Author Archives: Girl +Talk

Helpful Sleep Rituals for Teens

Posted in Articles for Parents, General Health, Tip of the Week by

Can’t fall asleep?images

Sometimes it’s hard for teens to wind down by the end of the day. Between school, sports,
tutors, friends and homework—their brains are constantly on overdrive. No wonder many teens complain of waking up tired in the AM. They aren’t getting the proper rest they need. Think about it. People teach us how to drive, how to cook, how to study…so why don’t people teach us how to sleep?  The solution is a sleep ritual.

Here are a few tips to help you sleep.

  1. Limit your screen time.  Not just at night, but during the day.  Opt for going outside, reading, or relaxing without a smart phone or tablet near by. It helps your brain wind down.
  2. An hour before bed, begin what I like to call the “sleep ritual”.  Put away all school books, notebooks, homework, etc., and pack your backpack for the next day. Then, put the bag out of sight, ready for the morning.
  3. Shut all computers, smart phones, and video games off.  The key here is no bright lights distracting you.
  4. Pull down your bed covers, then lower the lights in your room. This triggers your brain that sleep is coming. (*Low music is optional.)
  5. Take a warm shower in low light or no light. Slow down your mind in the shower by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on your breathe.  The warm water helps produce oxytocin, which help us relax and preps us for sleep.
  6. After the shower, keep your eyes cast downward. This limits the visual distractions that cue your brain to be active again. After leaving the shower, so straight to your room.  Do not interact with family, or get distracted by sounds.
  7. Once you enter your room, shut off the low light (and music if it’s not on a timer) and go to bed. Chances are you will fall a sleep faster and sleep more soundly.

Facts/Tips

1) Watching tv in bed is the worse! It doesn’t trigger sleep and inevitably you will keep waking up when the actions on the screen shift in volume.  This disrupts your entire sleep cycle.

2) We sleep best in cool environments. So, if you have a habit of keeping socks on before bed or loading on the covers, think about changing that habit. Chances are you kick off the socks in the night and wake up from being over heated.  Open a window as well.

3) Drink a glass of water before bed. It hydrates the brain and helps with it’s “self-cleaning” process. You will wake up more rested.

4) If you are a light sleeper, sleep with ear plugs. The average person wakes up far more during the night than they realize.  Just because you can’t remember waking up, doesn’t mean that you didn’t.

How to Tell Your Parents- You’re Being Bullied

Posted in Self-Esteem by

Most teens don’imagest want to tell, worry or burden their parents when they are bullied, so they keep it inside. You should tell your parents every time and any time you feel you are the victim of bullying. Just because you can “handle” the bullying situation, doesn’t mean you should have to. I know it may seem scary, but you have to tell an adult. If not a parent, then maybe a teacher you trust. How do you bring it up? Sometimes that can be the hardest part. Find a time when you have your parents’ full attention. Maybe this is while you are driving in the car with them, eating dinner, or taking a long walk. Think about what to say beforehand so when you tell them you won’t get too nervous and forget everything. If you aren’t sure how to start the conversation, say: “I need to tell you something that I’m nervous about and it’s important.” I guarantee your parents will pay close attention. It’s OK if you get upset while telling them. If you want to tell a teacher instead, that’s OK too. Maybe after school when the rest of your class is gone you can ask to speak with them. Again, practice what you want to say. If it helps to bring a friend along for support, that’s OK too.

I can’t stress this enough, don’t avoid the issue for too long. This can lead to you minimizing the severity of the situation and adapting to the poor treatment. Some teens build a defense mechanism around the issue to avoid it. They pretend that it isn’t actually happening. Does pretending really help? No. The bully will continue. Remember, avoiding any situation doesn’t help. Stand up for yourself when dealing with a bully.  Protect yourself; demand that the bullying stop. Say something early on. Don’t “accept” it. That’s not a healthy way to cope!

Now if your friend is the one being bullied, what can you do? Well, a lot of things. You can tell your friend that you are there for him or her. If the bully isn’t violent, you can confront the bully together. Show the bully you aren’t taking it anymore. Or, maybe if your friend is just too scared by the bully, you can tell a teacher on his or her behalf. Some teens just don’t know what to do. Be a good friend and do something.

Bottom line— Tell a parent or tell a teacher, but don’t let it continue.

3 Great Ways Mothers Can Motivate Their Teens

Posted in Self-Esteem by

 familytime

Mothers and the Frustration of Teenage Motivation

Guest blog by Rebecca Temsen

Raising a teenager can be quite a frustrating experience for any mother. Teens can often be extremely rebellious. It can be hard for parents to provide them with proper direction. Teens often don’t want to listen to anything their parents have to say. They tend to be more partial to the thoughts and opinions of their peers. If you’re a concerned mother who wants to motivate your child to do great things in this world, these tips may be able to guide a path for you. Strong personal development for kids is invaluable in this day and age. Parents should always work hard to encourage positive thinking for kids.

  1. Give Your Teenager an Incentive

Teenagers are just like other normal human beings. They work better when they have clear and defined incentives. That makes a lot of sense, too. If you want to motivate your teen to do well, you have to help him understand what he may get out of it. Teenagers don’t usually feel compelled to do things that don’t have any desirable outcomes. It doesn’t matter if you want to encourage your teen to study harder at school or if you want to encourage him to work harder at a specific hobby. You should make the potential positive outcome abundantly clear. It can’t hurt to help the cause if at all possible, either. If you want your teen to do well on an upcoming science test, tell him that you’ll let him go on a weekend trip with his closest friends. Human beings tend to thrive when they have exciting incentives dangling in front of them.

  1. Challenge Your Teenager

It’s no mystery that teens love incentives. It’s also no mystery, however, that they’re often up for good challenges. Failure doesn’t intimidate them as much as they do to adults. Teens often lack motivation due to boredom. If a teen doesn’t feel like doing anything, it may be simply because she doesn’t sense any type of challenge. If you want to motivate your teenager to excel in her studies, make a bet with her. Tell her that you don’t think she can do better than the rest of her friends. That statement may just encourage her to get busy reading her textbooks. Teenagers don’t like feeling “stupid.” They don’t like feeling like they’re predictable, either.

  1. Discuss the Future

If a teen doesn’t have any motivation, it could be because he doesn’t link his current actions to the future. If you’re a mother who wants your teen to take the direction of his life seriously, discuss the future with him. Make sure he understands that his actions at the moment directly influence what happens next in his life. That insight may be enough to get him thinking and active.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Those are 3 simple yet very effective ways you can motivate your teenage kid. Keep in mind that most of what a teenager learns will help form them as adults. So it is your responsibility to get the best out of your child!

 

Author’s Bio:

Rebecca Temsen is an author, entrepreneur and most of all a wife and mother of 2. What she enjoys the most is helping normal people reach their full potential. Rebecca uses her ever growing skills in writing to inspire people and not settle for a normal life. As an entrepreneur, she has no shortage of failures and that is why Rebecca is the ideal person to talk about this. http://www.selfdevelopmentsecrets.com