4 Ways Social Skills Can Help Me Succeed

When we think of our childhood, for many of us moments in social settings stand out. These social situations are the very essence of our memories. Social skills can play a crucial role in your success across various aspects of life. The importance of social skills sometimes is underestimated, but the reality is without social skills success is weary.

Here's how social skills can help you succeed:

1. Improved Communication:

   Effective communication is a cornerstone of success in both personal and professional settings. Social skills training helps you develop active listening, assertiveness, and empathy, enabling you to express yourself more clearly and understand others better. When you can communicate confidently and empathetically, you build stronger connections and foster positive relationships with others.

2. Enhanced Networking:

   Networking plays a vital role in career growth and personal development. By honing your social skills, you can become more comfortable in social settings, making it easier to initiate and maintain conversations with new people. This can lead to valuable connections, mentorship opportunities, and potential collaborations that can boost your success in your chosen field.

3. Conflict Resolution:

   Conflict is inevitable, but how you handle it can make a significant difference in your success. Social skills training equips you with the ability to manage conflicts constructively. You learn how to stay calm in tense situations, express your concerns without hostility, and find solutions that are mutually beneficial. This skill is invaluable in personal relationships and workplace dynamics.

4. Increased Emotional Intelligence:

   Emotional intelligence involves understanding and managing your own emotions as well as recognizing and empathizing with the emotions of others. Social skills training helps you develop emotional intelligence, which is crucial for making sound decisions, building trust, and motivating and inspiring others. It also allows you to handle stress more effectively and maintain a positive outlook in challenging situations.

In summary, social skills training empowers you to communicate effectively, build strong networks, handle conflicts with grace, and understand and manage emotions. All these abilities contribute to your overall success, both in your personal life and in your professional endeavors.

The Benefits of Social Skills for Kids + Teens

As social creatures, we thrive from connecting with others and learning from each other. In today’s day and age that is chock full of digital communications and content, we are slowly moving away from the social connection that keeps us grounded and healthy. We have carried on coping mechanisms post-pandemic, such as working from home, exercising from home, video chatting our friends instead of meeting with them in person. Online dating, social media, even school can be completed through a tiny computer screen. Kids today have grown up with these technologies, not needing to be put in social situations and environments children were once in. Even with our ever-changing world, social skills are crucial to creating a happy, confident, and competent lifestyle.

How can I help my child improve their social skills?

Registering your child for a social skills group is a fantastic way to connect them to others their age, engage them in an in-person activity, and get their social skills put to action.

Learn to connect with peers

In a social skills education group, kids & teens will have access to hands-on experience and exercises to aid them in finding ways to connect with their peers. These educational and informative groups teach kids and teens about empathy and sympathy and how to differentiate the two. Learning to embody empathy and sympathy will help to ignite and maintain relationships for your child. In learning in groups such as age- targeted social skills group, your child will inherently connect with other members of the group by shared goals, communal vulnerability, and radical authenticity. These are lifelong stills that will benefit them as they continue their paths in life.

Identify social cues

Reading a room, understanding facial expressions, and decoding tone are key skills in successful relationships; whether they be personal, professional, or even strangers you meet in your day-to-day activities and errands. A social skills education group will teach your child about these imperative skills and techniques to help them feel confident in these settings and situations.

Conversational skills

Being able to start and carry a conversation with peers, family, and people of the workplace is paramount in leading a life that is socially connected. Conversation skills are not only important for in-person interactions, but also digital communications. Social skills groups can teach your child how to initiate conversations, approach others, and continue conversations- along with skills and techniques to avoid awkward silences or disconnected comments.

Self-Confidence

When mastering foundational components of social skills, kids and teens will build their confidence with each session. These groups give kids opportunities to learn on the spot, roll play, and practice with other members of the group.

Is your child or teen needing a boost in their confidence skills? Would a social skills group help them bolster their social skills? We offer children and teen counseling and rolling groups that focus on many areas of life during the childhood years. Wanting to deepen the connection between you and your child? We also offer family therapy. Email us at hello@serenemindpsych.com or call us at 813.321.8280 for more info. Check out our upcoming teen social skills group starting this summer here: https://www.serenemindpsych.com/teen-social-skills-group

Our Therapists Share 3 Ways Social Media Impacts Mental Health

In our modern day and age, social media has dominated communication in many different areas. Connecting with friends and family through messages, sharing pictures of your life, shopping, dating, and even networking to further your career can be done all from a tiny screen that you can tote in your pocket. There are thousands of apps that can fit virtually any need, and most have a social component within the app. Although there can be many positives with the rise of social media, there are also some attributes to these apps that can negatively impact mental and emotional health.

