MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

I think a relationship is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies.

– Woody Allen

YourLife: It’s been a long semester of sitting next to that really cute girl in your Algebra class. You’ve made some small talk, but nothing substantial. You replay those little bits of conversation you’ve had over and over again in your head. You look forward every day to smelling the perfume she wears.

You’ve talked it over with your best friend and he’s finally convinced you to ask her out. You work up all your courage and to your surprise, she says yes. You have a date with her on Friday night.

But where? And when? And what are you going to wear?

So now what?

Be Like a Boy Scout, Be Prepared – The best way to make a good first impression on a date is to be confident. Confidence radiates from a person like a flashing light. If you are confident, your date will notice and you will be more likely to get that second date. How do you get confidence? It’s easy. It’s all about being prepared.

Research! – Pick a neighborhood that is close to where the person lives. It might be a diner or a coffee shop close to school. There are lots of little coffee shops everywhere. Go scout out the area before the date: if for some odd reason the coffee shop or diner is closed, you can then immediately suggest somewhere else.

Read up! – You have the place and time picked out, but what do you talk about for an hour? You can talk about school and mutual friends, but eventually, that conversation will stop. Before the date, make sure you read up on the news. Find out what’s been happening in the past few days. Make a list of your favorite movies, music, or whatever you like to do for fun. It’ll be good to refresh yourself on what’s going on in the world, as well as remind yourself that you have good interests. If you keep some news in your back pocket (not literally, of course), you can use it to ease through lapses in conversation.

Practice, Practice, Practice! – Now that you’ve got all of that wonderful news kicking around your brain and you’ve refreshed yourself on just what you like and don’t like, call up that best friend that told you to ask her out in the first place and use them to practice conversation. It’ll feel a little goofy, but don’t worry, you’ll be happy you practiced. Just having the information at your finger tips doesn’t mean you know how to use it. Practicing will not only keep these things fresh in your mind, but it’ll allow you to feel more comfortable talking to someone.

Stripes and Plaid Don’t Mix – You’ve practiced your conversational skills, but what do you wear? Find something that you think you look good in. Think back to clothes you’ve worn and note anything that someone else has complimented you on. If you or someone else thinks it looks good, chances are your date will think it looks good too. Being confident in your wardrobe choice will make you feel more confident, and confidence is the key.

Remember your date – It’s great to brush up on news and remember interesting details about yourself, but don’t forget that your date is interesting as well. Why else did you ask her out? Go over all the conversations you had with her, or the little things you’ve noticed such as any books she had with her or if she is doing any extracurricular activities. If she’s a cheerleader, she might like fitness or sports. If she’s in chess club, brush up on your chess skills. Showing interest in their likes and dislikes shows that you’re interested in her.

Questions – People love to talk about themselves. Before your date, come up with a list of questions that you ask about her or things she may like. This is also a good way to keep conversation going. If there is an awkward silence, just pull out a question about her and things will be back on track shortly.

Be careful – Just because you’ve sat next to someone for a few months doesn’t mean you really know that person. Make sure that your parents and friends know where you are going. It’ll help your parents feel more confident that you should be out on a date and will ease their mind about your whereabouts.

Remember – This person you asked out said “Yes.” That means that he/she wants to be there, with you, on that date. That should inspire enough confidence to get you through that first date and hopefully on to many more.

Want to learn more?

Neighborhood research – http://www.yelp.com

News research – http://www.cnn.com

Conversation Skills – http://www.earthlingcommunication.com/conversation-skills.php

Clothing advice – http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/clothes%20articles/colorreality.htm

First date tips – http://www.links2love.com/dating_first_date.htm

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

“It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy.”

- Chinese Proverb

YourLife: You’re sitting at home in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, thinking about what to have for a snack when you receive a text message from one of your older friends:

“hey! one of the seniors just asked me to come over and get high. r u in?”

A lump forms in your throat as you begin to write back, but you don’t know what to say. You’re pretty bored just sitting at home doing nothing and you don’t have any more homework or chores to do today, but you’ve heard that just like eating potato chips, once you start doing drugs it’s pretty difficult to stop. However, you do like trying new things and it’s hard for you to say “no.”

