As parents we often feel overwhelmed and have difficulty maintaining balance in our lives. Whether it is work, family, or volunteering, taking care of ourselves often falls to the bottom of the list.

Achieving balance is so important, yet so challenging.

There have been many articles written for adults focused on the importance of finding balance. Interestingly, though, there is much less focus on our teens who are under a lot of pressure from their daily schedules and could definitely benefit from a healthier balance. Academics, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and even their social life, can cause a teen’s life to feel out of control.

Parents can play a vital role in helping teens find balance by offering support and guidance, and most essential, modeling balance in their own lives.

Even though teens are typically seeking independence, they are also looking for a parental connection and it is important not to underestimate the vital role that relationship plays as a key component for success.

Below are some suggestions for your teens that can help them develop more balance in their lives:

• • Set Priorities:

Decide what is most important and what needs to be done first. You do not need to do everything in one night. Prioritize what needs to be done early in the week, and what can be done later. If you are focusing on a few projects a night rather than worrying about all of them every night you will do a better job on each assignment.

• • Do Not Be an Over-Achiever:

Being well-rounded is important. However, you do not need to be the captain of the football team, the lead in the school play, and employee of the month. Choose one or two activities that you can enjoy while also getting your school work done and having time to relax or visit with friends.

• • Set Realistic Goals:

Set goals that you can see yourself achieving within a week, two weeks or maybe a month. Setting goals that are too high can make you feel more stressed if you cannot realistically achieve them.

• • Acknowledge Your Feelings:

It is normal to feel overwhelmed when things get busy, assignments are due, and the coach scheduled extra practice. If you are feeling especially stressed or depressed, you may want to look at everything you are involved in and see if there are one or two things you can cut out until you feel better.

• • Be honest with yourself:

If there’s an activity that no longer brings you joy, think about whether you really want to continue pursuing it. It’s hard to let go of something you’ve invested years in, but if it’s become a chore with little return for you, it may be time to reconsider.

• • Take Care of Yourself:

Eat a balanced and healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. Do not sacrifice your health because you feel you are too busy to take care of yourself.

• • Schedule Time for You:

Set aside a half an hour a day to do something that just makes you feel good. Read a book or a favorite magazine, take a walk, or ride your bike. Taking a little time for yourself refreshes and re-energizes you. It allows you to think more clearly and make better decisions.

*list adapted from pamf.org