They’re just different, good different: Embracing the diversity in peers

 

One of the prime aspects of the adolescent years is enhanced social interaction, particularly in educational settings such as schools and universities. According to psychological research, social development in the teenage years is characterized by an increased focus on seeking out peer relationships outside the family structure, with peers becoming a stimulus for social interaction. However, it is not fairly uncommon for young adults to seek out friendships with individuals similar to them across a spectrum of social factors, such as race, gender, ethnicity and so forth. Furthermore, individual differences and socialization contexts play a large role in determining adolescents' openness to diversity, or an acceptance and awareness of the differences and similarities between individuals. 

For students in non-diverse friend groups, social development can be significantly hindered as they may struggle to develop expansive worldviews and other perspectives, which can limit their interactions in the future years. Furthermore, interacting with a diverse set of peers can also help adolescents foster greater personal growth, and enhance life skills such as empathy, tolerance, and greater cultural awareness. Exposure to a diversified group can also aid students in gaining an in-depth understanding of problem-solving and critical thinking, as adolescents are consequently exposed to different strategies of approaching challenges and opportunities. The question then arises, how does one step out of their comfort zone to engage with diverse sets of people? Here are some tips on how to make new friends from different friend groups: 

Educate Yourself! 

The first step towards embracing diversity is learning more about different cultures and backgrounds. This can be highly beneficial in not making any assumptions or inappropriate remarks, which may start off a friendship on the wrong foot. This also helps to be respectful of diversity among your peers, and actively work towards creating a more inclusive environment. 

Listen Closely 

It is important to listen actively and engage when interacting with diverse peers, and absorb what they have to say about their backgrounds and experiences, particularly those that may be different from yours.

Push yourself 

After feeling a bit more comfortable in your interactions, try and seek out extracurricular activities that may strengthen your newfound relationships, such as participating in  different language clubs at school or working on events such as international fairs or a gender-diversity workshop. Furthermore, it is critical to educate others who may be unwilling or hesitant to seek out new sets of friends, the same way that you may have once been!

Sources: 

1. https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/adolescent-development-explained/social-development#:~:text=General%20Social%20Changes%20Adolescents%20Experience&text=As%20their%20social%20circles%20expand,who%20may%20function%20as%20mentors.

2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-020-01329-4

A walk around your mind: A beginner’s guide to meditation

 

Over the course of the adolescent years, it is normal for teenagers to experience significant forms of stress that can hamper their everyday functioning and well-being. Furthermore, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, teenagers around the world faced significant obstacles to their socio-emotional development, especially as a result of frequent lockdowns and lack of social interaction. In today’s fast-paced world, increasing challenges such as soaring academic standards, social media presence, and increased consumption of toxic substances exacerbate the distress in overall well-being. According to recent research in the field, more than 37% of high-school students in America faced poor mental health after Covid-19. Interestingly, a solution presents itself in the form of a nearly 3000-year-old practice- meditation. 

By practising mindfulness and bringing the mind’s awareness onto a particular thought, object, or activity, meditation helps to bring the body to equilibrium and achieve a focused mental and physical state. Scientifically, studies have proven meditation to be particularly beneficial for teenagers dealing with anxiety. Given the deficiency in neural communications between the amygdala and frontal lobe of the brain in young adulthood, teenagers often end up making irrational or erratic decisions. However, regular meditation for 15 minutes for 3-weeks can greatly enhance the decision-making process in teenagers. Furthermore, practising mindfulness can also help increase the levels of life satisfaction for students transitioning to university, a critical stage that can affect students’ self-esteem and social behaviours in college. Additionally, practising meditation can also help reduce symptoms of disorders such as depression and ADHD, and can help boost immune functioning and improve levels of concentration.  

Thus, it is recommended that teenagers engage in regular meditation in order to improve their quality of life in these formative years of development. Here are some highly achievable methods to initiate your mindfulness journey: 

• Start by finding a quiet, comfortable place for you to connect with your mind. Common spaces such as a living room or garden may not be ideal. However, your bedroom can be a suitable option! 

• Remember, you cannot become a meditation guru instantly. Set a short timer for yourself (5-20 minutes), and pick a focus for your meditation. This could include your breath or an object in clear sight. 

• Once seated in a comfortable position, start by closing your eyes, breathing deeply, and clearing your mind. 

• Try focusing on your chosen target. If you feel your mind drifting away towards irrelevant thoughts, try to redirect your attention back to the object. 

• Feel your chest expand and contract, and be kind to your own body and thoughts. Once the timer goes off, recognize any thoughts, feelings, or sensations you may be experiencing and open your eyes slowly. 

• Try setting daily reminders and alarms for practising meditation for around 10-15 minutes a day. This can help make meditation a daily habit and an automatic response in stressful situations. 

