2012 January | Youthline

HOW TO DEAL WITH FINALS STRESS

January 31, 2012

Are you about to tear your hair out because of finals? Do you wake up in the middle of the night with an anxiety attack, gripping your math textbook because you really need to pass this semester? Well you are not alone! Here are a few tips to keep the stress level down and prepare for finals.

1. TRY NOT TO FREAK OUT
I know it seems really hard sometimes when your entire grade, life and future are riding on that ONE test, but seriously try to STAY CALM. Finals are super high pressure, but panicking and over-thinking the test will not help you study at all. You need to sit down, take it slow and turn that nervous energy into productivity.

2. DON’T PROCRASTINATE
Everyone’s guilty of it, don’t even try to deny. Get off facebook and stop skyping your friends who are procrastinating. You just need to FOCUS. Start early so you don’t have to last minute cram and you can absorb more information into your brain. Plan ahead and have a study schedule.

3. GET INTO YOUR ZONE
Find a place that you feel comfortable studying in… but not too comfortable. It is never a good idea to study on your bed with a heated blanket. But try to find a room where you can study without being distracted. Put on your dubstep and try to get into your zone where you can really concentrate.
-Also a note about study groups: Sometimes they are really effective, but sometimes they suck up a kajillion hours and lead to other activities such as baking cookies, climbing walls and singing karaoke. In my experience, study parties NEVER work and it’s always my friends’ fault… mostly. But overall, they are a terrible idea if you expect to get anything done.

4. TALK TO YOUR TEACHERS
You need to communicate with your teachers and ask them what you should expect. You can get all the help you need from a teacher. Ask for a study guide, ask for clarification on a problem. They want you to succeed, so talk to them. If you know what to expect on the final, it can be a lot less stressful.

5. STUDY YOUR NOTES
Don’t try to read the whole textbook before your final. A lot of the new, detailed information you won’t need anyways, and probably won’t remember the next day. Instead, look back at chapter summaries and your notes, and try to create a study guide with all the basic concepts that you’ve learned this semester.

6. GET SOME SLEEP
Put the books down, put on the PJ’s and crawl into bed – without your physics book! Trust me, it is way more worth it to get a little sleep, like 5 hours at least, than cram for an extra two hours, show up to school with craters underneath your eyes and have a sleep deprived eye twitch the whole day. This is currently happening to me, which is bad because I need to see out of both eyes. It is better to get a couple hours more sleep that try to memorize anymore.

7. TAKE TIME TO RELAX
Take time to do something for yourself. Human beings can’t study all the time 24/7 because we are not robots. Make sure to take care of yourself and your body and not burn yourself out. Eat healthy meals. Try not to drink too much caffeine. Take a bubble bath. But this is relaxing time – don’t turn it into procrastinating time. There is a very fine line, so set a time limit on your study breaks.

I hope this was helpful you hardworking high schoolers. Good luck!

Filed under: Stress — youthline1

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Valentines Day

Here is a great article written by a teen on BodiMojo, sharing a nice perspective on how other teens should think about Valentines Day, regardless of what your facebook relationship status says!

“By Remy Marin

OK, fellow teenagers. It’s that time of year again. The time when everything is swept into a haze of red and pink with candy hearts, chocolate and stuffed animals abound. That’s right – it’s Valentine’s Day.

Whether you love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is one of the most complicated holidays you will ever stumble upon, bringing up a whole array of questions. What if I’m single? Or worse, what if my relationship is what Facebook would call “complicated?” What do I buy for my significant other, if anything at all? Should I go with a sweet or clever gift? Who else should I buy presents for? And most of all, who would ever create such an anxiety-producing holiday?

As teenagers, we’re still at the beginning of our romance journeys, and thus are still very much stuck in the abyss of uncertainty and nerves. Luckily for you all, I tend to overanalyze and excessively plan everything, and so I’ve put together my official survival guide for Cupid’s season.

Let’s start with the first question: What do I do if I’m single? We’ve all been through those years when we feel like we’re the only single person in a sea of lovey-dovey couples. It’s awkward, it can be a little sad, and it’s hard to handle. But really, Valentine’s Day is about appreciating the love we have in our lives, not reminiscing about the love we wish we had. Love isn’t just two people in a relationship, it’s about parents and siblings and grandparents and friends. On Valentine’s Day, you should call your grandparents to send your love, go on a lunch date with a parent or sibling, have a movie night with your friends! If you spend the day with the people who care about, you’ll realize that it doesn’t matter whether or not you have a high school sweetheart, all that matters is spending time with the important people in your life.

