LIVING A HEALTHY AND

BALANCED LIFESTYLE

Name: Lusanda Mahlaba

Grade:11A
 CONTENTS PAGE
Contents Page
Introduction 1
Outlining the problem 2 and 3
Role model's power to 4 and 5
create positive change
Community’s
responsibility to 6 and 7
ensure sound mental
health
Conclusion 8
References 9

INTRODUCTION
Healthy and balanced lifestyle choices refers to lifestyle choices that decreases the
chances of one being at risk of injury or disease. It also means your physical,
psychological, social, emotional and spiritual facets are in balance, and this would result
in a healthy body mind and spirit. It means having a limit to certain resources, taking
 control and being able to say no to factors that may cause harm to your health and well-
being. Healthy and balanced lifestyle choices refers to taking care of yourself physically
and mentally. Keeping your body in a good condition and keeping an close eye to your
eating habits to maintain your weight. Avoid unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking
alcohol as they are not healthy and balanced lifestyle choices. Basically, this is having a
good outlook, paying attention to positive habits and decreasing the risk of harm or stress
in your life (Katie Thirlaways, 2013).
Factors that may have influenced teenagers to not follow balanced lifestyle choices
during the COVID-19 era, could be lack of schooling and participation in activities.
Another factor could be addiction to screens, as they were exposed to only digital
communication and interaction.
Teenagers could not physically attend school but they could attend classes online which
may be stressful and difficult for most teenagers. With them not going to school caused a
decrease in physical activity because schools ensure that the learners move around, up
and down for different classes, meanwhile at home they are seated in one spot using their
cellphones without any movement (Klaus W. Lange).

Risky behavior is behavior is behavior that exposes people to harm. Risky behavior can
influence and increase the risk of injury and disease, leading to death, social problems
also critical situations.
Four types of risky behavior in teens:
-Alcohol and drug abuse.
-Unprotected sexual activity which may lead to health complications and sexually
transmitted diseases/infections.
-Poor diet and eating disorders(like eating excessive junk food) which may cause obesity.
-Lack of physical activity which may cause fatigue and may slow brain productivity.

The impact of unbalanced lifestyle choices in teens may be a decrease in life expectancy
and they may experience disabilities prior than those who live a balanced lifestyle and
make balanced lifestyle choices. Other impacts of unbalanced lifestyle choices is weight
gain and obesity which may cause metabolic disorders, joint and bone issues,
cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.

OUTLINING THE PROBLEM

Substance abuse is the excessive use of drugs or alcohol, the extreme use of drugs in the wrong
way (JB Griffin, 1990).Forms of substance abuse that teenagers may fall prey to is smoking and
drinking alcohol.

Teenagers with high self-esteem when faced with the choice of risky behavior may not be
easily influenced by others. Having a high self esteem impacts an individuals decisions,
relationships and health, increasing the ability of them being able to say no when others
.try to influence them. (Baumeister,Campbell, Kruger&Vohs,2003)
Teenagers with a low self-esteem when faced with the choice of risky behavior may be
easily influenced as they cannot easily say no. They can’t take responsibility for their
own actions and bad choices, they easily fall prey to peer pressure because of self control.
Therefore it is easier for a person with low self- esteem to react with interest towards the
choice of risky behavior and take part. Therefore self-esteem influences the way you tend
.to behave and things you involve yourself in

