The complete list of all life-guiding messages for young people – click the titles for further information
Porn is not a realistic depiction of healthy sex, where both partners respect and care for each other. It is common for porn to be male-centred and it often includes verbal or physical violence toward women.
Drunken sexual consent is not consent, and the absence of a Yes is effectively a No. If you feel too awkward having sex with someone, think about if it’s a good idea to proceed with the sex.
Learning to solve conflict and issues in healthy ways will give you an advantage as you go through life. Your relationships will be healthier and you’ll be more self-confident because you believe in your ability to get through challenges.
Teachers won’t always like your papers. Friends will be jerks. Bosses will ask challenging questions and professors will give constructive (but not always) criticism. Learning to accept this, and to deal productively with healthy conflict, will help you be more resilient.
If you feel anxious when preparing for an exam, take some time to think about what is causing the anxiety because, once you know what is causing it, you will be in a better position to tackle it.
Exam anxiety could be linked to: being generally a bit of worrier, a tendency to be anxious; being poorly prepared; you had a bad experience in a previous exam; you are a perfectionist, and think anything less than top marks is a failure; you are not feeling well or you are on medication.
Changing the situation may involve finding and developing a circle of friends, but it may also mean finding ways of learning to enjoy your own company – to use that time more constructively and pleasurably.
Remember that feeling lonely is very common. Almost everyone feels it at some point. It is a sign that important needs are not being met. And it is something that can be changed.
When you change your stories – your beliefs about yourself, your past, and your present – you set the wheels in motion to change your life. Regardless of your unique life experiences, you can change your stories.
The stories you tell yourself about yourself may seem like facts, but they are actually beliefs based on interpretations of facts. That means that these stories don’t have to have power over you.