Thursday, April 19, 2012

Body Image

     Body Image!

     Body Image is our perception of how we look, and the value judgments that accompany that perception. If us girls:
    -feel bad about ourselves on the inside
    -receive negative or untrue messages about our appearance
    -receive unrealistic and unachievable messages about what is ideal from the media

    …it is very likely that we will feel bad about how we look on the outside. This not only affects our confidence in our appearance, but also in our ability to do other things like being a leader. 

    Check out this video!

    Teens are at a vulnerable age. This is the age we are most impressionable and start to develop self-confidence and self perception. Body shapes change rapidly. About half of female teens think they're too fat and almost 50% are dieting. There is a lot of pressure to succeed and fit in. One of the ways to fit in is to have the "perfect body". -Maynard, Cindy, MS, RD, Body Image

    But where do we get these images about the perfect body?

    Check out this Dove video! 

    The film Miss Representation states that "In one week American teenagers spend 31 hours watching TV, 17 hours listening to music, 3 hours watching movies, 4 hours reading magazines, 10 hours online. That’s 10 hours and 45 minutes of media consumption a day." Although this an American statistic, it's very likely that Canadian statistics would show a similar amount. If you look through any magazine or watch TV for any period of time, you are bombarded with images of beautiful people who fit a very narrow category of beauty. We take these messages in and it influences our own ideas of what is beautiful without us even realizing it.   This starts early, even with our toys like Barbie.

    This picture is a real life replica of what Barbie would look like if she was a real person.  Here are some other facts about Barbie : 
  • If Barbie were an actual women, she would be 5'9" tall, have a 39" bust, an 18" waist, 33" hips and a size 3 shoe.
  •  Barbie calls this a "full figure" and likes her weight at 110 lbs. At 5'9" tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a body mass index of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She would not likely have her period.
  • If Barbie was a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
  • Slumber Party Barbie was introduced in 1965 and came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs, with a book entitled "How to Lose Weight" with directions inside stating simply "Don't eat."

    The Scary Reality of a Real Life Barbie Doll 

    Even though we don't play with Barbies anymore, that idea of beauty and perfection carries on with us to our teenage years and adulthood. But this idea of being dangerously thin has not always been seen as attractive.  50 years ago, having curves was the ideal body type and the media reflected this as shown in the following vintage ad.
    50 years ago, pounds were considered attractive!
    (http://www.retronaut.co/2011/11/vintage-weight-gain-ads/)

    Now, attractiveness comes in the sizes of skinny, skinny and skinny.
     Jezebel.com

    Regardless of what is seen as attractive during a particular time period, the media and advertising is always telling us that are bodies are not good enough as they are and we need to change them in some way. Why can't all body types be considered beautiful and represented in the media? 

     (http://cdn.blisstree.com/files/2012/02/when-did-this-become-hotter-than-this-it-didnt.jpg)

    So, how can we change our ideas about what is attractive and how can we tell the media that showing one type of body as attractive is not cool? We've come up with a couple of tips:

    Check out the following websites:
    My Body Gallery
    - This website allows users to search for user-uploaded photos of their body based on their height and weight. You'll quickly see that there is a ton of variation in people's body sizes and that people  are beautiful no matter what their size.

     About-face.org
      - Check out the gallery of offenders to see some of the worst advertising and the gallery of winners to see positive messages that the media can put forward.

    Miss Representation Campaign - 'Like' Miss Representation's Facebook page to receive updates about the media's negative messaging and what other people are doing to change it.

    Write letters to magazines that promote only one form of body type and one type of beauty. About Face  has a great page on how to write a complaint letter.
     How to Write a Complaint Letter


    When watching television or reading magazines pay attention and question what messages are being sent through what you're watching.  Start with conversations with your friends and family about these messages and how they make you feel.

    Instead of focusing on what your body looks like, focus on what your body can do. Instead of basing your goals around getting to a certain weight, set healthy  goals about running a certain distance or maybe improving your strength.

