Children Running

Addressing Teen Mental Health Challenges

Toolkit Tailored for You

Gratitude Journal

There are many things that we can be grateful for. Take some time to identify what you are grateful for in your life. Some things can be big, but some may also be very small. These things also differ from person to person.

What you need:

  • A notebook
  • Something to write with
  • A quiet space

Try this with your parent or friend:

List five things from the past week that you are grateful for. Here are some tips to follow as you write.
Take 15 minutes or so to share with each other.

Random Acts of Kindness

Make it a goal to practice acts of kindness regularly.

Try this with your parent of friend:

Set a goal to each perform five acts of kindness this week.
Each of you should write down what you did and how it made you feel.
Set some time aside at the end of the week to share with one another.

Strengths List

Identifying strengths increases self-awareness and can help with self-worth and appreciation.

Try this activity with your parent or friend:

Each of you identify one of your personal strengths (like creativity, compassion, or perseverance).
Now, think of the many ways that you can use that strength as you have never used it before; write that down.
Next, focus on using your strength frequently, setting a goal of how often you’d like to exercise it (e.g., once per week).
Write about your experiences using your personal strength, describe how you used it, how you felt, and what you learned.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based goals provide you with clarity and focus, helping to identify priorities, clarify ideas, and focus energy and efforts.

Try goal setting with your parent or friend:

Share a specific goal that you would like to achieve this week, this month, or this year.
Make sure the goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Remember that the goal should be important to you and something that you really value.
Talk through visualizing how you will achieve this goal and write out the steps that will allow you to reach it.
Support each other in the pursuit of these goals and encourage each other to consistently follow through.