After thinking it over for a few more minutes you reply and the next thing you know you’re sitting in the basement of one of the seniors at your high school. Smoke fills the air as everyone in the room passes something around and when the person sitting to your left hands it to you, you hesitate.

How could this have happened!? – It doesn’t hurt to try new things, but when those “things” are drugs, think again. Now that you are sitting here in front of a bunch of other people, you don’t want to look like a wimp by being the only one who doesn’t participate.

So Now What? ALL drugs will alter your state of mind in some way, shape or form so that you have less control over your mind and body. Your good judgment and decision-making will most likely go down drain. Once the drugs effects wear off, you’ll probably look back at what you did in more of a negative light than a positive one. Here is a look at the result of doing drugs. Keep in mind that these are only few drugs and a few of the their many effects:

Stimulants (or “uppers” – drugs that will make you feel really good)

• Amphetamines Taking a “black beauty” can make you irritable, anxious, and increase your blood pressure
• Metaphetamines “Ice” can make you aggressive, paranoid, psychotic, and give you a stroke
• Ecstasy “MDMA” can make you panic, depressed, blur your vision, and sweat.
• Ritalin “Speed” can make you lose your appetite, give you a fever, convulsions, and headaches.
• Ephedrine “Cloud 9” can give you a seizure, a heart attack, a stroke or kill you.
• Designer Drugs “Goodfella” can instantly paralyze your respiratory system (your breathing).
• Cocaine “Blow” can give you insomnia, restlessness and increase your body temperature.
• Crack “Rock” will do the same things as cocaine.

Depressants (or “downers” – drugs that will make you feel very relaxed)

• Alcohol “Booze” can make you dizzy, nauseas, vomit, violent and slur your words.

Opiates (relieve pain and cause pleasure)

• Heroin “Smack” can make your eyelids droopy, cause you to nod off, and make your skin really itchy.

Hallucinogens (will change your perception of reality)

• PCP “Angel dust” can make you disoriented, fearful, aggressive, and cause you to panic.
• LSD “Tabs” can suppress your appetite, give you tremors and chronic hallucinations.
• Mushrooms “Caps” can make you hallucinate, nauseas, and cause you to sweat.

Inhalants (will make you feel intoxicated)

• Nitrous Oxide “Whippets” can make your muscles weak, give you severe mood swings, and cause your nose to bleed.

When it comes to drugs, which are all about instantly experiencing something that could be fun, it is important to think about the consequences you will be left to be deal with afterwards. For more information about different kinds of drugs and their effects, visit http://www.yic.gov/drugfree/drugeffects.html.

Want to learn more?

Above the Influence – Everything you want to know about drugs.

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/

Drug Free World – Straightforward information about commonly abused drugs.

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/#/drugfacts

National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens – “The science behind drug abuse.” http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_stim1.php

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

“To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself.”

- Chinese Proverb

YourLife: It’s Friday afternoon, you’re sitting in Honors Geometry class, and your teacher may as well be speaking Arabic. Since you can’t concentrate on the proof your teacher is attempting to explain to the class, your mind drifts to the school dance that your parents won’t let you go to tonight. They always did well in school when they were your age and they told you that you could only go to school events if you’re getting straight As. The trouble is, geometry doesn’t come easily to you and your parents were the reason you’re taking Honors Geometry in the first place. You know that you could be getting an A in the regular geometry class (the one all your friends are taking and doing well in), but they insisted that you’re smart enough to achieve an A in the honors class. Now you are stuck with a B- grade and no dance to look forward to.

How could this have happened!? – It’s hard to be a kid, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier being a parent. Your parents only want what’s best for you, but sometimes they can’t see that what may have worked for them in the past won’t necessarily bring you the same success.

So Now What?

Deep Breath – It is very important to stay calm when it comes to matters with parents. The more angry and exasperated you sound, the less likely they are to listen to what you have to say. Sometimes parents get caught up in making demands from you instead of looking at your progress, but that doesn’t mean that screaming at them because you’re angry about their decisions will make it any better.