    Stop yourself from automatically judging others on their appearance. We can't help but judge our own bodies if we spend too much time judging other people's bodies.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is not about…
·         bragging
·         being perfect (nobody is!)
So what is it?
o   It is about how much we value, love, and accept ourselves
o   People can have a healthy self-esteem or an unhealthy self-esteem
o   People with healthy self-esteem are able to feel good about themselves, appreciate their own worth, and take pride in their abilities, skills, and accomplishments
o   People with low self-esteem may feel as if no one will like them or accept them or that they can't do well in anything

Self-esteem is really important
·         It is about knowing you are worth being respected and loved by the   people in your life
·         If you are one of the many people who often don’t feel good about yourself, there is good news: you can work to increase your self-esteem and feel better!!
 


Who or What Influences your Self-Esteem?
- Family
·         - Friends
·         - The media
·         - Yourself 

How do you improve your self-esteem?
·         - Hard work, dedication to yourself!
·         - We have steps from morethanmedication.ca that you can do every day, three times a day, to help improve the image, thoughts and beliefs you have about yourself


 Gain self-awareness
"Our strength grows out of our weaknesses." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Self-esteem is not about having only strengths. It is also about embracing your weaknesses and learning how you can turn them into an opportunity to discover more about yourself. Self-awareness, then, is the first-step to making a change. 

Start by taking a life inventory — like a business would do if it were not performing well. List your assets (strengths) and your liabilities (weaknesses). Review your weaknesses and try to identify ways that you can turn them into strengths. For example, if your weakness is "I'm too shy in large groups," then work on ensuring your one-to-one relationships are the best they can be while enrolling in a public-speaking course. That way, you'll gain more confidence when in large groups but still have solid intimate relationships to enrich your life.

Silence your inner critic

Challenge your inner critic; don't just take the abuse.Do you have an inner critic who is an expert at finding faults? Are you aware of the voices inside your head? How often do you put yourself down during the day?
As you become aware of your negative self talk, you can begin to turn down the volume and replace it with constructive feedback and praise. For starters, change your reactive words to proactive ones: Replace "I can't" with "I can" or "I want to."

Check out this Dove Video!

Use affirmations — the right way

The process of affirming is to make firm statements using words that reinforce the positive.
While many of us make them all day long, we usually do so unconsciously or our affirmations embrace a negative connotation. (For example, "I will not stumble during my presentation".) This keeps you in a low self-esteem holding pattern.
For your daily affirmations, use short, strong positive statements in the present tense as if you have already obtained your goal. For example, "I am a great public speaker." This will help reprogram your subconscious mind and increase your sense of self.
Every night, before going to bed, think of five things for which you are grateful. This will help you turn your focus to the positive and seek opportunities for learning and growth




Accept compliments

Don't sell yourself short.
Every time you reject a compliment, you are basically saying that you do not deserve the praise.
Next time someone gives you a compliment, say, "Thank you." Get into the habit of telling yourself, "I'm accepting it." Remember, YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Check out this short video about the Self-Worth Project

Plan for action!

You cannot develop self-esteem just wishing for it.
You must take action in order for you to move out of your comfort zone and conquer your fears. This reinforces the belief you have in yourself and, in the end, you will feel better about yourself.
All these steps listed above are techniques you can use everyday to help feel better about yourself.  It is ok to have a bad day, we all have them, how you cope with it is the most important thing.    


Stress

Stress 101: What Every Youth
Needs to Know About Stress!!


Stress can be positive or negative. Positive stress pushes you to complete a
task or do something great. Negative stress gets in the way and puts unhealthy
demands on your mind and body. Hopefully, we are going to help you learn how
to recognize and deal with these demands and give you some tools to cope with
stress in your life.

 SO . . . WHAT IS STRESS??

Stress is your bodyʼs physical and emotional reaction to circumstances that
frighten, irritate, confuse, endanger or excite you.
Stress isnʼt all bad, itʼs really very necessary in life!

Your body sets its defenses and protects itself against danger. Each time your body senses danger or the unknown, your nervous system reacts by getting ready for “fight or flight.” This “fight or flight” response is normal and happens in all living things. Originally, this response was needed by our ancestors as they lived in a more dangerous world where they had to be ready to fight off sabertoothed tigers and protect themselves from predators. Nowadays, this response system is triggered by different threats such as that looming dance recital, that end of the year math test, or arguments with friends and family. But your body responds in the same chemical way, your heart pounds, your muscles get tense, your palms get sweaty, and you get butterflies in your tummy. After a long time, these effects of stress really add up and can do damage to your body.


