The complete list of all life-guiding messages for young people – click the titles for further information
Working out how much money to save each month depends on the amount of your goal, how much spare money you have at the end of each month, and how soon you want to reach your goal. It’s a balance between what you can afford and how long you want to save for.
Sometimes people first think about leaving home if they are in conflict with their parents, where the thought of leaving seems easier than resolving the conflict. For others, it might be the need for more space or privacy, or to go to school, get a job, move, get married or live with a partner.
Many people eventually leave the home they grew up in and find a home of their own. However, everyone is different, and some people leave home when they are very young. Others wait till they are in their 30s, and some people live with their family all their lives.
It is natural to feel like you don’t want to let your family down with your personal problems but remember in most families, they only care about you. Sometimes a family member that is not in your immediate family like an uncle, cousin and grandparent might be the right person to talk to.
There might be several members of your family that you can talk to. Some families have “family meetings” to go over problems or big decisions. Talking to an older family member can be good because they may have had a similar problem or concern in the past.
When engaging in self-soothing strategies for each sense, focus your attention completely on the task – with mindfulness. For each sense, try something comforting (touch: stretch; smell: flowers; taste: sip fruit juice; sight: watch the clouds; sound: sing) and see which works best for you.
Coping strategies focused on improving your mood that you can do on your own are sometimes described as self-soothing or self-care coping strategies. Effective self-soothing coping strategies may be those that involve one or more of the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound).
Research shows that people who set a savings goal save faster and up to £550 a year more than people who don’t.
If you are saving money for something and name your goal, research shows you’ll reach it faster. If you’re new to saving, try starting with a small goal. Even if you’re just saving for a rainy day, you’re more likely to succeed if you have a goal amount in mind.
Sometimes when you help a friend, you might forget to look after yourself. It’s important to take care of your own needs while you’re helping out your friend. Make sure that you don’t give up things that you enjoy, and if you’re feeling tired or overwhelmed, take some time out to relax.