SOVA

Supporting Our Valued Adolescents: A place to learn, share your strength, be positive, and grow.

SOVA Blog

by blogger81

New Year…Same Me

January 11, 2021 in Be Positive

With the start of a new year, there is mounting pressure to create a better version of yourself. There’s talk of resolutions and all the things that we have to accomplish in 2021 in order to be successful. The radio, social media, and your family will all be talking about their grand goals for the new year.

This year, however, I’m granting myself a free pass from the stress of having to try and be my best self in a global pandemic. Sometimes, and especially this year, just getting up every day and functioning is enough.

This might not be the year that I travel the world. This might not be the year that I pay off all my debts. This might not be the year that I get a dog, hit a new PR running a marathon, or find the perfect man. Instead, this might be the year that I get out of bed every day, keep my stable, (albeit boring) job, and do nothing remarkable. And that’s okay.

This will be the year that I accept myself for who I am and don’t feel badly about myself for not making the resolutions and goals that everyone else is.

Did you set resolutions this year? What advice, if you have any, do you have about learning to give yourself grace? 

Tags: , , 4 Comments »

by blogger81

Overcoming Holiday Eating Anxiety

December 9, 2020 in Educate Yourself, Social Media Guide

I was recently swiping mindlessly through my friends’ Snapchat stories when I came across one who had storied a flyer from her gym titled, “Maintain, Don’t Gain!” that quoted the “statistic” that, “the average American will gain 5-10 lbs this holiday season.” The point of their flyer was to encourage users to sign up for more fitness classes this season.

About a week removed from seeing this story, it’s still on my mind. I think of it as I’m deciding what to eat or as I’m deciding on whether or not to go to the gym. What kind of world do we live in that gaining 5-10 pounds during the holiday season is an issue? That indulging in good food and missing gym sessions for a few weeks is something to be looked down on? Why aren’t we celebrating that we have the luxury to treat ourselves, spend time with loved ones, and perhaps have to loosen your belt a bit at the end?

As someone with a history of disordered eating, this advertisement wording got under my skin and has stayed there. Weight gain is criminalized in our society for no reason and it’s toxic. Thankfully, my friend has a similar history and posted the flyer because of the absurdity, but a lot of people could take it to heart.

If you’re worried about the holiday season from an eating standpoint, I encourage you to use the resources around you. Speak to friends and family about your fears, reach out to your therapist if you have one, or use some of the online resources available. On the other side, if you have a friend you know struggles with eating, please reach out to them and check in over the coming months.

Have you ever encountered ads or commercials around this time of year that focus on fitness and physical appearance? For those who have experience with eating disorders (whether it be yourself or someone you know), how do these make you feel? Are there any other kinds of holiday marketing techniques that bother you?

Tags: , , , , 1 Comment »

by blogger81

Fighting the Sunday Scaries

November 23, 2020 in Be Positive

Since being placed in a new position at work a few months ago, I have found myself increasingly anxious on Sundays as the prospect of a new week looms. My new position comes with a lot of added responsibility which, for me, translates into a lot of added stress. I work hard each Sunday to find techniques that calm me down and help me enter the week more prepared.

Exercise

This is a big one in my life. No matter how stressed I am, going for a run, do yoga, or going to the gym helps calm me down and feel more in control.

Spend time in nature

Especially with the cooler weather, I’ve been trying to spend part of my Sunday connecting with nature. There are so many trails in Pittsburgh to take advantage of and it’s hard to feel too stressed surrounded by such beauty. 🙂

Clean my house

Or your room, if you’re still in school. Having a clean space to start a Monday helps me go into the week feeling ready to conquer anything.

Spend time with friends and family

No matter how stressed I am, spending time with people I love helps distract me and we often make plans to see each other again, which also helps get me through the week.

And, last but not least, I try to remember that my job is in PR, not the ER. This isn’t true for everybody, of course, but no one’s lives are depending on me. If I make a mistake or miss a task, the world isn’t going to end. My career isn’t the end all be all and it isn’t worth spending my entire Sunday with my stomach in knots.

My list is by no means exhaustive, but I’ve found them to be useful in managing my anxiety entering the new week.

Have you tried any of those techniques? What else do you use to manage the Sunday Scaries? Do you find yourself getting anxious on Sundays?

Tags: , , , 3 Comments »

by blogger81

Goodbye, Instagram. Goodbye, Pointless Anxiety.

September 24, 2020 in Social Media Guide

Instagram became a part of my life in middle school and continued to grow in importance throughout high school, following me into college. I spent years of my life thinking, “That would be a good IG picture” or “Well, if I went to (insert event, vacation, or social activity here), it would be a good picture.”

Finally, I’d had enough. Why did I put so much self-worth into how many likes a picture got? Why did I spend time editing a photo in Lightroom to make sure it was as aesthetic as possible? Why was I spending hours scrolling and looking at photos of people with “perfect” lives? Why did I care? I deleted my Instagram account at the end of June and haven’t regretted it for one second.

Since I deleted it, a weight has been lifted. I have gone camping, kayaking, and rock climbing. I’ve been to brunch and Taco Tuesdays and spent time with friends. I’ve taken my dog to the park and visited my sister. I’ve taken pictures because they’re memories and moments I want to look back on. But not once have I done something or taken a photo because I needed to prove to the world that I’m having fun.

The pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect and appear perfect on social media created an unreasonable and completely pointless amount of anxiety in my life. It stopped being a fun way to share my life and my experiences and became another pressure, another standard I had to live up to. The anxiety it caused wasn’t worth the end result of the validation of likes on a perfectly curated, and totally artificial, photo. If you’ve been thinking about taking a break from Instagram to focus on living in reality, consider this your sign. It’s worth it.

Have you ever deleted a social media account? Was it temporary? Permanent? How did it feel after you deleted the account?

Tags: , , , , , , 5 Comments »