College Station, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist in mental health and well-being in the agency’s Family and Community Health unit.
“Parents, teachers and caregivers have the greatest influence on a young person’s mindset and attitude, so it is important they model positivity as they try to motivate students,” she said. Creating a positive outlook This motivation can come in several forms — from sharing encouraging and optimistic quotes by famous people to using positive reinforcement, showing them how to keep negative thoughts at bay and encouraging them to appreciate their uniqueness. “It’s vital that you show your student that optimism helps create happiness and positivity powers success,” she said.
Mahadevan said parents can help students reduce stres.