Ask Why? – What is the reason why they won’t let you go to school events unless you get straight As? They probably have high expectations for you. You are their son or daughter and they know how much you’re capable of. They believe in you and want to see you go far. Maybe forbidding you from school events is too harsh, but it is important to see that they’re not trying to make your life miserable, they just see extracurricular activities as a privilege that you should have to earn by getting good grades.

Sit Them Down – Your parents will never know what’s on your mind if you don’t let them know. The best way to let them know is to have a clear and precise proposition. Ask them when a good time for a discussion would be and tell them how you feel. For instance,

“I’m getting really frustrated in my Honors Geometry class. I can’t quite understand the teacher all of the time and I know that I could be getting an A in the regular geometry class. I get all of my homework done and have As in every other class. Do you think that I can either switch to the regular geometry class or get some help in the Honors class to raise my grade?”

You’ve stated how you feel and proposed two sensible solutions. When you come across as a responsible, smart young adult, there is no reason for them to outright turn you down and you can often negotiate a little so that both you and your parents are happy with the result.

Want to learn more?

HowToDoThings – providing helpful articles on a wide variety of topics.

http://www.howtodothings.com/family-relationships/how-to-deal-with-controlling-parents

Wikihow – “the how-to manual that you can edit.”

http://www.wikihow.com/Cope-With-a-Controlling-Parent

HubPages – a site designed for sharing information.

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Deal-With-A-Controlling-Mother

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

YourLife: Immigration was a hot-button topic during the last U.S. Presidential Election and continues to be an ongoing area of debate for politicians and coffee shop drinkers nation-wide. What you might not be aware of is that immigration is a factor world-wide, as well as in America.

Australia and Canada have just as many immigrants as America does, and yet they don’t seem to be having the same problems that America has. And why are so many people leaving Mexico or Morocco or Turkey to live in other countries?

What YOU need to know:

Immigrant isn’t a bad word everywhere – In America, immigrants have gotten a reputation as all being illegal. This is not true, but America has a complicated immigration system and many immigrants are willing to risk their lives to live there. But not all countries have such strict immigration laws. Canada and Australia actually encourage immigration as a way to help support the economy. Most immigrants are laborers who work lower-class jobs that a lot of natives won’t do. These immigrants are vital to help support the economic structure of any country.

Forced moving – A lot of immigrants don’t want to leave their home, but political forces or military forces make them leave. Somalia has been having a Civil War since 1991, forcing tens of thousands of native Somalis to leave their country. Germany has been very open about accepting immigrants that are refugees from other countries.

What can you do? – Most people are unaware of the various conflicts and other options out there for immigration. Read up on the international news section of your local paper or online and keep up to date on how immigration is affecting the world. Another way to help is to write a letter to your state and federal representative, asking them to seriously consider the problems of immigration. Or, you can join the Peace Corps or Mercy Corps to travel to foreign countries and help make their lives better.

What to learn more?

Volunteer to help others: http://www.mercycorps.org/

Canadian Immigration: http://www.canadavisa.com/

Somali Refugees – http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/109155

American Immigration Laws – www.uscis.gov/Laws

Write to American Representatives – https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

YourLife: “Aarrgghhh.” You wake up with a scratchy throat, a stuffy nose, and the only thing you’ll even consider eating today is soup. Looks like you’ve caught the common cold again. With any luck, your parents will let you stay home from school today so you can catch up on your sleep, take some vitamins, and get some rest. You’ll be marked absent, ask your friends for your homework assignments, and return back to school in a day or two.

It is never fun being sick (besides the staying home from school part), but fortunately, we live in a part of the world in which getting the proper medicine for our ailments isn’t much harder than a visit to the nearest drugstore.

It’s hard to believe, but about 26,000 children under the age of five die each day, mostly from diseases that could have been prevented. There are a lot of complicated reasons for this startling fact, but luckily, there are plenty of ways to help solving such a serious problem.

