Here's what we can say about the increase in what I refer to as ADS: Anxiety, Depression and Suicide. The marked increase is, in most cases, due to one or all of three things;
Too much information - social media, Google, too many choices causing our brain to work faster. Not to mention, our devices having an impact on our neuro-wiring.
High expectations of ourselves - we strive to be the best, sometimes comparing ourselves to others. We must get the best marks, school reports are like performance appraisals, and perfectionism is increasing.
Social isolation - we don't talk face-to-face across the generations as we once did, we use devices more to communicate, and we listen far too much to the voice inside our head.
It is not necessarily the big things that impact us the most. It can be an accumulation of little things that make us more vulnerable when a big event does happen.
To counter this, introducing a few small changes can make a difference;
Reduce the use of technology - it's a balance between doing practical and tangible things in conjunction with technology.
Spend one hour across the day talking face-to-face with people - not just with friends and family, but also with; teachers, shop assistants, the hairdresser, with people of all generations.
C's gets Degrees - Slightly reducing our expectations, and making a plan to move forward following a disappointment might help mitigate the negative impact when we don't quite reach what we sought.
Get outside - Walk, run, bike, climb - exercise, play, sun, fresh air, each of these make a difference to our wellbeing. Join them together to make a massive difference.
Breathe - There are three breathing techniques we recommend, all done through the nose;
To manage anger - Take a deep breath, hold it while counting to 4 inside your head, breathe out fully, and count to 4 inside your head before breathing in and resuming normal breathing.
To reduce 'thinking' - Breathe in to fully expand our lungs at exactly 6 seconds, breathe out to fully deflate our lungs at exactly 6 seconds. Repeat this for 2 minutes, twice a day.
To sleep - take 9 deep breaths; for the first 3 breaths imagine really cold air going up one nostril (but you are breathing through both nostrils), for the next 3 breaths imagine really cold air is going up the other nostril, and for the last 3 breaths imagine really cold air is going up both nostrils.
The big hurdle as a parent can be getting our children to listen to us. Pushing on people can end up pushing them further away. Do some of the things listed above yourself, and maybe they will follow in time.
If it's the little things that impact us the most, then let's start with the little things - do one small thing daily to make a change.