Mental Health Emotional Immunity – When you mention immunity, most people instantly think of physical immunity – the kind you get from children receiving a vaccination or mild exposure to something like a hairy dog or pollen.
The medical justification for this is backed by lots of evidence and it’s completely normal to take your children to a medical specialist to receive an intervention that helps their body develop immunity to potentially deadly diseases. No parent wants their child to become ill, especially when there’s something you can do to prevent it.
But instances of mental health problems in children – chiefly anxiety, depression, disorders and phobias – are increasing rapidly, yet many parents wouldn’t know how to help a young person suffering from poor mental health, or how to prevent it.
So, why don’t we take the same care with our children in developing immunity in their mental health at the earliest possible stage in life?
This is where the concept of emotional immunity comes into play. Briefly, emotional immunity describes how well someone is equipped mentally to go through life with a happy, healthy outlook.
They may well encounter tough times and negative life events, as well all do, but someone who’s equipped to manage their mental health will find it far easier to bounce back from such events and maintain a good level of mental health throughout.
There are two ways of improving emotional immunity at any age – by exposing someone to challenging life events, or by learning how mental health really works so the individual can manage it themselves, proactively.
It’s obvious that the best option is proactive and education-led – nobody would purposely subject their child or themselves to dramatic life events simply to build resilience and coping skills. This would be like trying to infect someone with full-blown flu so they develop immunity.
And by helping a young person build significant skils and knowledge in relation to their mental health, you are setting them up for the best possible future. Research shows that emotional immunity does work in a similar way to physical immunity and that people with high levels of self-esteem – one of the building blocks of great mental health – will overcome rejection and negative events far easier than someone who isn’t in such great shape mentally.
They are also less likely to be afflicted with debilitating mental illness and more likely to be successful and motivated. When you look at the wider picture, managing your mental health is absolutely key for achieving what you want from life.
It’s now obvious that learning how to manage mental health at an early age is the best way of developing emotional immunity – but it’s worth starting this at any age.
A key point to understand is that mental health isn’t a magical, external force that happens to us, even though it may be tempting to think that way if you or your child have suffered from poor mental health and haven’t managed to overcome an issue such as depression or anxiety.
Mental health, at all ages, is a reflection of our thoughts, behaviours and emotions and is both understandable and manageable – if you have the right knowledge and tools. So, if you’re a parent wondering how to do the best for your child and their mental health, here are our tips for helping them develop emotional immunity:
- Helicopter parenting, smothering, over-parenting… it has many names but trying to micro-manage a child’s emotions will mean they may not develop the emotional coping and resilience skills they need to be successful later in life. If you’re a parent or guardian, it’s worth checking in with yourself when you might be tempted to micro-manage a situation and asking yourself: is this just part of their emotional education and a normal, healthy experience that may benefit them in the long-run?
- Buy The Thrive Programme’s specialised young person’s course book – tens of thousands of parents around the world will attest as to how comprehensively this helps any young person with any aspect of their mental health. It’s the mental health equivalent of a universal vaccine and will teach any reader how their mental health works and how to manage it effectively.
- Book a free initial consultation with your nearest Thrive Programme Coach®. Specially trained to help adults and young people of all ages, a Coach will guide parent and child through an easy-to-understand, evidence-backed course that will ensure both parties have the tools they need to enjoy lifelong mental wellness.
Just as it’s entirely normal for every child to be taught how to be physically active and healthy at school, a similar level of mental health education should be a weekly focus for every young person.
But until it’s compulsory in schools, it’s up to every parent and guardian to help their child develop great mental health – and emotional immunity – that will set them up for the happiest possible future. Mental Health Emotional Immunity
