Roses & Thorns

Things that are trending right now to pay attention to:

TEENAGERS: kids are stressed to the MAX right now- with deadlines approaching for grades, graduation and if they have jobs. They are all trying to do TOO much and they are NOT doing it well! Especially seeing this in our young women, but young men are better at hiding it. They may be asking for help in different ways- they don’t want you to FIX it, but they need you to listen, hear their words and then SUPPORT them (give them a hug, tell them it’s goin g to be OK, take them out to a movie or dinner and talk).

TEACHERS/COACHES: the stress of the end of the year PLUS everything else that falls on their plate. Our buckets are OVERFLOWING and we can’t even take a breath to help ourselves, let alone our students or families.

TWEENS: taking on the stresses of new classes, new schedules and trying to manage it while getting good grades, excelling at sports and all the new life things they manage. They don’t know how to ask for help- they think they should be able to do it on their own. But Social Media doesn’t help, nor does video games. They need breaks and they need rest.

PARENTS: ARE STRUGGLING! Kids are on their phones and games ALL the time. Or with friends. They are trying to let them learn it, but getting criticism from others instead of support. Where are the boundaries to letting your kids fail without them completely falling apart??

Do you see the trends? Are you in one or MORE of the categories?

We need to band together. We need to reach out. Don’t just ask someone “How are you?” if you DON’T want to actually hear what they have to say. We need to be able to say, “Not good” or “I’m struggling” or “Today is a bad day” just as easily as we say “Good” or “Fine” (which really doesn’t EVER mean fine!).

Mental health struggles are actually LIFE STRUGGLES. No matter the age. No matter the struggle. If we don’t start learning how to adapt to them and find our triggers as well as coping strategies, we’re either going to have hospitals FULL of people needing therapy or deeper treatment or we’re going to see more and more and more loses. Whether physical or mental or emotional.

Connect with someone today. Really, truly, honestly ask them- HOW ARE YOU? And LISTEN to what they have to say. You CAN’T fix it, but you can make them feel like they are not alone and that you care about what they are dealing with, even if you don’t understand exactly what they are working through.

Listen.

All it takes is a few minutes. Think about how many TikToks or Reels you watch- what could you do in those moments to change someone’s day? It doesn’t take much more.

Reach out on our website or send an email to oursanctuaryspace@gmail.com if you need someone to listen, if you would like us to organize a friendly support group or just to vent out what is on your mind.

You are NOT alone. We’re all broken. Together.