How YOU can help:

Research – If the well being of kids just like you all over the world is something that you’re passionate about, learn more about it. There are too many different illnesses and health problems that people suffer from to try tackle all of them at once, but if you focus on tackling one specific issue, such as HIV/AIDS or Sleeping Sickness, you’re bound to make a meaningful and positive change in people’s lives.

Raise Money – One of the tough parts about health issues is that unlike the issues of hunger or homelessness, for which you can host food and clothing drives and donate those things to organizations dedicated to the cause, it is hard to get your hands on (or even know about) the proper medication and treatment. Sometimes doctors do not know how to treat certain sicknesses, but often times, the proper medication exists, but it is too expensive for people to afford. Raising money through bake sales and fundraising events can be lots of fun and easy when it’s done properly. Here are some resources to help, but don’t feel limited by these options because with a little creativity and organization, there are many ways to raise money:

http://www.believekids.com/

http://www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/fundraising-ideas-for-kids.html

http://www.fundraisingdepot.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/index_page.html

Inform Others – If a tree falls down in a forest and no one is around to hear it, will it make a sound? If children in Africa are suffering from health problems and Americans don’t know about it, will they still die?

Just because you don’t know about something doesn’t mean it’s not happening. It is really important to inform your family, friends, and others who know nothing of the world’s many health issues. The more support you can gather, the more of an impact you’ll be able to make.

Want to learn more?

YouThink! -  a site providing helpful information about issues of all kind and offering ways to get involved.

http://youthink.worldbank.org/issues/health/

World Health Organization – acts as authority on international public health.

http://www.who.int/en/

Unicef – fundraising, advocacy, and education for better health around the world.

http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org/2010/01/new_years_resolution_to_change.html

Kids for World Health – youth-driven effort to raise money and awareness sick kids in African countries.

http://www.kfwh.org/whatcanyoudo.asp

World Health Facts – site providing worldwide health awareness.

http://worldhealthfacts.com/howToHelp03.php

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

YourLife: Perhaps you’ve noticed that the days are warmer and the nights are colder. Or that it’s snowed twice the amount it usually does in the winter. You’ve heard on the news that the tides are rising from the icecaps melting. You see those images of polar bears floating around on little floes of ice.

There are over 800 million motor vehicles on this planet. That’s a lot of cars, trucks, boats and lawn mowers burping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, believed by many to be a leading cause of global warming.

Global warming is the slow rise in atmosphere temperature, believed to be caused by additional heat being trapped by greenhouse gases.  World leaders met in Copenhagen to discuss the global threat of climate change, and to see what their respective governments can do to help curb the problem of rising temperatures.

But what can you do to make a change?

How YOU can help:

Keep up to date – There is new technology being invented every day that helps reduce your carbon footprint on the world. These range from newer, more efficient appliances to new advances in solar technology to electric cars. Read up on the newest ways that the world is advancing to protect the earth and share that information when appropriate. There are some great blogs out there such as: www.hybridcars.com, www.greentechnolog.com, and www.ecogeek.com.

Change your home – Common filament light bulbs lose 95% of their energy due to heat loss. That means that only 5% electricity running through that lamp is being used for its main purpose: to light a room. Have your parents invest in some compact fluorescent bulbs that last a lot longer and are incredibly efficient with the energy it uses. A good habit to get into is to always turn off a light when you leave a room, even if it’s only for a short time. Unplug your appliances when you’re not using them. Even when your toaster or DVD player isn’t “on”, it’s still sucking up energy to be ready for when you hit that button on that remote control. These energy vampires can add up to 10% of your electrical intake in a month.

Drive smarter – If you drive, or your parents drive, give them a small list of how to make their car more fuel-efficient just by changing their driving habits. Slowing down or not driving so aggressively will save untold amounts of fuel. A list of good driving habits can be found here: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

Get the word out – There are a lot of people out there that are convinced that global warming doesn’t exist. These people are not bad people, they are just misinformed. Most of these people believe that global warming doesn’t exist because it would have too much of a negative economic impact to suspend drilling for oil. A lot of people have become very rich off of claiming that global warming doesn’t exist.  Start a local club at your school to make people aware of how their lifestyles could be affecting their environment.

