Posts tagged "Teen life"

Clutch It! 3 Money-Wasters!

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College brings on many new responsibilities and being fiscally responsible is one of the hardest. It seems like money leaves your wallet faster than it goes in and your bank account is starting to collect spider webs. Believe it or not, there are plenty of ways you’re wasting your money in college. Check out some of these things to cut back on so you can stack those coins!

Junk Food Foodie?– Although it is nice to treat yourself to fast food every once in a while, the campus is full of eating spots that are included in your meal plan. This is so much better than having to spend money on take out every time you’re hungry. The other benefit is that campus usually offers healthier options so it’s a win-win.

Rent’em + Return’em- Buying textbooks is a hard financial hit in the beginning of the semester. In order to cut costs, rent your books from websites like Amazon and Chegg. You should also ask your professor to see if you’ll even need the book before you buy it.

Ride Along– Having a car on campus is obviously convenient, but the money you spend on upkeep isn’t worth it. You’ll have to pay for gas weekly and some colleges even make you pay for a parking pass every year. Ditch the car and opt for a bike or walk like most students do. Large campuses even provide transportation to your classes.

 

~Tia Banks, Content Editor

Style Diary x Stella!

Scroll through the STYLE diary of  Vancouver based teen blogger, Stella! 

What’s your name + the city you’re from?
Stella-Jane, Vancouver

Style is showing who you are without having to speak! Name your top 3 trends you’re feeling this season?
I’m honestly so bad at keeping up with trends because I wear whatever I am confident in. If I really had to choose, some trends that I am honestly in love with right now, are the dad sneaker trend, the statement belt trend and the plaid trend that is slowly making its way back. I think these trends could even be worn throughout the year and that makes it even more appealing to me, especially since I know I’m not investing in pieces that would only last me three months.

If you had 30 seconds to grab your 3 favorite style pieces, what would they be?
If I had 30 seconds to grab my favourite style pieces, I would definitely grab my black fur purse, my oversized denim jacket, and my vans old skools shoes.

Style inspo is everything! Who’s your ultimate fashion icon + why?
It is definitely hard for me to pick one specific person as my fashion Icon but two of my favourites currently are Ryan destiny and Alani Figueroa (@wuzg00d on Instagram ). Ryan Destiny’s style is so comfortable but still looks so amazingly thought out and versatile. Alani Figueroa has been my all time street style queen ever since I stumbled upon her Instagram. The way she styles extravagant colours, layers her jewelery and manages her Instagram, makes her the ultimate Fashion Icon for me.

Getting ready in the morning can be fun but stressful if you’re in a time crunch, what’s your go-to look if you’re in a rush?
If I was in a complete time crunch, my go-to outfit is to grab a hoodie and a pair of my favourite track pants but to spice it up I’ll wear my oversized black fur coat to give it a bit of a girly look!

What’s your number 1 rule when it comes to style?
This may come off as cliche but honestly, if you want to look good, no matter what you are wearing as long as you feel comfortable and confident in it, you are going to look amazing. I have seen some girls look so awkward in outfits because they just wanted to “fit in”. Following others takes so much away from your personal style and creativity, plus you aren’t as happy whiles you are wearing it. So, take my advice, be confident in what you were because that is where your style shines through!

Follow more style inspo from Stella!
Blog: xostellajane.com
Instagam: stellajanexo

Strict Much?

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Don’t you absolutely hate when your parents get on you about little things?! It’s like they’re trying to prevent you from living your best life! You feel like they are breathing down your neck and don’t give you any room to enjoy your youth. Well we’re here to give you some tips on how to deal with overly strict parents.

Keep it 100| Show your parents that you are serious about having more freedom. Sit down with them and discuss the rules that are in place and why you feel like they are unrealistic. Along with that, give them suggestions for appropriate punishments and reward system.

Relax| When your parents come down hard on you, don’t use your energy to yell and argue back. It will make them see you as immature and further their decision to remain as strict as possible.

Help me, help me! | Sometimes you may need to lean on other family members for help. For example, your aunts and uncles are great people to talk to about your parents’ strict ways since they grew up with them.

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Tia Banks, Content Editor

 

Queen EXTRA? Not Today

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We all have that one friend who does the absolute most! We love them to death but sometimes their personality is EXTRA. You ever find yourself rolling your eyes whenever they’re around? Yeah, it’s time to check this diva.

Remain Unbothered -When your friend is having a diva moment don’t exhaust your energy by feeding into it. They’re probably telling you a story with lots of embellishments in order to get more attention.

No More Drama -We love hanging out a spilling tea with friends. However, we are going to have to cut this friend off from tea spillage. Drama only adds to our diva friend’s over the top personality. This is a fire you don’t want to add fuel to.