Situation number two: What if I’m in an iffy, undefined relationship? Maybe we’ve been on a few dates or flirted at parties, but we’ve never really made anything official. Does this constitute buying a present or celebrating the holiday? I would recommend acknowledging the holiday, but not going crazy. Go on a date on Valentine’s Day, and if you really feel like it’s a blossoming relationship then maybe find a nice card or send a sweet text. But I wouldn’t go any farther than that, because it could easily place you in an awkward situation of pushing the fling too far, too fast.

Finally: What do I do if I’m in a committed relationship? In my opinion, there’s no reason to get take the day too seriously or too literally- in other words, you don’t have to find sappy cards, stuffed animals, and chocolate. I prefer to make Valentine’s Day a more personal affair, one that focuses on our specific relationship instead of just a generic relationship, and see it as a tchotchke holiday- in other words, one that calls for small, fun, personal presents instead of big, expensive ones. For example, make and decorate heart-shaped cookies together if you both are arts-and-crafts people, watch that funny movie you both love, or make a personal, thoughtful card. These ideas mean more than going hallmark crazy, they won’t break the bank, and they’ll show you care without making the mood too serious.

So this Valentine’s Day, remember there’s no need to get all a flurry. Remember that it’s just about showing you care, not about the grand displays of candy and flowers, and you’ll be just fine no matter what your Facebook relationship status.”

Picture and article from http://www.bodimojo.com/blog/teens-and-valentines-day/

Filed under: Relationships,Stress — alex

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YouthLink’s Free the Bowl Contest Submission – Pass It On

January 27, 2012

Filed under: Feel Good Message of the Day — alex

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Think Twice Before Believing Lies

January 26, 2012

Filed under: Drugs — kaitlyn

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Feel Good Song of the Day

January 25, 2012

What a talented musician! This man plays every instrument and sings every part of the song Bohemian Rhapsody.

Filed under: Feel Good Song of the Day — kaitlyn

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You are a teen and just found out you’re pregnant…now what?

3 in 10 teen girls in the US will get pregnant at least once before age 20. That’s about 745,000 teen pregnancies each year.

An unplanned pregnancy is a scary and stressful time for anyone, but especially if you are a teenager who may or may not have a supportive partner and the means to raise and care for a baby. If you are in this situation, you are most likely feeling extremely overwhelmed, anxious, and completely alone. As the statistic from above shows, you are definitely not alone in this. No matter how unplanned this pregnancy was and how unprepared you may be feeling, it is important to know that you WILL get through this and even though you are feeling stuck, you actually have many options. If you have just recently found out you are a pregnant and have no idea if you are even going to keep the baby and don’t know what to do next, check out this website.

“Option Line provides caring, confidential support if you or someone you know is facing an unplanned pregnancy. We’re available to talk 24/7 and will offer reliable information you can trust. You can ask us anything; we are here for you.”

You can call their number at 800-395-4357.

This website will be helpful if you have already made the decision to keep the baby and have no idea where to go from here. The website talks about these topics:

Prenatal Care
Timeline of a Pregnancy
Changes to Expect in Your Body
Things to Avoid
How to Care for Yourself During the Pregnancy
Emotional Health
School and the Future

If you ever need someone to talk to and don’t want to be criticized or judged, feel free to give the YouthLine a call and talk to another teen! The YouthLine volunteers would love to talk to you and help you through any tough emotions you are experiencing. Teens are available to talk Monday through Friday from 4-9pm.

YOUTHLINE: 1-877-968-8491

Filed under: Pregnancy,Relationships — kaitlyn

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Chat Issues

January 23, 2012

Hi Everyone

Lately we have been suffering some technical difficulties with our chat software. If we get disconnected during a chat please be patient and give us a minute to reboot our program. Sorry for the inconvenience, we appreciate your patience and understanding.