Sources: 

1. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html

2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07448481.2017.1278605

3. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-use-meditation-for-teen-stress-and-anxiety/#:~:text=The%20practice%20of%20mindfulness%20exercises,help%20balance%20the%20immune%20system.

4. https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/

“I want that driver’s license yesterday”

 

Getting your driver's license is an exciting event that marks the beginning of a new phase in your life. It means you're ready to take on the world, and that your driving skills are up to par - that the adventure of the open road awaits you! And nothing signals the start of that journey quite like the act of taking your driving test for the first time. Of course, like with any other test, you will be nervous. But, like with any other test - confidence is key. You'll do just fine. And then what? Then comes the time to get out there, and simply drive. Why is getting a driver's license such a big event? For most people, getting a driver's license is a rite of passage into adulthood - a symbol of growing up and becoming independent. It also means being able to drive places on your own without relying on others to take you there. It's also a huge sense of accomplishment. Having a car comes with the freedom to explore the world around you and discover new places - not to mention the freedom to move in and out of locations as you please.

But an important thing to keep in mind is that, given the skill required to drive, and how it is the most commonly operated heavy machinery in the world, driving is probably the most important responsibility you'll take on as a young adult. And therein lies the other side of driving - becoming a licensed driver also helps you develop self-discipline, responsibility, and confidence. These are all great qualities that will help you in your adult life. Perhaps the most important thing one will learn from finally getting their driver's license is patience. Nothing good ever comes easy in life and driving is no exception. As a beginner driver, you will need to develop patience and an ability to learn as you go. It takes time to become a good driver and it takes even longer to become a great driver. But once you master it, there really is nothing like it!

Of course, all good things take time. Such is the case with driving too - there will be a phase where you will be nervous about your skills. However, the sooner you get out there and start practicing, the sooner your fears will subside and you will reach a point where you are comfortable with your abilities behind the wheel. Just remember, whether you're just embarking on the journey of getting your driver's license or have been driving for years, there's nothing to fear but fear itself.

The band or the team: a rite of passage through high school

The reason why high school exerts such a lasting impact on the consciousness of so many individuals is not because of its academic rigors, but because of how it provides individuals with a holistic experience that is full of fun, thrill, and vitality. As such, high school is not just about studying but about undertaking fulfilling experiences that stimulate students emotionally, mentally, and physically. 

Towards this end, schools typically offer their students a host of extracurricular opportunities, which allow them to pursue different kinds of activities and refine their talents in athletics, speech, dancing, music, or writing. As such, the rite of passage through high school becomes all the more meaningful if one has ventured to participate in these enriching opportunities to expand their creative and critical thinking skills, along with refining their analytical and problem-solving abilities. 

In fact, research has shown that students who participate in extracurricular activities also do better at academics, and achieve higher scores. This is because extracurricular activities allow one to take a break and come back with a reinvigorated approach to academics, thereby succeeding at whatever it is they want to do. Further, taking part in extra-curricular activities allows one to reduce their stress and improve their mood. 

Some of the skills that one can nurture through consistent participation in extracurricular activities include building up their communication skills, their sense of teamwork and leadership, along refining their ability to manage time through multitasking. By allowing students to work with others, extracurricular activities expose students to diverse perspectives and communication skills.

Generally, extracurricular activities take the form of either sports, subject-based groups, or social clubs based on a shared interest in a specific activity. Therefore, whether you wanna join the band, or a sports team, depends on what your specific interests are. While participating in an activity like music allows you to improve your brain-muscle coordination, in addition to stimulating your cognition, and enhancing your creativity, participating in some form of sports is instrumental in improving your skills at teamwork, and enhancing your physical fitness.

No matter what your preferred activity is, undertaking regular practice in your activity helps you become a better and more resilient individual who is able to take failure in its stride, instead of being overwhelmed by loss. The important thing of course is to be malleable enough throughout one’s high school so that one is able to participate in a variety of opportunities and gain diverse skill sets. 

10 more minutes

 

Just 10 more minutes. Is that too much to ask for? Each night, I decide to sleep early so I can wake up on time for school. Each night, I stay up much later than I originally planned to. Why? I’m not quite sure. Speaking to my friends, I realize this might be more normal than I realized. So many of us suddenly receive a burst of energy in the middle of the night, which carries us until we finally get into bed, exhausted and left with a few measly hours to sleep. And then? The alarm clock rings, faithfully. Reminds me that I have somewhere to be. Just 10 more minutes, I say to myself, to the clock, to the world. Can’t it wait for me? But it cannot. I press the snooze button, and 10 minutes pass quicker than 10 seconds. Suddenly, it rings again. The world does not have enough minutes for all the sleep I need to get. Begrudgingly, I get out of bed and make my way to school.

