Making Healthy Choices & Safe Decisions: A Guide for Teens

Life is full of choices.  For small children, those choices are mostly simple. They may decide which flavor of ice cream they want or whether to color with crayons or markers, but most of the important decision-making is handled by their parents.

As a teenager, you still get to decide which ice cream flavor you want; however, you’re now at a stage of life when many of the decisions you make are more significant. From what you choose to eat and which classes you take in school, to how you spend your free time and whether you avoid underage drinking — your choices can have a huge impact on your future.

Why are the choices teens make now so important?

Making healthy choices doesn’t mean being a killjoy or missing out on fun. It’s about recognizing that your decisions over the next few years will lay the foundation for the rest of your life. Here are some aspects of your life that can be impacted by safe decision making:

• Physical Health: Your body and mind are still developing. As a matter of fact, your brain won’t be fully mature until your mid-20s. When you choose to eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and avoid underage drinking, you support healthy physical development and help prevent future medical issues.
• Mental Health: If you’re struggling with anxiety and depression, underage drinking could make these conditions worse.
• Future Success: Decisions you make today can have long-lasting effects. For instance, your choice to study more for a tough math class can create a habit of working hard to reach your goals, and that good habit can translate into greater success after high school. Drinking alcohol before you’re 21 will make it significantly more difficult for you to achieve academically in a way that will put you on the right path to a successful adulthood.

Big Decisions Teens Frequently Face

Clearly, your future happiness doesn’t hang in the balance with every little decision you make, but there will be some moments when making healthy choices is crucial. Let’s take a look at some of the big decisions teens frequently face, and the benefits of choosing a healthy path.

Health and Wellness

• Healthy Choices: Eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly (whether that means playing sports, dancing, riding a bike, or simply walking).
• Unhealthy Choices: Skipping meals or eating excessive junk food, staying up late on a regular basis, being a couch potato or spending all your free time gaming or binge-watching shows.

Education

• Healthy Choices: Showing up for class, completing assignments on time, studying for tests, and asking the teacher for help if you need it.
• Unhealthy Choices: Skipping classes, blowing off assignments, and cramming for tests at the last minute.

Social Life

• Healthy Choices: Hanging out with positive and supportive friends who let you be yourself and encourage you to make smart decisions.
• Unhealthy Choices: Socializing with peers who expect you to conform to their standards and pressure you to into risky behaviors or bring drama into your life.

Substance Use

• Healthy Choices: Saying “no” to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs because you understand the risks they pose to your health and well-being.
• Unhealthy Choices: Giving in to peer pressure, experimenting with substances, acting impulsively, and ignoring potential consequences.

What if I feel pressured to make an unhealthy choice?

Even if you have amazing friends and avoid risky behavior in general, you could still find yourself in a situation where you’re feeling pressured to do something you don’t want to do. That’s why it’s a good idea to create an “X Plan” with your parents or another trusted adult.

The X Plan is a pre-arranged signal (like the letter X) you text them if you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation. It lets them know they need to pick you up ASAP. With an X Plan in place, you know your parents have your back and you always have an exit route to get away from the pressure to make potentially bad decisions.

Commit to making healthy choices!

You have the power to make smart decisions that will have a positive impact on your life now and well into your future. One of those is to avoid underage drinking and to encourage your friends to do the same. Visit the Talk it Out NC website today and Take the Pledge to help prevent underage drinking!