Keep Calm and Carry On –Everyone has their issues where they need a friend to vent to. When your diva friend contacts you for support, make sure you remain calm. No need to add in any “Oh no she didn’t” and “Girl! Are you serious?!”. Just give her the advice she’s looking for.

Small Doses- You may need to cut back on some of the time you spend with her all together. It’s easier to handle personalities like that in small doses. You care for her the same, but you do so from a distance.

-Tia Banks, Content Editor

InstaCRUSH or InstaSTALK?

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You know how easy it is to turn into an FBI agent when you’re trying to gather info on your crush. You end up on their sister’s husband’s bestfriend’s cousin’s mother’s page. Well depending on how much information you gather and how often you search, you’re borderline cyberstalking.

Here are 3 ways to know if you have crossed the line:

Catfish– Like many perpetrators on the show, you yourself have developed a fake profile. This is so you can hide behind another identity in order to get more info on your crush without seeming crazy.

Excessive Messaging– Opposite of catfishing, you are not hiding behind a fake identity but you are sending lots of DMs. Even when he doesn’t answer, you continue to send messages in hopes of getting the response you wanted.

You search and search…and search– Not only do you search their Instagram page, but you also look for their Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Youtube, and probably their Myspace too.

-Content Editor, Tia Banks

Body Talk!

From social media influencers to getting an inside peek of celeb lifestyles, it’s easy to start playing the comparison game.  Being a teen oftentimes invites social pressures that can have you feeling out of place, isolated + constantly battling with body image. It can be difficult not to compare yourself to others when perfection is portrayed every time you scroll on Instagram. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five teens ages 13-18, have or will have, a serious mental illness.

Knowledge is power + it’s important to learn more about yourself and how you perceive your body. We spoke with Jamie Manwaring, PhD, Primary Therapist from the Eating Recovery Center in Denver to give us additional insight on the impact of eating disorders and self-esteem.

Come join us for body talk!

With social media being so prevalent throughout teenage years, how has that affected the rate of eating disorders + depression of teens?

Many studies have recently shown strong correlations among the amount of social media used by teenagers, and their resulting body image dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin ideal, and symptoms of depression. We do not yet know if this has impacted the prevalence of eating or depressive disorders in teenagers, but social media can certainly provide unhelpful messages and triggers to teenagers at risk for these disorders, including a greater ability to compare to peers.

An eating disorder can lead to suicide or suicidal thoughts, how does struggling with body image create a sense of hopelessness?

We don’t know the exact mechanisms by which poor body image can lead to hopelessness, but we do know that body dissatisfaction predicts depression for girls, but not for boys (Bearman & Stice, 2008), although the relationship between poor body image and low self-esteem is similar for both genders (Davison & McCabe, 2006). For those who are unhappy with their bodies, this can create hopelessness due to being in your body all the time, and thus struggling to separate themselves from this component of their unhappiness.

Davison TE, McCabe MP.J Soc Psychol. 2006 Feb; 146(1):15-30. Adolescent body image and psychosocial functioning.
Bearman SK, Stice E. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2008 Nov; 36(8):1251-63. Testing a gender additive model: the role of body image in adolescent depression.

 

Being a teen and discovering your personality can be an intense emotional roller coaster, how can friends + family detect between teen moods and a potential mental illness?

It is normal and natural that teenagers want to gain their independence and often react harshly to their parents to achieve this outcome. This, in addition to their hormonal changes, can make it difficult to distinguish what is normal versus what deserves intervention. Given that teenagers typically want to spend time with friends and engage in extracurricular activities outside of the home, a change in this desire for a teenager may signal something more is going on for them than just a bad day. In general, look for the severity of their symptoms, the duration of their symptoms (a deterioration in mood that lasts two weeks or longer may indicate depression versus a bad mood), and how many domains their symptoms impact (e.g., at home, in school, and with friends). Finally, parents should always trust their intuition and talk to their teenager’s medical providers and teachers to obtain a better understanding of how the teenager is functioning.

Struggling with an eating disorder? Never be ashamed to reach out for help within a supportive community. Learn more here:

Eating Recovery Center

Professor Shade?

Your parents may think you’re overreacting, but what do they know? There’s a possibility that your teacher is out to make your semester miserable. Ugh! We can’t pinpoint why but we can help you through it with these 3 survival tips:

Ask Around – Be observant of your teacher’s behavior and ask a classmate if they feel the same way. If they do, then you won’t be going through this semester alone!

Focus- Even when your teacher is in full savage mode, remain focused. Now is not the time to become the class clown to lighten the mood. Save it for your lunch period.

