Thursday, 14th September is R U OK? day. Take some time to ask friends and family if they're ok then be prepared to really listen. The video below tells you how. If you're not ok, tell someone! You can find out more at https://www.ruok.org.au.

Here is another great article by Andrew Matthews on 5 Happiness Tips Anyone Can Use.  He starts the article with this statement, Happy people don't have less problems. They think differently. All five tips are obvious and easy to do if you really want to. My favourite is quit complaining. You can read the full article here.

We tell ourselves all kinds of unhelpful things every day. For example, I'm ugly, I'm never going to pass that exam, and I'm useless. Paradigm has a useful article on how to change negative self-talk. They suggest keeping a thought journal and write down your negative thoughts about yourself. I would also suggest that you replace them with a positive statement about yourself. For example, I'm beautiful in my own way, I will work hard to pass this exam, and I am capable. It takes a lot of practice replacing negative self-talk with positive self-talk but it is well worth the effort.

I'm a big fan of author Andrew Matthews' book, Being a Happy Teen.  He recently posted an article on his website about how telling yourself NOT to do something doesn't work.  This is because our brain works in pictures, so when you say to yourself, "don't have an accident," your brain pictures you having an accident.  Instead, we should tell ourselves what to do.  For example, "drive safely." Another example of this principle is to try telling yourself "do not think about kangaroos." Of course, you are thinking about kangaroos! You can read the full article here.  I certainly wasn't taught this at school but I'm going to put it into practice this week and see what happens.

According to a poll in the UK, Instagram rated the worst for negative impact on young people aged 14-24.  These impacts included social media's effect on sleep, anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-identity, bullying, body image and the fear of missing out.  I'm not saying don't use Instagram. I'm saying remember that many of these images are retouched, or the subjects have undergone the preparation of a professional photo shoot before being photographed.  Remember, it's being beautiful on the inside that counts and jealousy and envy are not attractive on anyone.

It's exam time so this list of 101 ways to relax and cope with stress could come in very handy.  I love the first one, set your alarm to get up 15 minutes earlier.  There's nothing like running late to add stress to your whole day.  Wake up 15 minutes earlier, just don't try to cram 30 minutes o extra stuff into your morning as well. You can find the list on Curtin University's Student Box Website.

I recently read an article on www.huffingtonpost.com about the therapeutic benefits of painting your nails. Psychotherapist, Greta Angert, recommends nail painting because it says, "I am worth it," "I deserve this." The repetitive nature of painting your nails can be calming and because you have to concentrate, it can give you a break from your anxious and stressed thoughts. If you school uniform policy forbids nail polish, stick to painting your toenails.

Maggie Dent has some really great things to say at her TEDX Youth talk.