What follows are Dr. Ben's Top 10 areas of focus to promote good mental health for your soon-to-be adults.

1. Sleep - As a person goes through the teenage years, it's normal to have a harder time falling asleep early and harder to get up in the morning. Good sleep can be promoted by trying to keep weekday and weekend awakenings and sleep at around the same time (within an hour or two at least). Try to walk away from screens an hour or so before bedtime and rid the bedroom of screens as best you can. This is hard but doable. Strive to get eight hours or more sleep most nights. If you find yourself unable to consistently fall asleep quickly at bedtime or wake up consistently at night, talk to your parents or pediatrician. 

2. Unplug - To be a kid today is to have computerized screens as a central part of your education, entertainment and socialization. Being constantly connected, or just feeling like you have to be, is not mentally healthy. While it would be almost impossible to function today without them, it's important to realize that heavy screen use has been associated with poor mental health.

3. Exercise - If you are not involved in a sport, it's easy to have physical activity become less and less of a priority. However, studies have shown that adolescents who get regular exercise generally sleep better, perform better academically and are happier than their non-exercising peers. Finding some way to move your body with vigor, getting a bit out of breath and sweaty, can really improve your happiness level. 

4. Outside - Human beings have spent millennia evolving, which, until the last couple hundred years, necessarily involved spending a large degree of time outside. Now, some people's only time outside for days on end can be walking to and from a car into home, school or activity. Exercising outside, doing homework outside or simply going for a walk outdoors can boost happiness.

5. Play - Growing up necessarily means increasing responsibilities and pressures. It becomes easy to lose track of plain ol' FUN! Doing something joyful and "non-productive" can be rejuvenating. Baking cookies for somebody, going bowling or playing a board game be a great source of stress relief. Have fun. It's one of the things that makes life worth living. 

6. Mastery - The teenage years are actually the time in which certain areas of brain performance are at their absolute max. Developing what psychologists call a "growth mind-set" is a great tool for happiness. Instead of "I can't do it," think and say "I can't do it - YET." You are a human becoming and you can accomplish all wonder of things with persistence and grit.

7. Connection - During these years, it's normal to become more and more connected to your peers and rely less on your parents. Forging many relationships, different relationships (with classmates in different social spheres, people at church, camp or sports, etc.) can be a source of great mental strength. Forging these bonds away from screens is a good idea. Including others can make not only the other person happier, but can make you feel good too. Nobody feels good when someone is left out. 

8. Mindfulness - Although the term is in danger of becoming fuzzy from overuse, a good definition is "paying attention on purpose, non-judgmentally and with intention." Unfortunately, the screen in our lives promote the opposite of this. Many resources such as books, websites and apps (such as Headspace, Insight Timer, Aura, etc.) exist and cultivating mindfulness can play a tremendous role in increasing happiness.

9. Kindness - As you get older, it's easier to note the imperfections of others - classmates, siblings, teachers and especially parents. However, making a point to be kind to all of those around you not only makes others happier, it can remarkably improve your own happiness. EVERYBODY responds well to kindness. 

10. Gratitude - Although it may seem silly, finding things to be grateful for can have a big impact on happiness. Keeping a gratitude journal, saying "thank you" often, or writing notes of gratitude can be very positive. Striving to do this even more in times of stress is especially important. The things themselves that we can be grateful for can be large and small; it is the process of finding them, savoring them and remembering them that's important.

We mustache you a question.

Do you think developing your child's sense of humor is important?

It is. Lettuce explain.

We've all been told laughter is the best medicine, but have we really considered the social, emotional and health benefits of humor?

Children with good sense of humor have been shown to be happier, more flexible and more liked by their peers. 

They also tend to have a more positive frame of mind, higher self esteem and the ability to handle difficult or stressful situations well.

"It is never too early to start developing a sense of humor," said Christina York, Ph.D., a psychologist at Cook Children's. "All children will face very challenging circumstances, and humor may help them work through those sometimes-trying times of childhood."

Health benefits

Not only does laughter provide social and emotional benefits for your child, but a good sense of humor provides health benefits, including:

• Better pain management and toleration
• Improved digestion
• Increased illness resistance and immune function
• Less depression
• Lower blood pressure and heart rates
• Lower stress levels

Guide their humor

As a child explores new and funny things, always teach him or her what type of humor is acceptable for certain situations. If a joke is inappropriate, gently correct the child and provide alternate jokes or stories to tell instead.

Put a smile on our face by sharing funny stories about your children.