You never know what life will throw at you, and you’ve got to be ready for anything. As a teen, it’s too much to expect yourself to be ready for absolutely anything, but part of being prepared means knowing which emergencies are most likely to occur in your life, and being ready for those, first and foremost. For example, if one of your parents is obese or in bad health, it’s smart to recognize the signs of a heart attack or a stroke. That’s just one example, here are some others.
Financial Emergencies
As a teen, you shouldn’t be super stressed out about money all the time, but that’s still a reality for many teens in our world. Knowing what resources exist for dealing with financial emergencies can be helpful. What if you get lost somewhere and your phone’s dead? Do you carry some change with you to make a call? Even though you only need 25 or 50 cents to make a phone call on a public phone (if you can find one), that’s still a type of financial emergency. What if you order food and your card is declined? Do you have $10 or $20 in cash just in case?
Dental Emergencies
If you have a dental emergency on the weekend but your regular dentist isn’t open, do you know what to do? Do you go to the emergency room for something like that? It kind of depends on what the issue is but, but dental emergencies can be dangerous if they’re ignored so in some cases, you will want to visit an emergency room. Other times, you can find an emergency dentist who deals with this type of stuff all the time.
Mental Health Emergencies
Many teens are having a tough time with their mental health, and knowing what to do in a mental health emergency for either yourself or a loved one is crucial. Knowing what people in your life are dealing with will help you know how to handle an emergency. If they’re depressed, or bipolar, or have anxiety and panic attacks – the way to act in these emergencies will vary. The same goes for you, if you struggle with these issues. It’s good to be open with those in your life who car about you, and to be there for the people you care about – knowing what someone is dealing with is the best way to know how to act when they need help. MentalMusic is a really good podcast for teens that deals with mental health topics, and there are lot of hotlines that teens can call to talk, too, just as a starting point.
You never know when an emergency will strike, and you can’t really be prepared for everything without giving yourself crippling anxiety, so it’s all about trying to find a balance in your life. Having said that, being ready for practical things that genuinely are more likely to happen can lead to much better outcomes in your life!