1. Instant Gratification

Getting an immediate reward, or instant gratification is a common product of regular social media use. Being able to speak to someone immediately, purchase goods, or even scrolling constantly being introduced to different stimuli can create a sense of power and control.

A chemical in the body called dopamine is released when we partake in instant gratification behaviors, and when participated in often, can change an individual’s behavior completely. Needing to be constantly stimulated (example: scrolling, checking texts or emails, etc.) releases dopamine and when this is done frequently, the body becomes overstimulated. This can create feelings of anxiety and overwhelm when instant gratification is unavailable to an individual who is used to it. This is also a way to disconnect and disassociate from needing to problem solve or wait for stimuli to present itself.

The more we become accustomed to the instant gratification, the more we seek this pleasurable activity. This can lead us down a spiral and ultimately lead to great disappointment.

2. The Comparison Game

Seeing others on social media posting their achievements, purchases, and even daily life can create a “comparison game” within. This game can turn into a rabbit hole of feelings and thoughts such as, “Why can’t I have those things?”, “They are so much more attractive than me”, “They must be rich to afford that”. These comparisons are hurtful, lead to expectations that are unattainable and unrealistic.

Most people post the best of their worlds on their social media platforms. When seeing the best parts of someone’s life through pictures or word on a screen, it is easy to forget that they are humans too- people that have challenges, difficulties, and vulnerabilities.

The Comparison Game can also lead to FOMO, or “Fear of Missing Out”, where individuals feel like they don’t fit in or belong with their peers. Constant exposure to these platforms can create feelings of shame, guilt, not feeling worthy, and even missing out on things they think they may deserve or wish they could have. It is important to keep in check the realities of each post and person posting.

3. Cyberbullying

Within the last 10 years the popularity of social media platforms has increased, and so has cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can have tremendous effects on a person’s self-image, self-esteem, and social skills.

Many individuals find it easier to argue, make fun of, and even harass others through a digital format rather than in real life, face-to- face interactions. When prolonged and unreported, cyberbullying can take an extreme toll on a person’s mental and emotional health, and even start to affect their physical health. It is hard to escape bullies on social media, they are constantly there and you may feel as if it is out of control.

The world of social media is a new territory for many of us. We have no way of knowing what further studies or future generations will be impacted by the decisions we make on social media today. It is a scary and unfamiliar world for ourselves, our kids and teens. Always remember that you have the power to control the amount you use, the platforms you access and how accessible you are in the realm of social media.

Are you feeling that you are experiencing negative thoughts or feelings due to social media use? We are here to help. Email us at hello@serenemindpsych.com or give us a call at 813.321.8280 to set up an intake appointment to see if one of our therapists can aid you in your healing journey.

Parents We Can Teach Our Kids to Say No to Bullies

Tis' the season of back to school shopping, open houses and new class schedules. This time of year many teens can be anxiously awaiting the new school year. For many teens this is a positive nervous, excited feeling of the first day of school. But for some it can be very stressful, nerve wrecking and even depressing. 

The topic of bullies is one that never grows old. Bullies can be found in all schools, all grades and in all cities. The population of teens that are in middle school who are bullied is ever growing. Many parents and teens are afraid, worried and simply do not know what to do. Teach your kids how to say no. 

For starters, bullies are insecure, lonely, angry and fearful. They pick on kids and teens who are quiet, shy and mostly introverted. Bullies want to feel powerful and they believe they will gain this by controlling the emotions of another. But they could not be more wrong. 

Kids and teens who are bullied are actually strong, have their own mindset and independence. They have to be reminded that they are powerful and can stand up for what they believe in. Standing up as a teen is not always easy, but is possible. Empowering a teen who has been bullied is a step in the right direction. 

As parents, please take the time this school year to talk to your children about bullies. Your child or teen may not have the courage to approach the topic, but it is of upmost importance. Bullying is a serious offense and thus it should be treated as such. Talk to your kids about standing up for what they believe in and about saying no in difficult situations. The more they practice and role play the easier it will be, if they are confronted by a bully.