If you don’t enjoy group sports, try shooting hoops by yourself or setting and breaking personal goals. Backyard sports can be fun too! Try playing sports informally with friends or family members. You don’t have to keep score if you don’t want to.
If you want to be inspired, read books about female doctors, lawyers, inventors, artists, musicians, political figures, and rocket scientists. You’ll see that women can do great things![1] X Expert Source Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFPClinical Therapist & Adjunct Professor Expert Interview. 29 November 2021.
Investigate side areas you love outside of school. Are you interested in robotics, feminism, oil paints, molecular science?
Ask your dad to edit your short story. Listen to people who have conflicting opinions. Why do they disagree? What are your thoughts on the issue? Ask your sister to explain her science project to you. Get reading suggestions from a teacher.
If you are angry, try taking a walk, getting exercise, reading, or taking some quiet time to calm down. If you’re sad, spend time with a pet or loved one, take good care of your body, and talk to someone about how you’re feeling. If you’re scared or worried, do something about the thing that scares you (e. g. making an action plan), take some deep breaths, or tell an adult how you feel.
Taking breaks is an important life skill! It will help keep you from feeling overwhelmed, and you will be able to focus better when you sit down again. Write out a schedule if it helps.
Say “please stop” or “I’m busy” if someone won’t leave you alone. If you’re being insulted, pretend not to have heard them, or say “I’m okay, you’re mean. " This takes all the fun out of it for the bullies. Tell an adult if handling it yourself doesn’t work, or if you don’t know what to do.
Try saying an affirmation to yourself in the mirror each morning, like, “I am good enough, I am smart enough, and I can do great things. “[2] X Expert Source Rebecca Tenzer, MAT, MA, LCSW, CCTP, CGCS, CCATP, CCFPClinical Therapist & Adjunct Professor Expert Interview. 29 November 2021.
