Letting Go and Feeling Free | Written by Jalesa Green

Have you ever had the feeling that you felt built up inside, needing to free those icky feelings? Ever felt like you internalized more than you should? It is time to set yourself free and let it go. There are many stressors that may hinder our daily living but you may not know what or how to let it go. Stress comes and goes throughout the day; coming in small or big packages. 

As young ladies stress can come off in different ways: dealing with peer pressure, completing assignments in a timely manner, extracurricular activities, meeting parents expectations, managing puberty, etc. 50% of middle school students reported feeling stressed over academics all the time, while 75% of highschool students felt the same (Zauderer,2023). Although there are many factors that impact stress levels there are also things that we could work on to improve how we cope with stressors. 

Stress can have psychological impacts resulting in having anger outburst, becoming irritable easily, depressed moods, insomnia, loss of energy, overeating or not eating at all, memory problems, confusion and exhaustion. There are some things that you can do to help with stress; yes we know that things don’t happen instantly and you have to take time to complete certain task. The goal is to carve out time, start small, and big. Here are a list of a few things that you can do to manage stress.

Create a planner to stay consistent and on task.

Practice guided imagery

Smell a certain scent that you love

Confidently ask for help 

Make time to play 

Read a book on managing stress

Talk out loud to people who will ease you stress 

Parents it is also important to check in with your child to see how they are doing in school, with peers, and family. We all have a part that we have to play in order to relieve stress. Just think how you felt as a young adult needing someone to lean on and talk to with different perspectives. We also know that all kids do enjoy expressing their feelings but just letting them know that you are a safe space/person for them will make a world of difference. 

“Instead of letting your hardships and failures discourage or exhaust you, let them inspire you”- Michelle Obama

Wear Green For Mental Health Awareness | Written by Jalesa Green

As we know May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is a time where we reflect and raise awareness, and educate ourselves and others of the stigma on mental health. According to NAMI “People experiencing mental health conditions often face rejection, bullying and discrimination. This can make their journey to recovery longer and more difficult.” 

Most of us have heard the saying “talk to God”, “pray your burden away”. It is okay to talk to a therapist to receive an objective voice of reason and also assist in working through situations when you may feel stuck. What are a few ways that you can make sure that you check in with yourself regarding your mental health.

Talk to a therapist 

Getting some vitamin D and enjoying some sunlight 

Self care 

Taking a break

Exercising 

Taking medication to stabilize and manage your mental health 

Take a mindfulness walk

Be mindful and intentional throughout your day 

Drink water 

Acknowledge the small victories and celebrate 

According to NAMI 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year and 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. It’s important to be aware and talk to your children about mental health while also ensuring that they can talk to you. Just starting with a simple “how was your day” can make a big impact on your child’s mental health. Let’s raise awareness together.

We Celebrate Women’s History Month and You! | Written by Jalesa Green

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March is Women’s History Month where we celebrate women wide and near of the fabulous and courageous things that they have done, young and old. We as females have achieved many goals that no one would ever think is possible in a fearless and graceful way. When thinking about Women’s History Month we think of the famous names such as Harriet Tubman, Oprah, Michelle Obama, Maya Angelo,Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Maxine Waters, Jane Fonda, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Ketanji Brown Jackson to name a few who are amazing women and have done so many things within history fighting tirelessly for our rights as women. When they say no we say yes!

Today we also celebrate all women, you as well, for everything you do to impact the world in a positive way. In case nobody told you today You’re Special! Like my good sis Lizzo has said. Just waking up in the morning, completing your morning routine daily when you really do not feel like it and doing something positive with your day is enough. Society has so many standards and rules of what we females should and should not do even with our own bodies (that’s another discussion for another day). We hear biased statements such as we should not show our skin, we should “act like a lady”, we can’t do what boys do, and the list continues on. But NO we have choices over what we want to do with ourselves, bodies, and what we feel is right for our own space. Do what makes you happy.

“I’m Every Woman It’s All In Me” -Chaka Khan. It is all in you; anything that you desire, your destiny, your goals, achievements, and dreams are all possible. What can you do to show that you are every woman? 

Here are a few suggestions:

• Make a playlist of women empowerment songs

• Sing and dance like no one is watching

• Listen to a podcast celebrating women and/or hosted by women

• Recite a positive affirmation out loud

• Self care 

• Hang out with positive people that align with you, your goals, and purpose

• Make a positive impact on younger females who need a mentor to look up to

• Read a inspiration book and build a list of the books you would love to read

• Pray

• Be gentle and talk to yourself filling yourself with positive thoughts

• Make a bucket list 

• Talk to a therapist 

• Talk to a trusting friend

This Women’s History Month we celebrate all women. Life gets tough at times but we are strong, we are unique, we are queens. Whenever our crowns may become crooked, adjust it and keep going! Reclaim your time like auntie Maxine Waters has stated.