What to learn more?

Environmental Defense Fund: http://www.fightglobalwarming.com

National Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org

Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

YourLife: It’s just another school day. You wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom. You flush the toilet, wash your hands, and then brush your teeth. Parched from sleep, you fill your cup with water and gulp down the cool refreshing liquid. All of this is in a morning’s routine.

But have you ever taken the time to think about how fortunate you are to have such easy access to safe and drinkable water?

According to the 2006 United Nations Human Development Report, some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water.

Also according to the report, 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation and because of this close to half of all people in developing countries suffer at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits.

These statistics might make the problem seems far removed for your own life, but the U.S. is feeling the affects of water scarcity as well. In an article from MSNBC.com, the government estimates that at least 36 states will have water shortages in the next five years.

Water is a necessity for human life and that is why it is important to make sure everyone has equal access to clean drinking water to survive. Among some of the causes of inadequate access to clean drinking water is pollution. That is why it is so important for the world to protect the environment because it’s not just affecting the polar bears, it’s affecting the human race as well.

What YOU Can Do:

Stay Informed – One of the main things that keep world issues from being solved is that not enough people know or care about them. By staying informed about the water crisis you are adding to the amount of people who are aware of the problem and see a need to fix it. This awareness is the first step in finding a solution.

Spread the Word – Talk to your friends and family about the water crisis. Meaningful discussion helps others learn about the issues and will hopefully make more people feel compelled to do something to help.

Take Action –Conserving water is something easy that can be done through only slight changes to your daily routine. Don’t leave the faucet running while your brushing your teeth. Only do laundry when you have a full load. Check for leaks or drips and fix them accordingly. These minor changes, and others all help contribute to saving water.

To help abroad, find an organization where you can contribute your time to help fight the water crisis. If there isn’t an organization near you, think about starting your own after school club or get a group together at your church. Even if you can’t personally install water pipe systems in 3^rd world villages, lots can be done around your community to raise money to help the cause.

Want to learn more?

The World Water Council – http://www.worldwatercouncil.org/

Water Aid – http://www.wateraid.org/uk/what_we_do/the_need/207.asp

Crisis Feared As U.S. Water Supplies Dry Up – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21494919/

100 Ways To Conserve Water – http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.”

- Dan Rather

YourLife: You get pulled out of history class, to find your father standing in the hallway. “This is weird, he never comes to school.” Upon closer inspection you find that your father has been crying. “Oh, this is bad, he never cries.” Your dad hugs you and manages to say that your grandma, your favorite grandmother that always made you those incredible chocolate chip cookies has passed away. Your father asks if you’re ok, but his words are distant as you think about your grandmother and how she meant to you.

You are starting the first stages of grief. Grief is a major loss, usually the loss of a loved one, but grief can also be something as simple as a break-up with someone that you’re really, really into. Grief is one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to deal with in your life, but there are ways to deal with grief.

So now what?

Realize that you are grieving – The easiest thing in the world to do when grieving is to deny the fact that you are grieving at all. When friends ask how you’re doing, you respond, “Fine.” While easy, this is not going to help the fact that you miss your loved one. The first step in grieving is to allow yourself to grieve. This might include some lengthy alone time , but the important step is to come to terms with the fact that you won’t be seeing this loved one again.

People Care!– Once you’ve accepted that you won’t be seeing your loved one again, you have to work through the physical and emotional pain of losing that loved one. A good way to deal with this is to realize that you still have a lot of other people around you (family members, friends, and teachers) who really care about your well-being and want to help you through your grief.

Talk it out – When you feel you are ready, let a friend or family member sit down and talk to you about your grief. Just talking about how great that person was, or how cuddly your puppy was will help you remember the good times, rather than dwelling on the loss. A good friend will sit and listen. If they feel the need to interject, don’t be upset, just remember they’re trying to help. Search your feelings and decide if you just need to get those feelings out. Make sure to set some ground rules with whoever is willing to listen; people like to give their opinions and if you don’t want to hear them, you need to let your listener know before-hand.

