Did you win? Lose? Feel good or bad about yourself??? Actually, it doesn’t matter whether you win or not, these beauty contests are not good for anyone!

Have you rated other people? How did it make you feel?

There are THREE reasons that you should say NO to online beauty contests:

1. Online beauty contests put another person (sometimes even an anonymous person) in charge of rating and ranking you. Who needs that! You should be in charge of choosing the opinions that you care about.

2. Winning can make you feel special for a very short time, but in REAL LIFE, it won’t last. Real relationships and real opinions from real people that REALLY care about you is all that matters.

3. In these contests, rating other people might make you feel powerful for one minute, but in REAL LIFE, you will probably feel bad if someone else’s feelings are hurt by your rating.

Sooooo….use your social media ONLY for good!!

xoxo Dr. Susan

Do you feel sad at this time of year; do you wonder if you have post-holiday blues, or SAD?

Here are some signs:

• crying more than usual
• sleeping more than usual, or trouble sleeping
• feeling very tired, not having energy
• withdrawing from your usual activities or from social activities
• having a hard time focusing or paying attention more than usual
• feeling sad or depressed

If you have any of these signs–especially a few of them–you should speak to your parent or doctor or to another adult that you trust. It’s important to make sure that you ask for help whenever you don’t feel good–emotionally or physically!

In addition to speaking to an adult, some things that can help you are getting enough sleep, exercising (very important!), and spending some time in the sun each day (even if it is cold).

xoxo

Dr. Susan

I want to give thanks for my family and friends; for my work and my ability to help people to feel happier and healthier.

I hope that you too can think of the things that have made your year a little brighter. Be sure to recognize the people in your life that support and care about you. Work hard to grow those relationships and to make your life as full as possible.

Remember, the holidays are about love, gratitude and appreciation…the gifts and lights come after that!

Happy Holidays

xoxo

Dr. Susan

And what about all the candy? Pick the pieces that you REALLY love and give the rest to a friend or younger sibling. Don’t trade for candy you like, because you’ll just end up with even more candy, that your body doesn’t really need. Eat one or two small pieces a day as a snack; resist the urge to eat more! Your body will thank you for taking care of it the right way!!

xoxo

Dr. Susan

Whether you are excited about the arrival of the school year or wishing the summer would never end, it’s time to face it with a smile. To help you feel great about going back to school, try the following:

• Connect with your friends, even if you haven’t seen them much this summer. Hearing their voices and seeing them will help you look forward to going back to school
• Go through your closet. Trying on fall/school clothes will remind you of how many cute outfits you have in your closet that you haven’t worn in months. This will make you feel excited about going back to school.
• Get school supplies. You may not yet know exactly what you will need for each class, but you can pick up some basics and some items that are personal to you (like a calendar or pencil case). New school supplies rock! And will help you look forward to the fresh start.
• Plan a great activity for right before school starts (a fun dinner, trip to the beach). Something to look forward to before you get back to work

Have fun

xoxo

Dr. Susan

So, it is important to find a balance between relaxing and still feeling that your summer is productive. Keeping busy and having a purpose are important no matter what time of year. When you have a purpose each day and week, you will feel better and be less likely to get in trouble or make unhealthy choices like drinking and drugs.

If you have a job or another structured activity, it’s easier to keep busy. If, like many girls, you don’t have a structure for your summer, then it’s time to make one before the summer is over. The way you do this is to…

• Plan regular exercise and follow-through with it!
• Read–either for the next school year or for pleasure. Aim to read at least three great books this summer because reading will help keep your brain sharp!
• Clean your room. Really!! It’s great to start the school year with a clean, organized space and the summer is the perfect time for this.
• Plan fun, healthy activities with friends or family. It’s great to have something to look forward to like a day hiking or rafting.

So…relax, but not too much!

xoxo

Dr. Susan

What’s your strategy??

my advice is to shop with the person that makes you feel best because shopping for bathing suits is considered, by many girls, to be a VERY stressful experience!!

SO…if your friends tend to be much thinner than you, or much more confident, it’s probably best not to shop with them for bathing suits. Even if your friends don’t look any better than you, if YOU feel anxious about shopping with them, then don’t!

AND…if you secretly feel that you look better than your friend, it’s still probably not a great idea to shop with her because you may feel stressed/worried that she will feel bad.

If you do shop with friends, be super careful about balancing honesty with being sensitive and ask your friend to do the same for you.

If you shop with a parent (or other adult) who may not realize that you’re feeling sensitive about bathing suit shopping, explain how you feel and ask them to be patient and sensitive!

If all else fails, shop alone or online. Sometimes that’s the best way to go!!

Happy shopping

xoxo

Dr. Susan

But the end of the year will be much less stressful if you take a few simple steps:

1. Get enough sleep. You may need to study and prepare, but giving up sleep for study won’t help. In fact, you won’t remember what you study if you are too tired.

2. A little caffeine is fine (about as much as ONE cup of coffee a day). BUT, too much is bad for you, especially when combined with other stimulants like you find in energy drinks. So STAY AWAY from energy drinks and limit caffeine. Your brain will thank you and you’ll do much better on your test.

3. Study alone and with friends. Studying alone will help you learn in one part of your brain while working in a group will teach you the material in a different part. This way, you’ll have it all covered and REALLY be prepared.

4. Eat breakfast. This will allow your brain to focus on school work and it will give your brain the energy it needs to learn!

Good luck!!

xoxo

Dr. Susan

Some girls are great at math, but some get cold sweats when they think about long division, trig or proofs). If you are one of these girls, it’s time to face your fear!

Some people–even parents, teachers and other adults–believe that math is a ‘boys’ domain, not something that girls should worry too much about.

NOT TRUE!! Your brain is just as capable of doing math as any boys and you should prove it to yourself and other. Even if math is hard for you, you can get help from your teacher or friends and get better at it.

The more you use your math brain, the stronger it will become. Remember, your brains ROCK!!

xoxo

Dr. Susan

Do you think that you’re too young to worry about this? Actually, NOW is the the time to begin a ‘heart healthy’ life. It’s sort of like smoking–if you smoke as a teen or young adult, you could get lung cancer when you’re older. Same with your heart–if you don’t take care of your heart now, you might get heart disease when you’re older. Start right now by eating healthy foods, exercising most days, getting enough sleep, trying to reduce the stress and drama in your life, and if you smoke, quit now because it is also really bad for your heart. Your heart will thank you now and in the future! GO RED!

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