Headspace is one of the most popular and well-known apps in the search for mindfulness apps and apps that provide support for mental health (we’ve even covered it before too!). The animations and voices are soft, relaxing, and have varied lengths and topics so you can choose what’s best for you out of convenience and need. Continue reading An App to Consider: Headspace
Everyone’s self-isolation and social distancing situations are different right now. You might be living at home with your family, including children who are possibly home for the first time in months or even years, for example. Continue reading Using Social Media to Mimic Face-To-Face Communication
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.
For some introverts, the requirement of social distancing across the nation seems like the norm or a blessing. For extroverts, this serious increase in isolation and lack of socializing can have detrimental effects on mental health. However, this required isolation as a response to the COVID-19 epidemic in the US and across the world can be harmful to both introverts and extroverts. Continue reading Extroverts and Introverts Struggling with Isolation During COVID-19
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.
Being in school and having a lot on my plate, I need to keep myself organized and accountable. To do this, I often set goals for what I need to do and when I need to accomplish that goal. It helps me focus on what is important and not forget anything.
When I was first deciding how to set goals, it was overwhelming to see how much I needed to do and in such a short amount of time. For a while, my goals were causing me more anxiety then they were helping me stay on task. It was too much to do and there was no way I was going to be able to hit all my goals for a semester of class. I confided in friends and family who gave me some great tips on setting goals and successfully accomplishing them.
I learned this when I was a psychology major and it has stuck with me ever since. A SMART goal is a goal that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. This helps me keep my goals realistic and relevant to my daily life and activities.
Telling my family and friends about my goals helps me stay accountable. They are so supportive and are constantly cheering me on.
Even though I set goals to be able to accomplish tasks on time, I need to understand that my goals and time frames can be flexible. This gives me the chance to not stress out about not getting a goal done exactly the right way and in the right time frame. This tip definitely helps with my anxiety and overwhelming thoughts.
Seeing those goals on a sticky note on a mirror or in your planner will help you remember and keep on task. I know if I have a goal that I am constantly being reminded of, it keeps me working toward it and move toward my next goal.
I know it can sometimes be hard to work toward your goals, especially when they are long and tough but, being able to check off a goal that you have been working toward for a long time is such a rewarding feeling!
Using these steps has helped me become more efficient and more organized in my daily life. Setting goals helps me stay on track as a student and can help in almost anyone’s life.
If you make goals, what are some ways you help stay on task and accomplish them? Are you setting goals for yourself and/or your children as you self-isolate? How would you discuss setting goals to your child in a way that they they don’t get overwhelmed or feel more stressed?
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.
I have never liked cooking. I would always stick to simple meals, usually just chicken and rice, to get me through the week. I thought that cooking was way too time-consuming, and I dreaded the cleanup.
Recently, I got a chance to try out what it is like to cook a new dinner each night of the week. My friend had a subscription to the meal service HelloFresh, and gave me a free trial which sent me a week’s worth of food. Continue reading Taking Up a New Hobby: Cooking
When things in real life feel overwhelming, one of the first things that we likely want to do is find an escape. It could be as idealistic as taking a vacation or as simple as going for a walk. However, activities to help us get out of our heads can be easier said than done, especially if depressive episodes or anxiety attacks make even the seemingly easiest of tasks feel impossible. Continue reading Finding an Escape
Mentioning the terms “trigger warnings” and “content warnings” can have very different reactions depending on who you ask. Some feel that having these warnings are necessary and a way for those who are vulnerable or sensitive to specific items to feel comfortable in common spaces. Some, on the other hand, feel that providing these warnings are a way of coddling and sheltering people – specifically students on college campuses. They may argue that having people encounter the material they want to avoid can work as exposure therapy, thus, seeing this information will reduce their negative reactions. Continue reading Using Trigger and Content Warnings Online
You may have heard of something called a body scan. If not, it’s exactly what it sounds like (though probably a little less medically intensive).
Think of it like taking a mental x-ray of your body when you feel like something feels off and you want to find the source of something that may be affecting you mentally. While mental health, of course, is concentrated in the mind, it can physically affect other parts of your body as well. Body scans give you the opportunity to pinpoint and focus on the pains in your chest, your shaking hands, or the headaches that might result when facing depression and anxiety. Continue reading Conducting a Body Scan
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.
There are various reasons to eat healthily. We often assume a diet is something that restricts our calories in order for us to lose weight. That may be one form of a diet, but that really may not be all that healthy for every individual. For someone struggling with mental health issues, I find eating the right foods and having a balanced diet can rejuvenate my mind. Continue reading Eating Right to Promote a Healthy Mind
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.
The summer season is coming upon us fast. That means shorts, tank-tops, and one of my biggest causes of my anxiety, swimsuits. I’ve struggled with acceptance for my body type since I was very young. I’ve never been the girl with the nice body, and I never really looked like my friends. I’m shorter and a big larger than my friends. While they might not notice it, I do. Continue reading Summer and Swimsuits