This Article was provided by Veeva, a supplement company that specializes in mental health.

Teens face a much different world than their parents did. It’s become a very fast, very public world where everyone knows everything about everything. Expectations are high, competition is ferocious, and peer pressure is stronger than ever. There are also classic relationship management issues with real friends, not-so-real friends, digital friends, parents/family, teachers, and coaches. Plus, ever-present devices are addictive and may disrupt brain chemistry. No wonder teens are struggling out there.

First, let’s take a good look at lifestyle factors.

1. REGULAR MEDICAL & DENTAL CHECKUPS. Both medical and dental checkups are important to staying ahead of troubles. Your teen’s naturopathic doctor, medical doctor or dentist can help uncover issues before they become urgent.

2. SLEEP. LET THEM SLEEP. Sleep comes naturally to most teens. Growing takes a lot of energy and rest is imperative. Is your teen sleeping 12 straight hours? Let them.

3. NUTRITION. VISIT YOUR LOCAL HEALTH FOOD STORE. Teens don’t always eat the best foods. Researchers have proven over and over again that nutritious foods have an extremely powerful effect on overall health and even on behaviour, focus, energy and more. A meal should be one quarter protein, one quarter complex carbs and half veggies.

4. EXERCISE (solo or with friends, especially outdoors). Teens often tend to hang out indoors in front of technology. Be sure to keep your teen moving. Exercise doesn’t have to be a membership to a gym or the local rec centre; anything will do. Walking, hiking, biking, swimming. When we exercise, we release endorphins which help with boosting mood and feeling sof pleasure.

5. FRESH AIR (oxygen, sunshine, relaxation). Veeva supports the use of Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin), but nothing beats real fresh air and sunshine. Get outside, and enjoy the air, the sounds of nature, and the sunshine. It uplifts spirits every time.

6. OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION. You should make time for quality conversation. It might start as small talk, but can turn into meaningful and badly needed talk-therapy.

7. LIMIT DEVICE TIME. They may call it Social Media, but at Veeva, we believe devices can impede the development of social skills in the real world. Plus, they disrupt brain chemistry and affect sleep patterns. Make a deal with your teen about limiting device time in exchange for other benefits and fun stuff.

8. GET TO KNOW THEIR FRIENDS. Take an interest in who your teen hangs out with. Know their names, their personalities, their mindset, their families. Are they a positive influence?

9. DOWNTIME (music, read a book, alone time). Some teens are so busy, they hardly ever have anytime to themselves. Whether they crave it or not, downtime is vital for rest, repair, healthy mood management and soul searching.

10. FAMILY/SOCIAL TIME. Family and friendship bonds are important for the psyche. If your teen is so busy that they have little time for bonding, work together to make their schedule more enjoyable or manageable.

Supplements wise, Veeva looked at a number of factors:

Safe ingredients: That is always priority #1. Proven ingredients: Finding herbs and nutrients that are proven to work for teens is difficult, because there isn’t as much research available, as there is for adults.

Dosages: For a product to work, ingredients must be used in scientifically referenced quantities.

Nervousness: Caused by thoughts of the future, nervousness is rooted in fear and apprehension, and causestension, uneasiness and never-ending mental chatter.

Agitation/restlessness: Be it physical or mental, agitation gets in the way of focus, concentration and peacefulness.

Mental stress: All day, every day, teens face stressors ranging from no-big-deal to alarm-causing. Being able to manage the response to incoming stressors is absolutely vital.

It took Veeva some 7 years, to finally create the first and only licensed supplement for teen mental well-being!