There are so many documents, videos and quotes attached to the iconic life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Read more about the meaning behind the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.
Watch one of his historical speeches here.
Happy Martin Luther King Day!
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 for us to share.
Sometimes it can be hard for students to go back to school after the holidays, especially for students with anxiety like myself. The rapid transition from the relaxation with friends and family to the hustle and bustle of MANY assignments can be overwhelming. However, there are a few things that can help with the anxiousness of starting a new semester.
For example:
These three tips are what I use when I begin a new semester and I continue to do these things as the semester progresses. These three items help me stay on top of my academics and help ease my anxiousness.
What are some things that help your child go back to school after a break?
You know those moments when you’re hanging out with your family and all of a sudden you look around and everyone is on their phones, not talking or looking at each other? It can be amusing, but also a good reminder to put down our phones and be present. And while we all need to check ourselves from time to time, the reality is we depend on our phones a lot.
In the world of balancing our schedule, health, well-being, work, family, commitments, errands, intentions and more there are definitely some apps out there that serve as reminders and help keep us organized and on top of it all. Whether its scheduling, keeping up on our health or a useful tool for work, there’s no doubt apps can serve as a reminder and help us live a healthier life.
However, if not careful, we can become overly attached to our phone (and the apps we use). Read more about nomophobia here.
What apps do you and your child(ren) rely on the most? If you were doing an app cleanse, which ones would you get rid of from your phone? Leave a comment below!
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 for us to share.
What do you think when you hear OCD (or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)? Until I was diagnosed at age 15, I always associated the term with clean rooms, color-coded binders and a fear of germs. It took me years to figure out I had OCD, because hand-washing and organizing things have never been my main compulsions. To help others who may be in this situation, I thought I’d share a narrative I wrote to describe one of my worst OCD themes, one that most people do not associate with OCD.
Alone at my grandparents’ house one summer, I remember lying on the floor in the foot of space between the bed and wall, urgently whispering confessions to my mom, my phone pressed against my ear. After each confession, I felt a wave of relief, a temporary release, but almost instantly I began to search for the next thing to feel guilty about. It pressed in on my skull and I could feel the next worry waiting there before I even knew what it was. My heart started racing and guilt flooded me as the thought came to my mind. A bad thought. And then I knew I had to tell her. Continue reading OCD Confessions
Teens all get upset when their phones fall into puddles, or when they have to put their phones away during class. But do you think your teen is too attached to the phone?
Some people feel intense discomfort when they’re separated from their phones. Researchers have named this state of mind “nomophobia.” Its important to note that this is not a medical diagnosis right now, but a term some researchers are using to describe a trend.
It stands for “no mobile phobia.” People who experience nomophobia feel like their phone is like an extension of their body, so taking the phone away makes them feel as though someone just walked away with their hand! They may describe this as feeling addicted to their phones.
One recent study found that “dependent personalities”—people who have an excessive need for affirmation from others, and who fear separation—are the most likely to feel distressed when they’re not allowed to use their phones. Also, women showed significantly stronger feelings of attachment than men did.
The study’s good news is that there is one discipline that may ease these feelings—mindfulness.
(Is there any mental health condition that mindfulness does not help?!)
There are many ways to improve one’s mindfulness. In this study, participants practiced meditation. In general mindfulness helps people who struggle with unhealthy attachments, whether it’s to their phone, a loved one, a substance, an outcome of a situation, and so on. Plus, practicing mindfulness can decrease adolescents’ stress, increase their focus, and improve their memory.
Psychology Today recommends some other strategies to help with nomophobia, and as parents can help by modeling these for your children:
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 for us to share.
When you’re struggling with mental illness, it can be very useful to have certain activities where you can divert your attention from unpleasant thoughts and focus on something you enjoy. This could be anything from reading to making crafts to playing games. Fun activities are a great way for lifting your spirits and relieving stress, but there may come a point where the benefits begin to fade.