Time management is supposed to be a very important skill in today's competitive world. We are often told that people must manage their time in order to achieve their academic, social, and personal dreams. However, many people might struggle with effectively managing their time for a variety of reasons! Whether it is issued with procrastination, or simply a stark lack of motivation to complete their work, some people simply have a hard time effectively managing their time. Whatever their reasons may be, people who struggle with time management face significant difficulties every day. Specifically, they may find it difficult to finish schoolwork on time, or they may procrastinate on tasks until the last minute. This can pose serious problems for their social and academic careers.

There are many theories as to why individuals struggle with time management. But some factors are certain. Factors such as sleep cycles and eating habits have a major effect on a person's ability to effectively manage their time. This is what I think of and try to work on every single day – it’s indeed harder than one can imagine. But I’m hopeful. Time management is not easy, but it is important – the world will not always have 10 minutes for me. Ultimately, I am more complex than a simple habit, but that is also what makes it so important for me to work on these habits, to keep moving forward toward all of my goals!

A year from now where will my friends be?

 

Everybody’s talking about how time flies. It’s a cliché, but it’s true—life passes by in the blink of an eye. So, if you find yourself asking this question today, remember the answer you give yourself now, or a year from now, isn’t necessarily the only answer! Chances are you will probably grow and change a lot. In a year’s time, my friends might be in a completely different place in their lives and our relationship might change too. Then again, it might change for the better. It might grow stronger. The best part about life is that anything might happen. Think about it this way: if one never makes any decisions in their life, they never know what could have been! Regret is a part of life, but it is also what makes our relationships and how we tackle them so fulfilling. Without the bad, where would the good be? But this question is not only about friends, is it? It’s about the future!

Maybe you’re just starting out in your career and are wondering what the future holds for you. Will your current job still be fulfilling in a year’s time? Will you still be passionate about your college degree by that time? Will you be neighbors with the same people you have known for years or move away? There are so many things to think about when you start to think about the future. Just remember that as long as you keep doing your best and making smart choices for yourself, good things will happen.

The important thing to remember is to not let anything stop you from pursuing your dreams!

Remember, determination, hard work, and a positive attitude can take a person very far. If one can keep their head up, no matter what the circumstance, they’ll always be on the path to success. Feeling anxious about the future is completely normal, but it is important to remember that nothing lasts forever and things will always change. And that’s okay! All we can do is do the best we can with what we have at any given moment in time, even if that means changing course a little bit along the way. Don’t worry about the future too much, I constantly tell myself! Life will go on no matter what we choose to do or who we choose to spend our time with. The most important thing, at the end of the day, is to be happy with ourselves. 

“To fit in, or not to fall out”

 

To be a lone wolf or a social butterfly? To be lonely or be lost in a crowd? Adolescents have a lot of struggles trying to figure out what is right for them, especially when it comes to deciding what their personality feels like. It can feel strange, oscillating from feeling extroverted and outgoing to having days where any social interaction can feel draining. Maybe one way forward is to consider both scenarios.

Many people tend to believe that being more solitary and reserved is better because it allows you to be independent and have more privacy. More importantly, it ensures that you do not give too much away about yourself, and so you never have to worry about being gossiped about or bullied. The other side of the coin is that of being gregarious, having many friends, and speaking to everyone. The pros here are obvious – you always have somewhere to be! It can feel much easier to belong, and you seldom have to worry about being lonely.

The cons of choosing a more solitary presence? For one, loneliness! It can be difficult to rationalize the feeling that you cannot trust anybody, and therefore do not feel close to anybody. More importantly, being reserved can be alienating for some people, and make it difficult to cultivate close friendships. As for being more social, there are difficulties here too! Having too many people around you can also be stressful, and make it hard to get out of commitments or find time for yourself. Additionally, opening yourself up to many people also means that you increase the chances of getting hurt if one of them talks behind your back, or if you fall out with them.

It is no secret that people need friends in their lives! Who doesn’t want to have support and unconditional love? But the larger question is – where do we find comfort in our relationships? What is the distance that suits us most? Unfortunately, there will never be a clear choice here. There is one obvious answer, however – that it’s important to be yourself no matter what.

Many of us might be afraid that if we go against the crowd and be ourselves, we might be judged as being weird, and be excluded from our social circles. However, most people who are true to themselves and act like themselves are accepted by the world and are not considered weird or different in any way. In fact, it is only those who are unapologetically themselves that end up feeling good about their lives. So no matter what distance you choose to keep with the people in your life, remember to surround yourself with people who love and accept you for who you are, and remember to accept yourself too!

Source:
https://www.teenrehab.org/resources/helping-your-teen/understanding-teenagers/