January 2013 Character Education

DRSLs WHAT: Overcoming Obstacles WHY: Lifelong Learning Responsible Citizen

Facing & Overcoming Obstacles In your lifetime, there is no doubt you will face difficult obstacles if you have not already. Some people will experience more severe challenges, but everyone has trials to deal with in life.

A few of life’s obstacles… school demands and frustrations negative thoughts and feelings about self problems with friends and/or peers at school separation or divorce of parents chronic illness or severe problems in the family death of a loved one moving or changing schools taking on too many activities or having too high expectations family financial problems Etc, etc, etc…

What can I do? First, realize what you have control over and what you do not. Many things that happen to us are direct consequences of our actions, and many things that happen are due to circumstances that are beyond our control. Remember you only have control over yourself and how you react… not other people and not outside circumstances.

What can I do? 2. Realize it’s okay and normal to feel a wide variety of emotions – anger, sadness, frustration, numbness, etc. Give yourself permission to have these feelings. Remember it’s how you react to the situation and how you cope with your emotions.

What can I do? 3. Take all the time you need. Don’t feel pressured to “get over” something or “move on.” Remember to take time to think, reflect, mourn, feel, and grow. Challenges in life help us learn about ourselves and grow into what we can become.

What can I do? 4. Take good care of yourself. Remember to eat healthy, drink water, get your sleep, and give your mind a rest by doing something you enjoy. Remember that a temporary escape can be healthy – go see a movie, listen to music, take a walk with friends.

What can I do? 5. Never give up! Take one step at a time… one day at a time. Give yourself the opportunity to overcome. Remember to ask for help when you need it. Talk to someone you trust who will listen and support you. You don’t have to go through your challenges alone.

How teens can decrease stress Exercise is a great way to increase endorphins Learn relaxation techniques - abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation Develop assertiveness skills. State feelings in a polite and firm manner ("I feel angry when you yell at me” "Please stop yelling.”) Rehearse and practice situations which cause stress. (Take a drama class if talking in front of a class makes you nervous) Learn practical coping skills. (Break a large task into smaller ones) Adapted from: http://aacap.org/

How teens can decrease stress Decrease negative self talk: challenge negative thoughts about yourself with neutral or positive thoughts. "My life will never get better” can be transformed into “My life will get better if I work at it and get some help” Learn to feel good about doing a "good enough” job rather than demanding perfection from yourself and others Take a break from stressful situations. Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing, writing, or spending time with a pet can reduce stress Build a network of good, supportive friends Adapted from: http://aacap.org/