In this episode, the New Hope Solebury School District’s secondary school counselors and social workers discuss their thoughts on the book, The Anxious Generation, by Dr. Jonathan Haidt. The Anxious Generation examines the growing mental health crisis among today’s youth. Dr. Haidt highlights how a decline in play through overprotective parenting and a culture of safety reduces the opportunities for young people to develop resilience. Dr. Haidt then explains how the increased phone use among children, especially due to the impact of social media, has significantly and directly increased their level of anxiety and depression and shows how boys and girls are impacted very differently. Finally, the author urges collective actions that governments, schools, and parents can incorporate to promote critical thinking in kids to combat their increasing levels of anxiety and depression.

In this episode Mr. O will cover the topic of natural ways to boost mood and reduce depression. General information about depression will be provided along with criteria to meet a depression diagnosis. Specific strategies and techniques will be discussed to improve mood and reduce depression symptoms if traditional therapy and medication is not accessible. Topics include increasing physical activity, eliminating the automatic negative thoughts, sleep hygiene, limiting screen time, diet and nutrition, supplements, gratitude, and mindfulness meditation. The skills and techniques can be adapted and used for anyone looking to improve their mood and reduce depression symptoms.

In this episode Sarah Reeder (College and Career Readiness Counselor) and I cover the topic of test anxiety along with the common symptoms experienced by students. We discuss specific strategies and techniques that are effective to reduce the overall level of test anxiety. The strategies presented include preparation, addressing underlying anxiety, visualization techniques, the physiological sigh breathing exercise, and dealing with automatic negative thoughts. The skills and techniques are provided to students for use while in school, but the strategies can be applied in most other settings as well.