When Self-Care Stops Being a Trend and Starts Saving Lives

Imagine a classroom where half the girls quietly believe they don’t measure up and no one ever asks why. Because the belief is hidden. But it’s wrecking … everything. For teen girls and young women, self-care isn’t a fluffy idea. It’s a lifeline.

As someone who works with students and young women, you already know: mental health and self-care matter. But you might not know how urgent the situation is or why your role might be the difference between a student simply surviving and one truly thriving.

Here’s the plain truth: Many of the young women you teach, mentor, or support feel less than. Research from the Dove Self‑Esteem Project found that 1 in 2 girls aged 10-17 say toxic beauty advice on social media causes low self-esteem. In fact, girls' confidence levels have dropped from 68% to 55% over six years among 5th-12th graders. And national data show teen girls report higher levels of depression, self-harm, and anxiety than boys.

What this means for you as a parent, mentor, or educator: It’s not enough to hope the girl “just bounces back.” The world she’s living in, social media, appearance pressure, and academic stress, is stacked against her self-worth. She needs active, informed self-care practices and support.

Why this topic really matters

• Because school, social media, friends...they all add up. The pressure to “look right,” “be enough,” and “perform” is real and relentless.

• Because when self-worth erodes, everything else suffers: grades, friendships, mental health, and future ambition.

• Because you can make a difference by speaking up, by modeling self-care, by creating safe spaces where young women are seen, heard, and valued.

• Because in my upcoming book Her Blooming Season (launching 11.11.2025) I speak directly to students about what self-care looks like beyond hashtags and I want you to be ready to support that.

Essential Tips for Supporting Students

1. Talk about the ‘feed’ the mind sees — Help students recognize that social media can feed wounds, not just pictures. The Dove report found that more than 70% of girls felt better after unfollowing toxic beauty advice.

2. Create space for open conversation — Ask: “What pressures are you feeling right now?” or “When do you feel like you’re enough?” Try to understand and hear their struggle.

3. Model self-care in real ways — Self-care isn’t big spas or perfect routines. It’s “I’m going to rest when I need it,” “I’m turning off the screen,” “I’m saying no when I don’t have energy.”

4. Encourage one small self-care habit — e.g., keeping a journal, a 5-minute mindfulness break, a “media detox hour.” Research shows that students who feel connected with staff or mentors do better.

5. Use the book and resources ahead of time — Let students preview pages, prompts, affirmations, and short videos from Her Blooming Season. Make it a group journey, not solo.

6. Check in and follow up — One conversation isn’t enough. Mental health isn’t a checkbox. Revisit, ask again, adjust.

I invite you now: get ready to take an active role in helping young women cultivate their self-worth. Start a conversation this week. Save the date, November 11th, 2025, for Her Blooming Season, so you can share it with your students or mentees, and commit to one self-care initiative together. Because when they bloom, we all grow.