I Wanna Try Even Though I Could Fail
May 23, 2016 in Be Positive
This song by Shakira for Zootopia has a great message!
What songs help you stay positive?
by Moderator ★
by Moderator ★
A shoulder to lean on
May 3, 2016 in Educate Yourself
If you really needed help, who could you count on? You might think first of a friend your own age, and while they may be good at listening and empathizing with you, they might not know what kind of advice to give you. Not because they don’t want to help, but they just haven’t had enough experience. Sometimes going to a supportive adult can help a lot. With time, you get experience, and experience helps you to learn what things work well – and what things do not. A supportive adult can be your parent, relative, teacher, priest, therapist, nurse, doctor. But how do you know they are someone you can depend on?
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Ask yourself:
- Does this person care about me? do they want me to succeed?
- Are they someone who I consider a role model? someone I wouldn’t mind being like when I get older?
- Have they been kind to me in the past?
- Do they listen to what I have to say?
- Do they respect me and my decisions?
These questions might help you figure it out. If you don’t have a supportive adult, spend some time sharing that with a teacher or healthcare provider who works with young people. These adults spend a lot of time caring for and giving advice to young people and are often willing to listen and lend a helping hand.
How has a supportive adult helped you in the past? Are there any questions you would add to our list?
by Moderator ★
How to Discuss Hard Topics with Parents
April 27, 2016 in Educate Yourself
Although talking to friends often comes more naturally, there are some situations in which parents or guardians can shed a brighter light on a tough situation than your peers. Whether you feel that your relationship is strong with your parents or not, they are the ones who care more about your well-being than anyone else. Tough subjects to bring up with parents can include a wide range of topics, anywhere from a speeding ticket to self-harm. Here are 3 steps to help you feel ready to approach a tough subject.
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1. Decide before you begin talking what your goal is.
Knowing ahead of time what you want to get out of your conversation can help you stay calm and prevent the conversation from leading down a different path. You may want specific advice, or you may just want to be listened to without judgement. Either way, being prepared can help you and the adult stick to what will be most beneficial for you.
2. Recognize your feelings and be upfront about them.
More often than not hard subjects are hard because of the emotion behind them. You could be scared, ashamed, or simply embarrassed to talk about certain things with your parents, but the best way to deal with those feelings is to be honest about them. For example, you could say, “I need to talk to you, but I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you.” By letting your parents know how you are feeling, they can be better equipped to help, and you can know that you are being heard.
3. Pick a good time to talk.
Just as being calm yourself can help when approaching a difficult talk, things will go more smoothly if your parent is calm as well. Try to find a time when they are not busy working on something else. If you are unsure, tell them that you need to talk and ask when would be a good time for them.
Overall, thoughtful planning is what will help you the most when discussing something difficult with a parent. By following these steps, you will give you and your parent the best shot at working through it together.
Do you think these are helpful tips? Or do you have more tips for people talking about difficult topics? Tell us about them!
You can also read more about talking to parents in general and about difficult topics at http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/Parents/talk_to_parents.html#
by Moderator ★
How to tell if therapy is going well
April 26, 2016 in Educate Yourself
You can feel pretty vulnerable when you talk to a therapist. Think about it – you are telling them your deepest thoughts and you are not sure what they are thinking! You might not know what a therapist is supposed to do or act like if you’ve never seen one before. So how do you know if things are going well in therapy?
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Here are some suggestions we have!
Ask yourself:
- Do I think therapy will help me?
- What do I expect out of my therapist?
Ask your parent:
- Are you willing to participate in therapy together or alone for you if needed?
- What do you expect out of me for therapy?
- What do you expect out of my therapist?
Discuss your answers to the above questions with your therapist and your parent so you can have a clear idea if what you think will happen is what will happen.
As you get to know your therapist, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I feel accepted?
- Is my therapist caring?
- Does my therapist explain things clearly?
- If my therapist and I disagree, can we have a productive conversation about it?
- Does my therapist recognize if there is a problem and addresses it instead of avoiding it?
After you’ve gotten to know your therapist, ask yourself:
- Does my therapist have a good relationship with me?
- Do we get along?
- Do we agree on the goals of what I am going to get from my treatment?
- Does my therapist get along with my parent?
- Does my therapist agree with my parent on the goals of my treatment?
These questions have been shown in research to influence how well therapy can work for kids and adolescents which is why we think it is important to think about them.
If the answers are no to any of these questions, talk to your therapist on how you might address them. If it doesn’t feel comfortable to talk to your therapist, then talk to whoever referred you to them – like your primary care provider about whether they can help talk to your therapist and investigate whether they are a good fit for you.
Did you try out using any of these questions? Is there something new you learned? Are there other questions you suggest for talking to your therapist?
by Moderator ★
Not Alone
December 23, 2015 in Be Positive
Watch this powerful video featuring inspiring stories of struggle.
Sometimes when you are feeling alone, it can help to hear from others with similar hardships.
What did you think? Share your thoughts on the video below!
by Moderator ★
Is depression something you can just control?
December 22, 2015 in Educate Yourself
Or are there real changes in your brain that cause it?
Research studies show that there are many changes which happen in the brain when someone is depressed.
Of course, the brain is super complex – and we are only scratching the surface of everything there is to know. People who have depression can have different symptoms and different causes.
It’s important to know that even though we don’t understand everything about depression, we do know something about what treatments can help. And if one treatment doesn’t work for you, there can be another one that will – so don’t give up! You are a very special and unique person – so something that worked or didn’t work for someone else – will probably work differently for you.
Depression probably has a combination of different causes:
Gene-environment interactions: — did you know your genes and your brain can change based on what you are exposed to in your environment? some people can feel more anxious if they were in a big car wreck – other people don’t change at all
Endocrine: — some people’s mood really goes up and down with changes in their hormone levels – hormones are proteins in your blood so different parts of your body can communicate with each other – like thyroid hormone
Immune system: — stress and depression that happen in your brain can cause your immune system – the part of your body that fights infections – to get weaker – and vice versa – certain chronic illnesses can increase depressed feelings
Plasticity: — scientists talk about the brain being “plastic” – that means before we thought the brain’s electricity was hard-wired — now we know that its wiring can change based on genes, environment, hormones, the immune system, and and medical and psychological treatments — that means there is a way to get better!!
by Moderator ★
holding on
December 21, 2015 in Be Positive
If you ever think about giving up, remember why you held on for so long. Hayley Williams
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Morning Coffee: Gratitude
December 14, 2015 in Be Positive
Did you know that thinking about what you are grateful can be like a cup of coffee and motivate you to get you through the day? It can also make you feel closer to people you feel grateful for. This is a neat video from a spiritual leader to help you think about gratitude.
Try writing down in a journal what you feel grateful for! How did you feel afterwards? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image: ellajphillips via Compfight cc
Content adapted from: OSU Mind-Body Stream
by Moderator ★
A Christmas Miracle!
December 9, 2015 in Be Positive
Watch this airline make their passengers’ dreams come true. Very sweet!
by Moderator ★
Well-being
December 7, 2015 in Be Positive
Think of your well-being like a candle burning inside of you. It is at the core of your being, and when you are feeling quiet and peaceful, your well-being is intact and your candle is burning with ease.
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