Drugs and alcohol abuse (substance abuse) can cause serious harmful effects on
teenagers. The use of illegal drugs can lead to teens going to jail/juvenile, causing them to
.have a criminal record which can negatively impact them in the when they look for jobs
 Substance abuse may have effects on the academic performance of teenagers as it may
cause lack of interest in school work and increase fatigue leading to then being sleepy in
class, being left behind and not understanding what is being taught therefore this results
in them performing poorly in their academics. Substance abuse can cause a high rate of
absence in school, an increased potential for dropping out of school. Teenagers
experiencing drug abuse may find it harder to process information, have difficulty
.concentrating or storing information/remembering
The long term effects of Marijuana and alcohol abuse
:The long term effects of marijuana are
Cognitive impairment which is for a developing brain, anxiety paranoia, increased risks
.of psychosis as well as damage to the brain, heart and lungs
:The Long term effects of alcohol abuse are
High blood pressure, cancer (various types including breast, mouth, throat and
liver);memory loss due to brain damage, liver inflammation (alcohol hepatitis),shorter
.lifespan, death from alcohol poisoning as well as car accidents causing injuries
Marijuana has been proven to be less addictive than Alcohol ,but with the above information I
can conclude that alcohol is highly and more problematic, with more long-term effects. By this I
do not state neither being better but studies and statistics claim that alcohol abuse has more of
a .negative impact compared to marijuana
 ROLE MODEL'S POWER TO CREATE CHANGE
A role model is an individual who sets and is good example to others, it is someone who is
worthy of imitation, someone who inspires others to their good behavior

Role models may be used to inspire young people to make positive lifestyle choices as
they show them how to produce positive lifestyle choices by they behave and the way
they carry and represent themselves (McCullough, 2013).They brainstorm and influence
positive ideas, life-changing ideas to young. Some role models may be parents and
parents have a positive influence on the lifestyle choices of a teenager as they support,
encourage and communicate with their children. They warn their children about alcohol
and substance abuse. They model healthy behavior by not smoking and drinking, or only
in moderation. They set clear rules and enforce consequences for breaking rules, they also
supervise study times and ensure all school work is done,they encourage their children to
take part in physical exercise, sport and recreational activities
There are ways in which depression within teenagers could be combated at school level
is ensuring teachers and learners sustain a healthy, safe and respectful environment for
one another. Schools should also ensure that the environment is a bully free zone, for
every learner to gain comfortability. The school must provide consultations or therapy
sessions during free time or break time for learners seeking help. The teachers must be
friendly and emotionally respectful and considerate towards learners, not sharing mean
jokes or embarrassing learners
There are some socio-economic factors that could discourage Grade 11 learners from
succeeding during this crucial academic year. One of these factors is poor infrastructure,
some learners attend schools with poor infrastructure which may have a negative impact
on the learners academic performance. Students from disadvantaged areas attend schools
without quality libraries and study areas, which means they do not have access to detailed
education and information . Classes in these schools become overcrowded and learners
are outnumbered, which is very unhealthy and dangerous during the COVID-19 era,as
the virus is easily transmitted if social distancing is not acknowledged. This may also
make it difficult for the students to focus and perform exceptionally in their academics
Lack of learning material may also be a socio-economic factor that could discourage the
Grade11 learners from succeeding during this crucial year. Students require learning material for
pleasing academic results. Students needs the latest textbooks and workbooks, as well as money
to buy exercise books and other learning materials. Some learners have insufficient funds to
purchase all of that, so they would rely on the government to fund/provide them with their
necessary learning tools, with COVID-19 as a socio-economic influence, it has prevented the
government from being able to fund for these learning materials for the needy students, which
affects the students' academic performance
The student's parent's level of education may discourage the student from succeeding during this
crucial year as the students are dependent on their parent's assistance regarding their school work
as their educators are not there physically to assist them because of COVID-19, so if the parent's
level of education is poor it will be very hard for them to assist their children with their school
work at home,which will make it extremely challenging for the student to understand the school
work being taught by the teacher, therefore discouraging the learner to succeed in their
academics during this year
The youth should consider being physically lively, connecting with other people and studying
new capabilities. They must retain normal schedules and interaction with loved ones, they must
study more and do easy daily bodily exercises. Basically they must practice mindfulness which is
adopting healthy sleeping patterns and developing coping, problem-solving and interpersonal
.skills to ensure their mental well-being surrounded with the socially ill (TNS,2021)
 COMMUNITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE SOUND MENTAL HEALTH
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) is a South African
organisation that was established to assist the youth from mental illnesses/ issues

