PROTECT BODYCONSCIOUS TEENS

Our therapist & tv psychologist emma kenny is here to make sense of your emotional issues how to Get out of a rut

hese days there’s T more information out there about diets and healthy eating than ever before thanks to social media, apps and blogs. it can be difficult to know a good source of information from a bad one and even harder for young teens, who can be very impressionable.

some people posting about eating regimes on social media don’t have any training in nutrition and their advice can cut out entire food groups or be unfeasibly low in calories – both big problems for growing youngsters. with eating disorders at an all-time high among young people it’s crucial we help them understand who to trust, and how to eat sensibly and stay healthy. ● ACT ON CONCERNS if you notice your children spending hours on diet sites, don’t ignore it – this is often how issues with food begin. Give them a tech detox and spend some quality time with them. a non-obsessive interest in health is a good thing, but redirect them to blogs run by qualified specialists. most people can feel stuck in a rut from time to time. Being demotivated and bored is uncomfortable, but it can act as an important trigger for progress and change. try to identify what’s getting you down by doing a life audit. Go through everything that you do and decide what makes you happy, with a “likes” and “dislikes” list. concentrate on the areas that are working and set goals that will mean you get to do more of that. if you realise that your life is lacking in things you want to be doing, then make space for such activities. create a vision board with your ideal job, relationship, activities and lifestyle dreams and break it into shortterm and long-term goals, then commit to creating this life. using negative emotions to create positive change will remind you that you are in control and put you back in the driving seat.