The complete list of all life-guiding messages for young people – click the titles for further information
Friendships can end because one friend hears the other has gossiped about them. Know the difference between sharing information and gossiping. When you share info about a friend, you’d say it to their face. When you gossip, you wouldn’t say it to their face.
Be curious. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.
Exercising makes you feel good. Discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Go for a walk or run, step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Try gardening, or dance.
Food can look and smell fine even after its use by date, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat. It could still be contaminated. You cannot see, smell or taste the bugs that cause food poisoning.
Try to get into the habit of checking what you already have in the fridge and freezer before you go shopping. Use up foods that are approaching their “use by” date and other fresh foods like fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, cheese or milk first as these can go off over time.
Phobias can include situations (fear of public speaking or raising your hand), animals (fear of snakes or spiders), blood, injections, etc. When you experience fear, physiological, mental, and emotional reactions occur.
…your fear causes intense anxiety or panic; you recognise that your fear is not rational; you avoid specific places or situations; avoidance of the fear causes distress and interferes with your functioning; the fear has persisted 6 months or more.
Getting help means you’re strong enough to admit that you can’t handle it on your own. And no-one since the dawn of time has ever handled everything in their life all on their own.
Mindfulness meditation involves sitting silently and paying attention to thoughts, sounds, the sensations of breathing or parts of the body, bringing your attention back whenever the mind starts to wander.
It can be helpful to take a mindful approach if you realise that, for several minutes, you have been “trapped” in reliving past problems or “pre-living” future worries.