Internet – If you don’t think you have anyone to talk to about your grief, the internet is a great, anonymous tool to get support. There are hundreds of forums and support groups online with people just waiting to help. Sometimes, it’s easier to talk to someone who’s removed from the situation.

Change your habits – Every Friday after school, your grandmother would have cookies ready for you for after school. Now that she’s gone, what do you do with your Friday after school? It’d be easy to just go to your room, shut the door and sulk, but this won’t help you to deal with the problem at hand. Avoidance is never the solution. Instead, make up a new after school activity. Do something that would honor your grandmother. Get your best friend to come over and make cookies together. Have a warm, fresh-baked cookie for your dad when he comes home from work. This will not only make your father happy, but it will allow you to feel the way your grandmother did when she made you cookies. You’ll be closer to your grandmother and will be successfully dealing with the loss.

Moving on – It may seem like you’ll never be able to move past this monumental loss, but your life will eventually move on. When you start to enjoy movies again or being around your friends and feel yourself laughing and being happy, don’t feel bad or think that you’re not honoring your loved one by living. Your loved ones would want you to be happy and live your life to the fullest. Remember those loved ones, always, but when you feel ready to move on, let go of that grief and be happy.

Depression – So you’ve tried everything; you’ve accepted the loss, you’ve talked about it, and you’re trying to move on, but for some reason, you’re still sad all the time. It’s very possible that you’ve moved away from grief and fallen into depression. If you feel that this might be the case, talk to a parent or counselor at school. Depression is very serious and requires a lot more professional training than your friends or loved ones can give you.

Remember – Grief is hard, but with a little courage, you’ll make it through. Your loved one would want you to be able to move on and enjoy the life that they so thoroughly enjoyed. Believe that you can be happy, and with time, you will be.

Want to learn more?

How to deal with grief – http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/ken-01-0104/

Internet support groups – http://www.griefnet.org/

http://www.transformations.com/boards/

Basic info on grief – https://health.google.com/health/ref/Grief

Grief Support –  http://www.helpguide.org/mental/grief_loss.htm

Dealing with Grief –  http://www.crisiscounseling.com/TraumaLoss/GriefLoss.htm

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

“Show me a worrying person and I will show you a person who does not know how to relax.”
Albert E. Cliffe

YourLife: There’s an 8-page English paper due and you need to study for that big History test in first period tomorrow. Your mom won’t stop bugging you to take out the trash and your little brother keeps popping into your room while you’re trying to study. You just need to take a deep breath and relax. But how?

It all starts in a manageable state, but things can quickly pile up into too much. A few after-school activities here, hanging out with friends there and suddenly, deadlines loom and it seems completely unmanageable.

There are simple things that you can do every day to help make your life more stress free. Just by following these easy rules, you’ll be free-flowing and relaxed in no time.

So now what?

Take a step back – Yes, you have a lot to do, but realize that this isn’t something you can’t handle. It may seem like this is the entire world coming down on you, but it is not. After realizing that isn’t the end of the world, literally step away from what you’re doing. If it’s a paper or studying, take ten minutes and go be somewhere that isn’t your bedroom. Stand in the kitchen. Sit on the front step. Look at the stars. After ten minutes, your head will be clear and you’ll be able to focus better.

Drink water – It seems elementary, but you’d be surprised by how clear your head will get by the simple act of hydration. Sometimes, when you get so caught up in your day, you forget to drink your necessary amount of water for the day. Just don’t overdo it; a stomach full of sloshing water can be distracting.

Try some simple exercises – There are a bunch of exercises that you can do that will physically relax your body. Clenching and unclenching your fists. Squeeze your eyelids shut and then release. All of these exercises are designed to create more tension and then allowing your body to release that tension.

Hot water – One of the simplest ways to relax your body is to take a hot shower or a hot bath. Not only does the heat from the water physically relax your muscles, it also forces you into a state of solitary meditation. Allow all of the world outside of the bathroom to simply flow away.

