Gratitude improves your physical and mental health. You can find these gratitude prompts at Text My Journal. You could buy yourself a fancy gratitude journal from Kikki K or use an empty notebook.

David Hamilton's book, The Five Side Effects of Kindness, is a very interesting read. Being kind makes you happier. The science behind this is that, when we are kind it boosts our levels of oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin which are the body's happy chemicals. It even produces endorphins which are the brain's natural versions of morphine and heroin. So you can get a totally legal high by being kind. The book is full of examples of acts of kindness too. ​If you don't have time to read the whole book, you can check out his blog post here.

Test anxiety is a subset of performance anxiety. Many students suffer headaches, excessive sweating, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath or light-headedness leading unto and during a test or exam. Here a some quick tips that you can do in the exam to help yourself calm down:

1. take some slow, deep breaths
2. practise some positive self talk - "I am doing my best and that is good enough", "I am going to rock this exam"
3. tense and relax your muscles
4. visualise yourself passing the test
5. move your body - change positions during the exam.
6. focus on your senses for a moment - what can you hear, see, touch, and smell? Taste might be difficult unless you're allowed to take food into the exam.

​For more information check out the Prepscholar Blog.

I've just finished reading Mastering Your Mean Girl by self-help guru, Melissa Ambrosini. Let's face it, we've all got a mean girl, that nasty voice in your head that tells you you're not good enough, not pretty enough, not worthy enough... In her book, Melissa explains how you can defeat your inner mean girl. She says that at any moment you can choose love or fear. For example, 
LOVE - I exercise because I love my body; or
FEAR - I exercise because I hate the size of my bum and thighs.
Throughout the book there are opportunities for you to write down actions you can take to change the way you think.  It is not specifically written for teen girls but it would be really useful to know this stuff while you're in your teens. I wish I'd known this stuff in high school. You can visit her website here.

It is a normal part of the human existence to feel down sometimes. This can be due to difficult circumstances, depression, hormones... Everyone has felt loneliness, self-doubt, fear, depressed etc. You're not alone. Just because you experience these feelings, it doesn't mean you have to wallow in them. You can rise above your feelings. Here some ideas to help you get out of your funk:

• Go for a walk or run
• Do some exercise
• Meet a friend for a coffee, smoothie, juice...
• Put on some good music and dance like no-one is watching
• Play a boardgames with your family
• Watch a funny tv show
• Dust off your bike and go for a ride
• Put on some nice clothes and go window shopping with a friend
• Walk the dog - if you don't have one, walk someone else's dog (ask them first)
• Find someone to throw a frisbee with at the park
• Go to the zoo 
• Bake a cake for someone
• Get crafty and make something
• Smile and act happy (fake it till you make it).

If you have been feeling down for a long time and it is affecting your day to day life talk to someone. If you can't face tomorrow ring Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.

It's exam time. Here are 5 steps to study success from Reachout. You can read the  full article on study success here.

One More Light is a tribute to Linkin Park to their lead singer, Chester Bennington, who took his life earlier this year. This song reminds us that there is always someone who cares. If you, or someone you love is struggling contact one of the following organisations:
Lifeline: 131 11 44
Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800
Suicide Callback Service: 1300 65 94 67
www.kidshelp.com.au
www.reachout.com.au
www.headspace.org.au
www.youthbeyondblue.com
​

Being a teenager can be stressful with study, family tensions, hormones, a brain that is still developing, the worry of fitting in, boy troubles, self-image issues... did I mention the hormones? Sometimes you feel really fragile and it doesn't take much to send you over the edge. It can be something simple such as tripping over at school in front of everyone. When you're in that fragile place (say you're in the middle of exams, your period is due, your boyfriend had been avoiding you and you are not getting along with your Mum at the moment), your response may be way out of proportion to the event. Sometimes teenagers respond by yelling, swearing, drinking, taking drugs, cutting themselves or even trying to take their lives. When you reach this place, remind yourself that this too will pass. Find a trusted adult to talk to (perhaps a friend's mum) or contact one of the organisations listed below:
​Lifeline: 131 11 44
Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800
Suicide Callback Service: 1300 65 94 67
www.kidshelp.com.au
www.reachout.com.au
www.headspace.org.au
www.youthbeyondblue.com

If you need to talk to someone call Lifeline Australia 13 11 14.