The Youthliners

Filed under: Home News — youthline1

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17 and Pregnant

January 18, 2012

Dear YouthLine,

Im 17 and pregnant and me and my boyfriend are living with my parents. Its so stressful with the drugs and constant threats of being kicked out because they dont approve of me being pregnant. what can i do to get me and my boyfriend out of here and where we can stay together? Thank you

-Amber

Dear Amber,

Thank you for contacting the YouthLine and reaching out to us for help! It takes a lot of courage to do that. It sounds like you are in a very stressful and overwhelming situation right now, so I think it is great that you are taking this step to make your situation better for both you and your baby. It sounds like you really care about the safety and well being of you, your baby and boyfriend. I don’t know much about your situation, so if you feel comfortable with it, I really encourage you to give the YouthLine a call at 1-877-968-8491. There are teens available to talk to you Monday through Friday from 4-9pm. By calling, it is much easier and convenient to offer you the best support and resources we possibly can.

In your question, you mentioned the stress you are experiencing due to the drugs. I am unsure of who is using the drugs, but it is of course not a healthy or safe environment for a developing baby to be around, but especially so if you are using the drugs. Now that you are pregnant, you are forced to think about not only what is best for yourself, but your baby as well. It sounds like you are doing just that by looking into a different living situation. I understand that you live in Vancouver, Washington. I highly suggest that you check out Janus Youth Programs. This organization offers resources and housing throughout Oregon and Washington. This may or may not be the best option for you, but regardless I think that they could really offer you some help and point you in the direction you are needing to go. The information to contact them is below. You can also visit their website to learn more about the work they do and how they can best help you. Also, if you are not already seeing a primary care physician, I strongly encourage you to see a doctor or to visit Planned Parenthood so that you can receive prenatal resources and care.

http://www.janusyouth.org/home.php

Southwest Washington Area

Oak Bridge 24-Hour Youth and
Family Help Line

888.979.4357

For immediate shelter and crisis intervention for youth who have run away from
home in Washington

Yellow Brick Road Washington

360.213.5947

For street outreach services and
information on emergency shelter for youth in Southwest Washington

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/centerDetails.asp?f=2455&a=0&v=details#

888.875.7820

I hope that this is helpful! I wish you all the best
Amber, and like I said, you can call the YouthLine any time at 1-877-968-8491

-YouthLine

Filed under: Pregnancy,Read Your Answers — kaitlyn

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I’m worried I will start self harming

Dear YouthLine,

How do I tell my parents I’m worried I will start self harming again?

-Abby

Dear Abby,

Thank you for reaching out to the YouthLine! If you ever need to talk, you can give the YouthLine a call and talk to another teenager. There are teenagers available to talk Monday through Friday from 4-9pm. It is much easier to offer you support and resources over the phone. You can also chat with a teenager through instant messaging by going to our website at www.oregonyouthline.org.

From the way you worded your question, it sounds like you have had a history with self harming. It also sounds as though your parents are aware of this. Since I can’t ask you these things, and for the sake of answering your question, I am going to assume that this is the case. The fact that you used to self harm and have gone through a period of time where you stopped, takes so much strength and you should be very proud of yourself for that. Unlike what many people think, people who self harm are not trying to kill themselves, but rather are just looking for a way to cope and don’t know of any other healthy ways. If you were to ever contact the YouthLine again, I would be interested to know if you have any other coping skills that you use instead of self harming? Exercising, listening to music, drawing, taking a bath, etc. I would also be interested in asking you if there is something going on in your life right now that is causing you stress and making you feel like you are going to start self harming again. If there is, I really encourage you to talk to someone about it….whether it be a friend, counselor, or of course the YouthLine if you feel comfortable calling. Sometimes just having another person listen to what is going on in your life can be very helpful and make you feel much better.

When you talk to your parents, I would just encourage you to be very open and remember that honesty really is the best policy. I imagine that your parents will really appreciate your coming to them and that they will see the strength in it. It can be very hard to approach someone, especially parents, about such a sensitive topic. If you feel most comfortable talking to both of your parents at the same time, I would suggest that you let your parents know that you are needing to talk to them about something and figure out a day and a time that works for everyone so that your parents can give you their full attention and there will be no distractions. When talking to your parents, instead of just telling them flat out that you are wanting to self harm again, I would recommend that you let your parents know what’s going on in your life and what is stressing you out or making you sad and upset. My guess is that your parents love and care about you very, very much! By really talking to them and letting them in, they will have a much easier time trying to understand and offer you the help and support that you deserve and need right now.

Thank you again, Abby for contacting the YouthLine. Like I said, you can give us a call any day, any time. Our number is 1-877-968-8491.

-YouthLine

Filed under: Read Your Answers,Self Harm — kaitlyn

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