Life Change Jitters

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.


Have you ever had a big, sudden change in your life? Maybe it’s a move, going back to school, or other change? Regardless of what it is or how it happens, it can cause a lot of stress in your life. I myself have two huge challenges ahead of me in moving across the country to the Seattle area as well as going for my Master’s degree in Computer Science later this month. It has caused a great deal of nervousness and anxiety as I work to juggle multiple shifts at once. However, here are some of the things that help me: Continue reading Life Change Jitters

Giving Myself Grace

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.


Recently, I have been STRESSED. I am getting ready to graduate in a couple weeks and with that comes multiple tests and assignments as well as working on preparation for me to move across the country and to start a new adult job. Continue reading Giving Myself Grace

Acknowledging the Good as They Occur

We’ve talked about expressing and writing down gratitude plenty of times before. No matter how big and how small, being able to name anything positive can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s being able to acknowledge the good things at the end of the day or being able to look back and read them if you’re feeling down, remembering that there are always good things that can happen, even when it doesn’t feel like it and knowing there’s a light when things feel bleak can make the biggest difference. Continue reading Acknowledging the Good as They Occur

Why Do Plants Improve Our Mood?

The cliched image about someone having a “green thumb” typically involves someone in their backyard, their overalls covered in dirt, hands protected by thick gloves that are rough to the touch. The garden can be filled with colorful plants, various kinds of produce and herbs, or vivid greenery with large leaves. Typically, it can include all three.

Continue reading Why Do Plants Improve Our Mood?

Practicing Affirmations

While they may seem cheesy at first, affirmations can be pretty powerful. Self-affirmations are sayings that people say aloud with confidence about things that they are trying to believe in. By saying these frequentlyout loud, and with assurance and confidence, it can help people believe in the very things that there are saying, making it come true. Continue reading Practicing Affirmations

When Everything Seems to be Going Wrong

It can be hard to focus on the good things, especially when it feels like the world is falling apart around you, and because of you. People are more likely to focus and dwell on the negative versus the positive – this is known as having negativity bias, and it’s nowhere near uncommon. Having good things happen to us feels great! But there’s a comfort to them that our brains can become complacent with, and when negative things end up occurring instead, they tend to have significantly stronger impressions on us, because we don’t expect, nor do we not want them to happen. Continue reading When Everything Seems to be Going Wrong

Body Image and Summer

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives. We hope you can use their post to start a conversation with your adolescent.


As the warm weather approaches, my social media feed goes straight to summer clothes and swimsuits. Stores become filled with tanktops and shorts and all I can think about is how I don’t want to see myself in any of them. Continue reading Body Image and Summer