The main stressors faced by youth are FAMILY, SCHOOL, EXTRACURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES, and BEING ACCEPTED BY YOUR
FRIENDS AND PEERS.
  • The key to living with stress is to DEAL WITH IT!
  • Deal with your family by communicating with them.
  • Deal with your schoolwork by having realistic expectations of yourself.
  • Deal with your friends by being WHO YOU ARE, and not who others want you
    to be.
  • Deal with your looks by recognizing that you are a special and unique person.
  • Deal with over-commitment by prioritizing and cutting back your schedule if
    youʼre tired.
  • Learn to say NO!!
USE THESE STRESS SKILLS TO GET THROUGH IT!
  • Evaluate each problem and keep it in perspective.
  • Prioritize your time and see what is really important.
  • Set boundaries and donʼt give up too much of yourself.
  • Avoiding and putting things off really doesnʼt work! Deal with the issue ASAP!
  • LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Eat right, get enough sleep, and be active.
  • When youʼre really upset do something you really love like read, dance, sing,
    exercise, play video games, listen to music, do anything that calms you down
    and clears your head.
  • Use breathing techniques to slow your body down and relax your muscles.
    Try this next time youʼre stressed: close your eyes, take a deep breath, count
    backwards from 10, and exhale slowly.
  • Donʼt feel alone with your problems. Remember to ask for guidance from a
    friend, family member, or a trusted adult. They may have some good tips on
    how to deal with life and stress!
Visit this website for 79 Creative Ways to Reduce Stress if you have a hard time coming up with your own!

THIS IS WHAT OTHER YOUTH ARE SAYING ABOUT WHAT
STRESSES THEM OUT!!


Remember, stress is NORMAL!! It happens to everyone, but everyone reacts
differently and experiences stress in different ways. Experiment with different
strategies and learn how YOU can cope with stress effectively in your life.


Monday, April 16, 2012

Bullying!

Bullying!
Bullying is a common topic in many schools and students hear about it all the time
because it is such an important issue to be talked about. Kids may not know it but
bullying happens in many different ways. Whether it is exclusion, physical, verbal, or
cyber bullying, they all have an impact on the victim.


 

    Here is something that
    might make you think twice
    about what you say online…


 
Stop Bullying.

Here is a video that gives a new and interesting look at bullying from the perspective
of you, the student!


It shows a clip of a bullying incident that took place in Melbourne, Australia which
was quite severe. The students then had the opportunity to react to the incident and
were asked a series of questions. Students interviewed are both boys and girls of a variety of ages; their reactions were real and they and they had a lot of good thoughts, ideas and points to make about bullying.

                                 What are your answers to the questions being asked?
                                         Do you agree or disagree with these kids?

Almost all students agreed that bullying is current problem in their schools and the
majority of them even said they had been bullied at some point as well.

                                        How much bullying takes place in your school?
                                            Are you a victim? A bully? A bystander?

These students mentioned that they have had anti-bullying campaigns in their school
but that they didn’t find them to be very effective. So it’s pretty clear that bullying is
an issue that these students have been taught about. Yet it continues to be an issue,
so we have to think… what can I do to stop bullying? 

Don’t be a bystandar!

This is a great example of how the smallest gesture can have the biggest impact on
anyone in this situation. So don’t be scared to stand up for someone! You can be the
start of change. YOU can make a difference!



Check out this cool site that lets you make your own comic strip!

 
We get that not all kids will like each other and get along or be friends. It is normal
that people have differences and won’t get along with everyone. But what is
important for everyone to remember is that regardless of whether you like someone
or not, they deserve respect!
So even if you don’t get along with someone instead of making fun of them or being
mean show them the respect they deserve. If we all displayed mutual respect for one
another bullying would disappear.

But since we are not at the point yet where bullying does not exist lets talk about what you can do if you’re being bullied.

   You can…
  • Tell an adult
  • Tell a friend
  • Stand up to your bully
  • Do not fight back
  • Stay positive
  • Do not be a bystander
  • Most importantly... Remember that you are awesome, special, and unique! Don't let what the bully says bring you down! Ignore them!
  • Do not feel alone or helpless. There are people everywhere who are going through similar situations. stay strong and keep a positive attitude!