Let Your Mind Go – Relaxing your body will help you to focus, but you also need to take care of your mind. Give yourself ten minutes to think about nothing. It seems a bit strange, but if you can sit in a chair and close your eyes while thinking, “I’m not thinking anything,” eventually your mind will calm down and you’ll realize that you’re not thinking about anything. Repetition is an easy way to focus; your brain already naturally does this; it’s why catchy pop songs have a tendency to get stuck in your head.

Corral that kid – If you can’t get control of an annoying sibling, then turn to your parents. If you show that you’re trying to be adult and get real work done, your parents are more likely to help you out.

Call a friend – If it seems like the world is bearing down on your shoulders, call a friend. Talk about your problems with someone you trust. A good friend will listen and help you work through the stress. Sometimes, all you need is to talk out your problems and the release you need will naturally flow from that.

Maestro, music please! – A good relaxation technique is to put on some of your favorite music. Music helps you to concentrate by creating white noise, or background noise. It can be hard to focus with a lot of thoughts running around your head; music occupies a little bit of your brain and allows you to focus on the task at hand. The added benefit of studying to music is that it actually helps your memory.

If all else fails – If you just can’t relax, the kid brother won’t stop bugging you, the trash won’t take itself out and the words just don’t come for that paper, go to bed. It may seem like a strange technique for getting over stress, but sleeping can be intensely relaxing.

Remember - Your physical and mental health is the most important aspect of you, so take care of yourself.

Want to learn more?

How to relax your body – http://www.lessons4living.com/how.htm

Relaxation techniques from the Mayo Clinic – http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/relaxation-technique/SR00007/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Music for your memory – http://www.jstor.org/pss/1422512

How to releax your mind – http://www.ehow.com/how_5540566_relax-mind-let-go.html

Relaxation Tips – http://www.squidoo.com/7relaxationtips

MyLife 24-7 Contributing Author

“Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.”

- Anonymous

YourLife: You are assigned a group project in health class on the topic of nutrition. The assignment will have to be presented by you and the two other students in your group in two weeks.

Somehow time has slipped away and it is now the night before your presentation! One of the students in your group is coming over to your house in an hour, but the third student hasn’t responded to either of your text messages or phone calls. You know you don’t have all of the resources you need to complete the project as well as you could, but even if you do, the third student will have no idea what’s going on when you present it and the teacher specifically asked that every student contribute equally!

How could this have happened!? – You never had the intention of letting two weeks go by without working at all on your project, but the only times you’d think about it were in the shower or right before you went to bed. Since cleanliness and sleep are just as important as getting good grades, you’d continued on without giving it a second thought.

So Now What?

Write It Down – One of the smartest things you can do as a student at any level (middle school, high school, or college) is to write assignments down in a planner as soon as they are given to you. Use a planner that you’ll look at everyday so you can easily see when assignments or tests are coming up in each class that you take.

One Thing at a Time – Writers don’t write books in a day. The internet wasn’t created overnight. Achievements and accomplishments start off small. With time, they blossom into bigger ideas and results. If you know you have to tackle a big project or assignment, block out a little time each day to work on it. Not only will you be significantly less overwhelmed, but you’ll be able to see tangible progress which will motivate you to keep going. The night before your paper or project is due, you’ll be excited to finally put the finishing touches on it instead of launching into panic mode and increasing stress.

Hold Yourself Accountable – If you know your project is due in two weeks, break the project up into small goals that you’ll realistically be able to reach each day. Checking off those goals will give you the satisfaction that you’re working towards something great and it will also give you the time to assess how far you’ve come with your project. When you do complete a goal or task, reward yourself with a small piece of candy or an extra half hour of tv, for extra motivation!

Want to learn more?

Time-Management-Guide – dedicated to developing student time management skills with links to helpful articles.

http://www.time-management-guide.com/student-time-management.html

PBS Kids – Articles, stories, games, and activities geared towards making kids’ lives a little easier.

http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/time/index.html

The Study Skills Help Page – contribution to improve student’s study habits by Middle Tennessee State University learning coordinator, Dr. Carolyn Hopper.

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl/tmths.html