How to make a stress ball By Cassie (Cassado) Stress balls are a great tool to fidget with when you feel anxious or overwhelmed. They can be used when you're studying for exams or trying to keep your hands busy to prevent self-destructive behaviors. With just a few household objects, you can make your own. Materials needed: Balloons (water balloons are not suitable) Flour or uncooked rice A funnel

Self-harm: the road to recovery By Cassie (Cassado) The road to recovery from self-harm is both a challenging and rewarding one. A lot of people struggle with different aspects, such as finding and sticking to alternatives, reaching out for help, and relapse. Recovery from self-harm is something that you have to want for yourself and yourself only. It can be tempting to recover for other people, but you have to be wanting and willing to do this for yourself. It's a lot of work...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 10 (April 2010). Choosing A Short Haircut By Cheyenne (Desert) It’s a big decision, one that takes a lot of time and planning. It’s also something that’s right next to irreversible. If you go through with it and change your mind when it’s over, you have months and possibly years to rectify your mistake. What decision am I talking about, you ask? Cutting your hair! How many times have you had a friend with beautiful, long locks which they...

Help For Writing Argument Essays By TheDragon This just is mainly advice I want to try and hand out for writing a good essay. These are just some points I've picked up along my learning journey. 1. Know Your Story or Question It's actually been proven that about 3/4 of children doing higher education (not college or university) do not actually read questions. Always make sure to read the question and to understand what they are asking. If they want you to construct an argument then...

Double standards: What they are and how to cope with them By Cassie (cynefin) Double standards sometimes have a few variations in their definition. They are frequently observed among romantic and familial relationships and friendships and coworkers. These standards occur when someone expects another to act a certain way but does not hold the themselves to the same standards. They can also be seen when someone treats two friends differently, or even in abusive relationships. Double...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 9 (March 2010). Rosa Loves By Katrina "We are everyday people aware of a need in our community. We realize that we are capable of performing tangible acts of service that will meet individual and immediate needs in order to affect wide scale encouragement. Rosa Loves is an example, an inspiration, and will serve as a possible backbone to many more grassroots "love projects" around the world." Rosa Loves takes a different approach than...
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Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). January 2010 in Review By Jessie (Asylum) Despite its exciting name, we all know that news can be boring. Let’s face it; wading through websites knee-deep in articles on topics you don’t care about is a daunting task any day of the week (unless you like that sort of thing.) For those of you less inclined to dig up the stories on your own (and even those of you who enjoy the hunt), now you have nothing to worry about! Check...

Keeping guinea pigs as pets By Hester (Peppermint Tea.♥) So you’re thinking about getting a pet, but aren’t sure which animal to choose. Perhaps you’ve already decided against a cat or a dog because they're too large or too much work. Guinea pigs are small, can be kept in cages and are very cute and cuddly. Guinea pigs (also known as piggies) belong to the cavy family, and are originally from South America, where they were considered a delicacy! They are now considered very popular pets,...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 5 (November 2009). National Novel Writing Month By Nat (Strider) New Years is a time to set personal goals, but November is the month to step forward and achieve your personal goal of writing. November hosts National Novel Writing Month, a great way to embark on a creative journey and express yourself in ways you would not have thought possible, as well as have a lot of fun. Chris Baty founded NaNoWriMo just over ten years ago, giving...

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Coping with depression By Zach (zeekool) I've had depression for about a year now, but it seems like it has been at least five. Within this last year, I have been on four different depression-related medications, gone to a psychiatric hospital (for teens), and have had weekly therapy sessions with a psychiatrist. In the process, I've gained a lot of experience regarding how to cope with depression. The most important rule I set for myself is: no searching symptoms and conditions on the...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2009). Operation Beautiful by Katrina This cause of the month, Operation Beautiful, has become close to the hearts of many TeenHelpers since it became popular around the forums over the past few weeks. Operation Beautiful began when a twenty-five year old blogger, Caitlin, became fed up with what is referred to as "Fat Talk." Fat Talk is basically when women say or think negative things about their bodies. Fat Talk, and the...

How to get your motivation back during lockdown By Haley (Halcyon) With many of last year's challenges continuing into the new year, it's not surprising that the coronavirus has had a detrimental affect to our motivation and energy levels. Routines have been disrupted and your days will probably look a lot different to this time last year, but you are not alone. Here are some ways to help get your motivation back. Reframe your goals. Due to lockdown restrictions, what...
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Article featured in Avatar - Volume 4, Issue 1 (July 2010). Vitamin Angels By Katrina How many times have you heard Mom or Dad say, "Alright, be sure to take your vitamins!" More than you can count? Yeah, me too. They don't say it for no reason, though. Specific vitamins are vital for immune systems; without them, we wouldn't be able to fight off infections and would always be sick. Vitamin Angels understands the importance of vitamins to children and infants: "Our mission is to...

Aromatherapy animals By Cassie (Cassado) Aromatherapy animals are stuffed animals filled with gel or beads which can be heated in the microwave or frozen in the freezer. These animals are used for a variety of different reasons; from heating to relieve an achy muscle to cooling for use as a grounding technique. The various uses make aromatherapy animals useful for anyone of any age. This article will discuss how they work and what they can be used for along with additional...