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Just because it's Friday...
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This week is National Volunteer Week. You're never too young to volunteer. Did you know that volunteers are happier, healthier and sleep better than those who don't volunteer? Your school may have some volunteering programs that it's already involved in. If they don't speak to one of the teachers at your school and see if they can organise something. Or you can check out volunteeringaustralia.org and click on your state to search for volunteer agencies.
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I just googled amazing teen and three of the top ten sites listed were port sites. Only three of the top ten sites were about teens doing amazinig things. I believe the Internet is a great resource but sometimes it's a bit like wading through a sewrage treatment plant for a diamond. You can't turn on the radio, television or computer or open a magazine without being confronted by sex. Some of the music videos and advertisements are soft porn. As renowned psychologist, Dr Michael Gregg-Carr pointed out, sex is not a sport. Danielle Miller, in her book, The Girl with the Butterfly Tattoo, pointed out that "researches have found that exposure to sexualised imagery is linked to teens feeling increased anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, body image problems, eating disorders and self harm." Don't buy into the lie that you have to be sexy for boys to like you. Use your consumer power (change the channel, don't buy the magazine) to let companies know that it's not okay to portray women as mere sex objects.
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Mother's Day is just around the corner. Before you groan and roll your eyes, remember that your Mum was a teenage girl once too. How much of your Mum's story do you know? Who was her best friend in high school? What was her favourite subject? Who was her crush? What were her dreams? You may not realise it, but your Mum might even have some useful advice.
Mums don't mean to nag or ask about your homework (again), any more than teenage girls don't mean to forget to do their Math homework or use 'that' tone. Both parties are trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. Being a teenage girl is difficult - there are raging hormones, a quickly developing body with a slower developing brain, high school and homework, best friends and boy friends and parents to deal with. Being a mother of a teenage girl is not always easy either. They struggle knowing when to hold tight and when to let go, which battles to fight, when to bit their tongue and say nothing, and then how not to give 'that' look while they're busy saying nothing.
This Mothers Day, what your Mum probably wants more than anything is to spend some time with you. Give her a chance - even if you think she's pretty messed up, she's probably trying her best.
Mums don't mean to nag or ask about your homework (again), any more than teenage girls don't mean to forget to do their Math homework or use 'that' tone. Both parties are trying to navigate unfamiliar territory. Being a teenage girl is difficult - there are raging hormones, a quickly developing body with a slower developing brain, high school and homework, best friends and boy friends and parents to deal with. Being a mother of a teenage girl is not always easy either. They struggle knowing when to hold tight and when to let go, which battles to fight, when to bit their tongue and say nothing, and then how not to give 'that' look while they're busy saying nothing.
This Mothers Day, what your Mum probably wants more than anything is to spend some time with you. Give her a chance - even if you think she's pretty messed up, she's probably trying her best.
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The title says it all.
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Words are really powerful and we need to choose them more conscious of what comes out of our mouths. I recently read this article Bernard Marr wrote for Linked In. You can find the full article here but here's a summary:
1. That won't work - how do you know until you've tried?
2. I can't do it - what can you do to be able to do it (training etc)?
3. Impossible - open your brain to how it might be possible.
4. That's not fair - life is not fair so look for ways to improve the situation.
5. It's not my fault - instead of focusing on blame focus on problem solving.
6. I might be able to - don't set yourself up for failure.
7. That's not my job - sometimes to help the team or yourself move up the ladder you need to do somethings outside your job description.
8. Need - your need food, water and shelter. Be careful how you use 'need' apart from those things.
9. I think... - it's wishy washy. Use I believe or I know instead.
10. I'll try - to quote Yoda, "Do, or do not. There is no try."
1. That won't work - how do you know until you've tried?
2. I can't do it - what can you do to be able to do it (training etc)?
3. Impossible - open your brain to how it might be possible.
4. That's not fair - life is not fair so look for ways to improve the situation.
5. It's not my fault - instead of focusing on blame focus on problem solving.
6. I might be able to - don't set yourself up for failure.
7. That's not my job - sometimes to help the team or yourself move up the ladder you need to do somethings outside your job description.
8. Need - your need food, water and shelter. Be careful how you use 'need' apart from those things.
9. I think... - it's wishy washy. Use I believe or I know instead.
10. I'll try - to quote Yoda, "Do, or do not. There is no try."
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You've heard the saying "if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" but it's so easy to say negative, meh comments. Hope this youtube clip inspires you to say more positive and encouraging stuff.
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Photo courtesy of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
Senior High School can be a difficult time. You are not quite an adult but definitely not a child any more, the frontal lobe of your brain is still developing (which controls emotions, memory and judgement amongst other things), your hormones are running rampant, you're trying figure out boys and possibly juggle a part time job. Then you have the whole Senior High School thing to deal with - lots of reading, homework, study and exams - until you think your brain will explode.
Stephanie Limm won the VCE Leadership Award in 2013. While she was in high school she wrote a booklet entitled A Student's Guide to Staying Sane in VCE (VCE = Victorian Certificate of Education, in Western Australia it's called WACE and in New South Wales it's called HSC for Higher School Certificate etc.). It's full of ways to be mentally and physically healthy and great study tips. Stephanie was also responsible for students undertaking a Student Mental Health First AId Course at her high school and made sure students had access to gym facilities and meditation classes.
Stephanie Limm won the VCE Leadership Award in 2013. While she was in high school she wrote a booklet entitled A Student's Guide to Staying Sane in VCE (VCE = Victorian Certificate of Education, in Western Australia it's called WACE and in New South Wales it's called HSC for Higher School Certificate etc.). It's full of ways to be mentally and physically healthy and great study tips. Stephanie was also responsible for students undertaking a Student Mental Health First AId Course at her high school and made sure students had access to gym facilities and meditation classes.
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Check out this social experiment that Dove conducted. Which door would you choose? How do you define beauty? Would you judge someone who went through the Beautiful door?
Society has such a narrow view of beauty. Very few of us match up to beauty as it is portrayed in the print and digital media. It sounds cliche but beauty comes from within. Being kind, generous, strong, compassionate, patient, happy, brave, confident and loving make you beautiful in ways that make up, expensive clothes, fake tans and boob jobs can't. Choose beautiful.
Society has such a narrow view of beauty. Very few of us match up to beauty as it is portrayed in the print and digital media. It sounds cliche but beauty comes from within. Being kind, generous, strong, compassionate, patient, happy, brave, confident and loving make you beautiful in ways that make up, expensive clothes, fake tans and boob jobs can't. Choose beautiful.
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Many girls become less physically active once they become teenagers. Here are some of the advantages of staying physically active according to the Better Health website:
You don't have to go to the gym - there are thousands of ways to get moving:
- Increased strength, stamina and flexibility
- Helps maintain a healthy body weight
- Improves fitness and heart health
- Decreased incidence of stress and depression
- Increased self-esteem
- Positive body image
- Opportunities to have fun and interact with friends and family.
You don't have to go to the gym - there are thousands of ways to get moving:
- Go for a walk/run
- Walk the dog
- Go for a swim at the beach
- Ride your bike
- Try Pilates or Yoga if working up a sweat isn't your thing
- Get some friends together and hire a tennis court and have a hit
- There are thousands of workouts on Youtube
- Go skiing (ok, that depends where you live)
- Go ice skating
- Go rollerblading
- Enrol in a dance class
- Your local community centre has lots of well priced exercise options.