The Christmas season has arrived, and for most young Victorians it’s a great time of year: a time to celebrate the end of school, head for the pool or the beach and relax with friends and family. But for some young people, the festive season is difficult.
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At Youth Affairs Council Victoria, we help governments, organisations and communities to support and engage well with young people. Here are our seasonal thoughts for how you can help young people to take care of themselves and others.
Students finishing year 12 have just received their VCE and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank results.
For many, this is a relief from the hard slog of year 12 and a chance to take pride in their achievements.
But for young people who didn’t get the results they were hoping for, the summer after leaving school can be a stressful, upsetting time.
When Mission Australia surveyed more than 5000 young Victorians about their personal concerns, the two biggest ones were “coping with stress” and “school and study problems”.
You can remind young people that, no matter their results, there are still many opportunities ahead of them. ATAR is becoming less important for how universities select students and there are many successful people who didn’t “peak in high school”.
Other young people have worse problems during the festive season.
For families who are struggling financially or emotionally, a time of year when you are expected to spend a lot, drink a lot, and spend a lot of time with your relatives can be stressful and even dangerous.
To help young people cope with stress, you can model and encourage good self-care: making time for healthy choices, like good food, regular exercise, the right amount of sleep, and breaks from social media. Starting conversations about good mental health shows you care about their well-being and yours, and it prompts young people to do the same.
ReachOut.com has excellent self-care resources, including apps to help young people manage their mental health. eheadspace and Kids Helpline also offer support.
Other ways to practice self-care include body-based therapies, such as art, mindfulness meditation, music, and yoga.
Body-based therapies avoid the discomfort of talking about painful experiences, and can be especially good for young people who have experienced trauma. To find therapies near you, start with Victoria’s Better Health Channel.
Unfortunately, not all young people have adults looking out for them. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, on the last census night, more than 6000 young Victorians aged 12-24 were homeless. A major reason is family violence. Youth homelessness is often invisible to the wider community, as young people couch surf and move through households that are unsafe, overcrowded or insecure.
Some young people are taken into care, but this brings its own challenges.
The CREATE Foundation, which represents children and young people with a care experience, comments that the festive season can be hard, as young people struggle to cope with separation from loved ones, settling into a new home, and celebrating Christmas with people they scarcely know.
For kids in care, CREATE says the festive season can be one of the loneliest times of the year. So, what can we do to support these Victorians? You might donate presents, money or your time to a service which assists young people. You might open your family celebrations to include young people who don’t have another place to go. And if you’re in the mood for a bit of yuletide activism, why not help change social problems by joining the Everybody’s Home campaign, which calls for affordable homes for all Australians, or Respect Victoria’s Communities of Respect campaign to end family violence?
Starting conversations about good mental health shows you care about their well-being and yours, and it prompts young people to do the same.
Finally, you can talk with young people about keeping themselves and their mates safe. This time of year can get risky, with extreme weather conditions, driving long distances, late nights and public events.
Encourage young people to be prepared, mapping transport routes and times.
And if they’re drinking alcohol (or considering using other drugs), encourage them to think about where they’ll be, what mood they’re in, and who they’re with.
YoDAA.org.au provides free, unbiased drug and alcohol advice and can connect you with expert help.
Best wishes to everyone for safe and relaxing holidays.
Jessie Mitchell is policy manager at Youth Affairs Council Victoria.