Many times I’ve found myself taking up an activity that I usually enjoy only to realize that in doing so I’ve missed an opportunity to have meaningful experiences with others, try something new, or learn something about myself. I also began to notice that I wasn’t as enthusiastic about what I was doing. For instance, I love to read, but over time I noticed that I was reading because I felt obligated to do so, which was my way of avoiding other responsibilities or situations. I also wasn’t as immersed in what I was reading. It became a habit rather than a hobby. Fortunately, I’ve worked out the best times of the day to read that won’t prevent me from experiencing other things that could enrich my life, and I’m beginning to find joy in this activity once again.
New Year’s season is the time everyone’s making resolutions: drop those extra pounds, start training for that half- or full-marathon, totally nix sugar (and maybe even go full vegan or Paleo!), earn straight-As, and get into Harvard with a full scholarship.
Is it any wonder that folks get to Valentine’s Day feeling defeated on all counts?
Studies have found that teens today have the same level of anxiety as psychiatric patients did in the 1950s, and the difficulties of managing this anxiety can diminish healthy self-esteem, leading in turn to depression. We hear so much about how we need to support our teens in gaining a high level of self-esteem.
But what does “self-esteem” mean, anyway?
One clue to understanding any idea is to look at how its words evolved. We often think that holding someone in “high esteem” is to love them, so we often think of having “self-esteem” as loving ourselves. But let’s look at the older meanings, too.
“Esteem” was first used as an English word that meant “worth.” It came into English from very old French and Latin words that meant “to appraise” and “to estimate”—can you hear how “esteem” and “estimate” sound similar?
So self-esteem can mean how we “appraise” ourselves or “estimate” our “worth.” It’s like our selves—our bodies, minds, spirits—are like a house full of valuables, and we are the appraisers, estimating how much our house and all its contents are worth.
Here are two helpful new understandings we can draw from just looking at the words:
Self: We get to be the appraisers. Nobody else but we ourselves. If our teen gives the power to appraise her estates to somebody else, then she gives away her own power to “estimate” her “worth.”
Appraisal: Estimating our worth depends on having realistic attitudes. If our teen looks at her “riches” and sees only what’s missing—what she thinks should be there and isn’t—then she doesn’t do an accurate job of appraising her worth. But if she can look at her riches and appreciate what she does have, then she has a better chance of building on that accurate appraisal.
Hear how the words “appraise” and “appreciate” sound the same?—they come from the same ancient Latin roots, too.
Habits that can “depreciate” teens’ sense of themselves:
Continue reading A Parents’ Guide To Fostering Teens’ Self Esteem
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 for us to share.
It seems to me our generation sees stress as a burden that weighs us down and prevents us from being happy. We’ve heard for our entire lives that stress is a bad thing that can even make us sick. But more recently, researchers have been finding that stress can actually be good for you.
Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and author of The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It, gave a TED Talk in 2013 called “How to Make Stress Your Friend.” She talked about the health benefits of learning mental and emotional stress-management skills.
Her talk has more than 15 million views on the TED site and 5 million more on YouTube—that’s how many people want to know how they can manage stress better!
I think her talk can really help young people, especially students with mental health difficulties. Here are some points she makes—but if you want the entire picture, listen to the whole talk.
Continue reading How To Help Our Teens Make Stress Work For Them
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 for us to share.
In a recent gender studies class, we read Fiona Rummery’s “Mad Women or Mad Society: Towards a Feminist Practice.” Part of this work explores the connection between a woman’s assumed role as the homemaker and her increased risk of mental health issues. I wanted to share a few points made by the author that I think are very interesting.
First, femininity has emphasis on serving others and ignoring a woman’s own needs. We all have heard the saying that a mom never gets a day off, but this undoes self-care and easily leads to burnout, anxiety, and depression. If a woman begins to experience such an issue, it is frowned upon for her to assume the sick role, a term that describes the acceptable behavior and expectations a person can receive when they are ill.
For example, if you are a student you are expected to show up for class and complete assignments. However, if you end up in the hospital because you broke your arm while running, your professors most likely would not expect you to come to class and might allow you to submit assignments after the due date. Your injury excuses you from your normal responsibilities. You have taken on a new role: the sick role.