Talk to Them-This is the route for the bold and mature crowd. Speaking directly to a teacher in a respectful manner is a way to face the problem head on. Just remember this is not your peer so you mustn’t speak to them like one.

-Tia Banks, Content Editor

Period Alert!

Ugh! It’s that time of the month again and you’re dreading the week to come. PMS will have you angry one minute, sad the next, laughing after that, then back to shedding tears. It’s emotional AF. What’s a girl to do? Here are some tips on how to handle the madness!

Break A Sweat -Any kind of activity that increases your heart rate will be a huge help in improving your mood. Take at least 30 minutes out of your day to dance it out or try a yoga class.

Cravings? Although your body wants to eat the whole container of chocolate, opt for one piece to satisfy the craving. Then, grab a piece of fruit. It still has the sweetness you’re looking for but obviously a better option.

De-stress With The Squad-No one gets it like the girls who are going through it too. When you’re feeling super emotional, invite your girls over for a movie day. Get some advice from them on how they handle PMS.

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-Tia B., Content Editor

Spotlight x Ciara Hines!

Unleashing your creativity while showcasing your individuality is the ultimate match in living out your dreams. Dancer Ciara Hines not only tells her story on stage but sparks true emotion from all who are captivated with her fluid movements!

From winning Miss Teen Dance America to being rewarded multiple scholarships, Ciara is achieving her dreams with a double dose of discipline and confidence. Pushing past her fears, she allows preparation + practice to build her mental + physical stamina before leaving her magic on the stage.

Ciara is focused and devoted to her craft and trains five to six days each week. She states, “The freedom that I experience when I dance is almost indescribable.”

Dance continues to shape her as she continues to fascinates + inspire her audience.

Let’s get to know Ciara a little better!

What motivated you to express yourself through dance?

Expressing myself through dance has not always been effortless. Nonetheless, when I am dancing, I imagine myself being transported to a zone where I am unrestricted, stress-free, and unequivocally poised. This motivates me to improve my performance every time I step on a stage.

Performing Arts gives an outlet to be creative + present in the moment. How has performing arts helped in building your confidence + discovering your strengths?

Performing in front of large crowds enhances my self-confidence. In fact, each performance tends to bolster my personality. Surprisingly, I am rarely nervous when I perform before large crowds. Perhaps my confidence can be attributed to my passion for the arts and my determination to be successful.

As a dancer what type of pressure do you experience? How do you prep for a competition?

To circumvent pressure during competitions, I set aside specific times each day for rehearsal. My motto is, Practice! Practice, and then Practice! I am extremely disciplined and I rehearse frequently. Therefore, when it’s time to compete, I generally feel enthusiastic and prepared.

What advice would you give girls who want to follow their dreams and passions but are nervous or intimidated?

Fear is a constant presence, no matter your profession or status in life. My advice to any girl, who is anxious or scared, is to pursue their aspiration, despite their insecurities. Life is filled with regrets and disappointments – so, girls must never add to these setbacks by disbanding their yearnings.

Being young, juggling responsibilities while walking towards your dreams can sometimes get to be a bit overwhelming, how do you regroup and motivate yourself when you’re feeling a little defeated?

Whenever I am overwhelmed or discouraged, I give myself permission to step away from the predicament, take some deep breaths, walk around, and listen to some of my favorite music. For me, music is a remarkable characteristic of a relaxation journey. When I decide to regroup, I am generally in a much healthier place.

We are all about empowerment, what does EMPOWERMENT mean to you?

From my perspective, EMPOWERMENT means having the freedom to pursue my dreams, being confident and creative,recognizing my strengths/weaknesses and honing my competency.
• Celeb Crush: I don’t have one yet
• Favorite Artist: Beyoncé
• Favorite Food: Grilled Salmon with asparagus
• Favorite Movie: The Greatest Showman

Follow more Ciara here!

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Follow Ciara on @corereader’s IG Takeover this Saturday, July 28th!

 

Friend Zone: Forget Or Forgive?

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Any relationship should be 50/50 and when you start to notice your friendship becoming strenuous, it might be because you are putting out more effort than you are receiving. Being taken advantage of by a friend isn’t worth it and here are 4 steps to take when you think it’s happening to you.

Give It A Second Look: Determine how the situation makes you feel. If the roles were reversed, would you have done the same thing to your friend like she did to you?

Benefit of The Doubt: Find out if she’s going through a tough time, which is causing her to change her behavior.

Be Assertive, Be Be Assertive: Tell her how you feel and how you think she has taken advantage of you whether it was just this one time or on multiple occasions.

Drop Her: ONLY IF NECESSARY. This is the bottom line. If what you’re saying is going in one ear, out the other, and behavior isn’t changing, it’s best for your own mental health to respectfully move on.

-Tia Banks, Content Editor