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has multiple ways that one
can get access to their service. The first one is contacting their 24- hour toll free
emergency helpline (0800 567 567) that is established to assist people with mental health
issues or emotional challenges to gain access to assistance from a professional
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) also has suppory groups
that one can join to receive assistance depending on the challenge they are facing
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group ( SADAG) has a whatsapp
number(087 163 2030) for a chatline that is available for any assistance, which is an
easily accessible method for teens to communicate as they are invested in social media
 The South African Depression and Anxiety Group Group can also be reached by using
sms, you can sms the number (31393) for access to any assistance
There are some factors that may contribute to suicide ideation in teenagers. Factors like mental
illnesses, like depression and bipolar disorder, these mental disorders may leave one thinking
about taking their lives as they cannot control their emotions, making them behave irrationally
or make irrational decisions
Factors like harassment and bullying may cause prolonged stress , as these action trigger
their emotions when they are imposed towards them. Bullying among teenagers is one of
the causes of the high levels of suicide ideation in teenagers. Bullying has a chronic effect
on the emotions, to the point that one feels that the only way they can escape the
suffering is by them committing suicide
Substance abuse may also cause suicide ideation, drugs and alcohol can influence one's
emotions. I have gathered information that suggests that the toxic effects of alcohol may
manipulate a person's way of thinking, causing them to react or think without any sense
of judgment. Further proving that alcoholism has a great long-term effect in a person's
life, substance abuse can be a risk factor that contributes to suicide ideation .
(2023,H.Australia)
Schools can establish strategies on how to prevent suicide within the school. The school
should advise or educate the teachers on how to acknowledge what learners say, do or
write so they can be ready to act when they suspect a student that may be at risk of
suicide. The school should provide training for teachers so they can know the suicide
risk factors and warnings signs that could possibly increase the risk of suicide. This will
then reduce the chances of occurrence of suicide within the school
Teachers are in an advantageous position to promote the emotional and social well-being
of their students as they interact daily with them which means they could have insight on
the changes in behavior and visible risk factors within learners and react fast to prevent
suicide. This will make it easier for the teachers to identify suicidal behavior amongst the
students in the school. The school staff should also work on establishing an environment
where learners will be comfortable and free to share their problems and issues
The school should provide learners with mental health assistance like psychologists and
counselors, which are trained to intervene when a learner is identified at risk of suicide.
These professionals play a huge role in preventing suicide as they create a safe,
comfortable, healthy and supportive learning environment. The consultations between the
learners and the psychologist/counselor may improve and promote positive behavior and
mental health. With this kind of learning environment, the chances of suicide will be
reduced/prevented
 CONCLUSION
Teenage suicide campaigns can be used to train school staff (including staff and coaches)
on how to identify suicidal behavior and how to react effectively to suicide related issues
of crisis at school. These campaign also train members of the community, including
police, Healthcare providers who interact with teenage patients to easily notice and react
if they notice any signs of suicidal behavior
Some of these campaigns have peer support programs. These programs can also be
operated at school or outside of school, these programs are established to monitor peer
relationships and ability to socialise(social skills) among high risk teenagers
These campaigns may have crisis centers and hotlines where trained staff provides
mobile counseling where trained staff provide mobile counseling and alternative services
for suicidal teenagers. These campaigns/programs may also refer the tennager to mental
health services for better and more effective service and assistance

It is essential to have a balanced lifestyle as a teenager as your mental health relies on the
lifestyle you're exposed to (FD,2021). Creating a balance in your life can improve your
well-being. Teenagers may become stressed when under pressure due to school or other
external factors of their lives, but keeping your life in balance may reduce the risk of
stress. Some teenagers may shift most of their time and focus on school to the point that
they stop exercising and eating well. Once they neglect the vital areas of their lives, their
mental health and well-being may deteriorate. If someone continuously stresses and does
not sleep well, their ability to cope at school and in life, in general will be compromised.
Therfore it is essential .for teenagers to have a balanced lifestyle
Getting the recommended amount of exercise,eating well and maintaining a balanced
diet, basically having a balanced lifestyle improves mental health by reducing
anxiety,stress and depression, which means having a healthy mind and improved well-
being
From the information I gathered I can conclude by saying that it is essential for teenagers
.to have a balanced lifestyle as it plays a crucial role in their mental health and well-being
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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13. https://www.sadsg.org

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16. https://www.unicef.org