Self-Care Activities for Teens: Supporting Student Mental Health All Summer Long

More About Mental Health in Students Beyond the School Year

While some students thrive with the freedom of summer, others struggle without the familiar structure and social connection that school provides. For students who rely on consistent routines, access to mental health resources, or a sense of belonging within school walls, the sudden quiet can feel isolating.

Common concerns like anxiety, low mood, or difficulty regulating emotions may surface or intensify when regular support systems are paused. These experiences can be easy to miss, especially when they’re masked by long stretches of screen time, changes in sleep habits, or withdrawal from once-loved activities. That’s why maintaining awareness of mental health in students during this transition is so essential.

Mental health awareness in schools tends to be in full swing during the academic calendar, but summer offers its own window for insight and support. With a little planning, educators and youth program leaders can extend that awareness into summer outreach, activities, and conversations, laying the groundwork for stronger emotional resilience year-round.

Encouraging Healthy Habits: Simple Self-Care Activities for Students

Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate to be effective. For students, especially teens, it’s often the small, repeatable actions that make the biggest difference. During summer, when days can feel both long and unstructured, introducing or encouraging simple self-care activities for students can help them stay grounded, energized, and emotionally balanced.

Here are some simple, accessible self-care activities for teens to try:

• Move the body: Walk, dance, swim, or bike—physical activity is a natural mood booster.
• Create something: Journaling, painting, baking, or photography offer creative outlets for self-expression.
• Unplug regularly: Taking breaks from social media or video games helps reduce comparison and overstimulation.
• Practice mindfulness: Deep breathing, yoga, or using meditation apps can help ease stress and promote calm.
• Get outside: Time in nature—even in small doses—can reset the nervous system and improve focus.
• Sleep well: Keeping a consistent sleep schedule supports mental clarity and emotional regulation.
• Connect with joy: Listening to music, reading for fun, or exploring new hobbies encourages a sense of play and curiosity.

Every student is different, so it’s important to frame self-care as flexible and personal, less about following rules and more about discovering what helps them feel rested, seen, and supported. Whether it’s a quiet solo ritual or something more social, self-care should feel less like a chore and more like an invitation to recharge and reconnect with oneself.

Staying Connected: Building a Supportive Environment During Summer

One of the most powerful protectors of student mental health, during summer or otherwise, is a sense of connection. When the school year ends, opportunities for daily interaction with trusted adults and peers naturally decline. But staying emotionally connected doesn’t have to stop when the classroom doors close.

Students benefit greatly from gentle, consistent touchpoints that remind them they’re not alone. These might include:

• Community programs or camps that offer structured social opportunities and positive mentorship.
• Peer-based activities, like book clubs, music circles, or game nights, where teens can show up as themselves.
• Virtual hangouts or group chats that foster safe, supportive interaction when in-person options are limited.

Even small gestures can go a long way. Whether it’s creating space for laughter, validating tough feelings, or simply being present, maintaining emotional connection through the summer months helps reinforce the idea that care and support aren’t seasonal—they’re steady, and they’re ongoing.

Bringing Mental Health Awareness Into Summer Programming

Summer programming is a powerful (and often underused) opportunity to support mental health in students. Whether it’s a camp, enrichment course, or youth initiative, integrating emotional wellness into these environments doesn’t require a full curriculum overhaul—just a little intention and care.

Here are a few simple ways to weave mental health awareness into summer experiences.

• Start with feelings: Open the day with a “mood check” or emotion wheel to help students build emotional vocabulary and self-awareness.
• Make space for reflection: Short journaling sessions or guided conversations allow students to process and express what they’re experiencing.
• Celebrate creativity: Art, music, and movement activities give students nonverbal ways to explore emotions and release stress.
• Normalize mental health conversations: Share age-appropriate resources, affirm that it’s okay to ask for help, and model emotional openness.
• Host themed days or weeks: A “Wellness Wednesday” or “Kindness Week” can highlight topics like self-compassion, gratitude, or digital boundaries.
• Involve student voices: Let participants co-create aspects of the program. Feeling heard is a powerful form of support.

These small shifts help create spaces where students feel emotionally safe and genuinely valued. By prioritizing mental health awareness in schools’ summer extensions and beyond, we reinforce the message that mental wellness matters every day, not just during crisis moments or counseling sessions.

Preparing for Reentry: Easing the Transition Back to School

As summer winds down, a quiet shift begins. Some students look forward to the return of routine and community, while others may feel a growing sense of anxiety or uncertainty. The transition back to school is more than just a change in schedule—it’s an emotional reset. That’s why supporting mental health in students during this period is just as important as prepping backpacks and lesson plans.

Reentry can stir up a mix of emotions: nervousness about academic pressure, excitement to see friends, or lingering stress from summer struggles. Preparing students emotionally means creating a gentle bridge back to the structure of school. Even small actions—like previewing changes to schedules, offering flexible welcome-back activities, or providing low-stakes social opportunities—can ease the return.

The more we normalize these feelings, the better equipped students will be to navigate them. When mental health in schools extends into this transition phase, it sends a clear message: we see you, we care about how you’re doing, and you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Care Activities for Teens

Curious about how to use self-care activities for teens to support mental health in and out of the classroom? Check out the FAQs below for thoughtful tips and ideas to help you encourage wellness, connection, and year-round impact.

What makes self-care different for teens compared to adults?

Self-care for teens often needs to be more flexible, creative, and peer-influenced. Unlike adults, teens are still learning how to identify their emotional needs, so self-care should feel approachable and open-ended—more about exploration than routine.

How can I encourage teens to take self-care seriously without making it feel like a lecture?

Lead with curiosity and empathy instead of rules or pressure. Framing self-care as something empowering—something that helps them feel more in control or more like themselves—can make it feel less like a task and more like a tool.

What’s one thing to avoid when promoting self-care to teens?

Avoid making self-care feel like another item on a to-do list. Instead of presenting it as something they “should” be doing, focus on helping teens discover what makes them feel good, safe, and connected—and let them take the lead from there.

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