1. It’s your life not their life.
2. You’re stronger than you think.
3. You’re not the lies you believe about yourself.
4. You’re not your past – and your past is not your future.
5. No-one else is going to solve your problems for you.
6. You have the power to turn your life around.
7. You are worthy of success and you can reach your dreams.
8. Don’t put up with mistreatment and abuse.
9. Treat yourself with respect and require respect from others.
10. Keep searching till you find unconditional love; there are people who will love you just because you are you.
Teenage depression can look very different from adult depression. The following symptoms are more common in teenagers:
· Irritable or angry mood – Irritability is often the predominant mood. A depressed teenager may be grumpy, hostile, easily frustrated, or prone to angry outbursts.
· Unexplained aches and pains – Depressed teens frequently complain about physical ailments such as headaches or stomach aches.
· Extreme sensitivity to criticism – Depressed teens are plagued by feelings of worthlessness, making them extremely vulnerable to criticism, rejection, and failure. This is a particular problem for “over-achievers.”
· Withdrawing from some, but not all people – While adults tend to isolate themselves, teenagers usually keep up at least some friendships. However, teens with depression may socialize less than before, pull away from their parents, or start hanging out with a different crowd.
Teens may also “act out” in an attempt to cope with emotional pain. This is seen in:
· Problems at school. Depression can cause low energy and concentration difficulties. At school, this may lead to poor attendance, a drop in grades, or frustration with schoolwork in a formerly good student.
· Running away. Many depressed teens run away from home or talk about running away.
· Drug and alcohol abuse. Teens may use alcohol or drugs in an attempt to “self-medicate” their depression.
· Low self-esteem. Depression can trigger and intensify feelings of ugliness, shame, failure, and unworthiness.
· Internet addiction. Teens may go online to escape from their problems. But excessive computer use only increases their isolation and makes them more depressed.
· Reckless behavior. Depressed teens may engage in dangerous or high-risk behaviors, such as reckless driving, out-of-control drinking, and unsafe sex.
· Violence. Some depressed teens become violent.
Teen depression is also associated with eating disorders and self-injury.
1. Don’t take every thought and feeling seriously. Both of those tend to be patterned and habitual. Thus, they are not necessarily accurate and reliable.
2. Don’t blow small things out of proportion. Take control of your thinking and keep things in perspective. Don’t allow yourself to dwell on negatives, or critical thoughts.
3. Accept that we’re all hit by negative emotions. It’s a fact of life – and is unavoidable.
4. Work on strategies that work for you, and that help distract you from the way you feel.
5. Deliberately think about more positive things – like what is going well, or the things you’re thankful for – then shrug your shoulders and move on with your day.
6. Notice your triggers – the things that bother you, attack your self esteem and your self confidence – so you recognise the patterns and can plan how best to cope.
· Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something—that is, encode it into your brain—if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If you’re easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
· Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, even better.
· Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.
· For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.
· Rehearse information you’ve already learned. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. This “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than cramming, especially for retaining what you’ve learned.
First of all, try and figure out why you feel so empty and bored. For example, do you always do the same things with the same group of people? Are you feeling unmotivated, tired or fed up? Then …
1. Try to do something new as it activates your brain, and we feel more alive when we’re focusing on learning.
2. Make the effort to spend time with some interesting people. These can be your current friends, or you could join a new group – perhaps with people whose interests are similar to yours.
3. Change your routine. While it’s good to have a routine and some structure to your life, it is also rewarding to be spontaneous, and to do something different from your usual kind of thing.
4. Pay attention to your thinking – are you feeling negative as your friends are negative, or you’ve got into the habit of complaining all the time?
5. Let your imagination have free rein. Think of “what if” scenarios and wacky ideas, or the different kinds of things that could help bring you alive. Some of these will just be fantasies – but some are possible.
6. Visualize your hopes and dreams, and what to do to take you there. That is, try and think about your future and the person you could be.
7. Talk to people. Sometimes we’re feeling bored because we’re lonely or alone – so call up a friend, or simply chat to those you meet.
8. Be active and get moving. Go out for a walk or spend an hour at the gym. When we do some exercise we usually feel more positive.
I should try.. no. I should do this.Ten Things To Do When You Feel Like Crap:
1. Have a really hot, long shower. Cry if you need to. Sit on the ground. Feel sorry for yourself. Let the steam soak into your skin. Let the hot water wash your face clean. But the moment you turn off that water, you are done feeling sorry for yourself. Make a decision to move on from that sadness.
2. Clean. I know, cleaning is boring and annoying - but how about that feeling you get when you are finished? The smell of the vacuum. That feeling of accomplishment? Who knows, you might even find money along the way. Totally worth it. It’s like starting with a clean slate.
3. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to for a while. If your first choice doesn’t pick up, choose someone else. Ask them all about how their lives are going and tell them about yours. Not only will it take your mind off whatever crappy thing you have been plagued by, but you will laugh with them! Laughing triggers endorphins and endorphins make you happy!
4. Go for a run or a walk. This get’s your endorphins and dopamine going crazy. You will get more energy and more happiness just because the chemicals in your body are running around!
5. Stop and take it all in. Walking in the night? Stop and look at the stars. Breathe in the cold air. Feel alive.
6. Stop whining. Ever heard the saying “love life and life will love you back”? Or, the idea of the power of attraction? It’s true! If you sit around saying “why me, waaaaa waaaa” then bad things will happen to you. You’re already defeated. If you start saying, “I will be happy, I will accomplish my ambitions, I will find love, I do look amazing, I am a great friend” etc., then not only will you start to believe them but you will be amazed at what amazing things start to happen.
7. Drink tea. This always works. Not a tea fan? Try hot water with a slice of lemon and some agave syrup.
8. Make a conscious decision to stop holding certain grudges. We all have people we have held grudges on in the past. Let them go. If you feel like you owe this person an apology, don’t be too proud. Send them a sincere facebook apology. Sincerity is in the intent, so even if it’s a 2 sentence apology - as long as you mean it it’s worth it.
9. Cook some really nice, warm food. Stimulate your taste buds with anything as simple as two minute noodles or as lavish as a three course garlic bread, pasta bake, chocolate mousse triple combo.
10. Write down a list of goals to achieve for the week. As simple as “buy insect repellent” or as large as “jog for 25 minutes non stop” and tick them off when they’re done. You will feel very accomplished and that alone will help pep up your mood!
It with posts like this that I sometimes wish my sister had a tumblr account.
It’s… pretty amazing I do a lot of these already on the days/nights I’m bugged. That’s pretty awesome
1. Don’t pay too much attention to the way you feel. Feelings change throughout the day and they are unreliable. Don’t let them rule your life, or interfere with your goals.
2. Decide not to worry as it tends to make things worse. If you focus on your worries it will drain your energy – and often what we’re dreading doesn’t happen anyway.
3. Cut the internal commentary. Stop telling yourself that things are going to fall apart, or your efforts won’t succeed, or you won’t be popular. Keep trying, moving forwards, and getting on with life.
4. Stop being self-critical. You need to be your own cheerleader and your biggest fan in life. Note progress, perseverance, attitude and inner strength. Be affirming, kind, believing and coach towards success.
5. Stop feeling guilty. Feeling guilty changes nothing. You are going to make mistakes. Accept you aren’t perfect - then get up and try again.
6. Stop worrying about what others think of you. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what they think. Choose your own goals for your life – you’re not accountable to them.
7. Don’t worry about set backs or changes to your plans. Plans always need adjusting and things always go wrong – but that doesn’t mean “it’s over” or you’ll never reach your goals. Expect to make some changes – just be adaptable.