There's got to be a voice deep within you that is untouched by definitions. And it is there that you become divinely who you are. - Viola Davis

New Year, New Me? | Written by Jalesa Green

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As we all know resolutions are the “go-to” as it relates to the new year. We all have made resolutions at

some point in our lives whether it is to lose some irritating pounds, save and budget money, travel more

etc. But what will really make this year a new year, new me? Let’s break down what a resolution is.

A resolution is a promise that we make to ourselves of what we will limit or just cease completely cold

turkey. According to insideoutmastery.com, 59% of young adults (18-34) have New Year’s resolutions,

which makes it the largest demographic that sets these goals and out of those 59%,23% quit in the first

week, and only 36% make it past the first month. Instead of resolutions, it is okay to take things one step

by step when desiring to meet a goal(s). It’s okay to set goals, but also give yourself grace.

Vision boards are a great way to set goals while being creative and having a visual of how you want to

set the tone for your year. After the vision board, create a plan and SMART goals. Be SPECIFIC, Make it

MEASURABLE, is it ATTAINABLE and RELEVANT, and what TIME do you want to meet this goal or

objective. Smart goals assist with you staying on track with having a map that you can refer to when

becoming discouraged.

Personally, this year I’m trying something new; determining a word or a few words that you want to

describe your year. For me personally, my two words are "intentional" and mindful. I want to be able to

just live in the moment, enjoy and embrace all the beauty that life has to offer. A few words could be

visualization, travel, self-love, self-care, meditate.

Determine what is best for YOU whether it is a resolution, vision board, or a few words. Do what makes

you happy and remember there is always tomorrow to get up and try again. We all must climb a few

steps before you get to our goal, don’t give up!

“If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.” —Michele

Ruiz

Self Care is Important As a Teenager Too | Written by Jalesa Green

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We all juggle a lot on our plates daily ranging from anxiety, depression, and anxious feelings about the COVID-19 virus, and social media. making good grades at school, having a social life, peer pressure, meeting parents’ expectations, jobs, heavy workloads, and the list can continue. On many occasions, it is very easy to forget about ourselves and our needs. There are many requirements that are expected of a teenager and it becomes pretty overwhelming, but we should make some time for self-care.

What is self-care?

We’ve all heard the statement “we can’t pour from an empty cup”, that’s where self-care plays a major part. You can only be the best version of yourself if you put yourself first and not the last thought. Self-care is pretty self-explanatory, “caring for yourself”. Self-care is a time when it is okay to be selfish and have some much-needed “me time.” Self-care can last a few minutes or the entire day. We all need a moment to ourselves just to regroup,  process our thoughts, take some deep breaths, and just overall feel really good and able to conquer the world, after taking some time for ourselves.

What can I do to self-care? 

There is a plethora of techniques that you can do within the comforts of your own home (coloring, drawing a picture, painting your nails, styling your hair, facials, taking a mindfulness walk, having fun with family and/or friends, taking pictures of nature, drinking cool water, exercising, having a balanced diet, shopping, etc). Anything that makes you happy and is positive does it! Here are some other important self-care techniques that you can do in the comforts of your own home.

Journaling

Journaling is beneficial to get your inner thoughts on paper before exploding. As teenagers, we tend to internalize our thought and fit in with our peers. It’s okay to write down any thoughts that come to mind. You can personalize your journal to your liking and (whispers) it’s for you and only you.

Just taking a break

Just closing the door to have some much-needed me time is okay. If that means just talking to yourself to gather your thoughts that is okay, DO IT! Taking a break could be laying down with your weighted blanket as you watch Netflix, Hulu, or another streaming service, or playing your favorite music and singing your heart out. 

Meditating 

Grab a spot in your room where it’s clutter-free and meditate. Meditation can be a five-minute practice where you’re able to center yourself, calm down, and let the stress of your day disappear. When meditating the goal is to take mindful breaths while noticing the sensations you feel throughout your body, and how you feel in the moment. Meditating can take some time to practice and stay in the moment, you can refer to headspace, the calming app, or YouTube for mindful meditations as well. 

With all of this being said please carve out some time during the day to just practice self-care. Write in your schedule when you would like to self-care, what technique you will try, and how long the activity will be. My days are self-care Sundays where I do nothing except relax. Make self-care a habit. What will your self-care technique be? 

"Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you." - Katie Reed