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Sister to Sister: About Body Image

May 31, 2011 By

Girl putting lipstick on in mirrorBody image of younger teens and preteens is an extremely difficult topic. At New Moon, we have the fabulous influence of a body-positive, feminist-fueled community proudly proclaiming that everyone is beautiful. Yet, when you’re not on New Moon, keeping your own positive body image can be very tricky.

When you become a tween or teen, some of your thoughts and desires can seem completely new and different to you. The same can apply to your body. As you lose and gain weight, and acquire hips and breasts, it can be genuinely frightening- especially if you’re doing these things at a different speed than your friends. Just like most people compare grades and favorite TV shows with their friends, some girls also begin to compare bodies, which is never a good idea. You may start, completely accidentally, replacing the phrase, “Everyone is beautiful,” with, “Those girls all look so pretty- except me. I wish I wasn’t so flat-chested.” Maybe you even realize that these thoughts are silly. You know that every body is unique and beautiful in its own way, and that is true for everyone!

If these thoughts begin to become routine and make you feel bad about yourself, you might be unsure of what to do. Maybe your friends also complain about their bodies, or maybe they don’t and you feel that you’re the only one with these thoughts. No matter what, it’s can be very awkward. For some girls on NMG, they see positive messages about body image all the time, but then feel even more ashamed about not being as postive about their bodies.

Instead of feeling ashamed that you don’t feel as confident in your body image as other girls seem to, you can find ways that you are happy with yourself for who you are instead of how you look. Are you a great friend? Artist? Writer? What would you tell a friend if they felt this way?

Many girls struggle with body image, and it is NOTHING to be ashamed of.

New Moon is here to help girls have healthy relationships with their bodies. They work with the Emily Program to get girl-friendly resources about being friends with your body. And there is even a professional who answers YOUR questions if you’re confused about how you feel about your body!

If you have negative thoughts about your body image and feel that you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Tell your mom, your older sister, your teacher, or your friend. Having negative thoughts about your body has a bad reputation for spiraling out of control, and if you feel like you need help, please talk to someone.

The low self esteem that comes with feeling badly about how you look can keep you from doing completely awesome things with your life, and the first step to eliminating negative body thoughts is expressing your feelings. You can talk about your thoughts with body image on the Sister to Sister message board.

Love,

Alexa

 

 

Filed Under: Body & Feelings

Procrastination and how you can beat it!

May 25, 2011 By

These last few weeks of school are considered “crunch time” by many girls. This is a time of never-ending piles of papers, projects and tests. It is a time of constant pressure to get good grades on every assignment. And it is a time when a lot of us procrastinate.

Procrastination is when we don’t do things because we have too much going on, or simply because we don’t want to do them. We might make excuses like, “I’m just going to take a little nap, and then I’ll start my homework,” or “I’ll check my wall on New Moon really quickly and then get going on that paper.” Often the excuse might sound something like, “This isn’t due until Thursday, so I don’t really have to start it yet…”
 
 

Procrastination is a natural, human thing to do, but its consequences are almost always worse than if we just did what we were supposed to. We procrastinate because we are stressed, afraid or don’t want to deal with a particular thing. But you can only put things off for so long. Sooner or later, you will have to do it and those feelings will still be there but even worse.
 
Dr. Roni Cohen Sandler mentions some of the reasons why we procrastinate and some strategies to beat the slump:
 

Sleepiness: After sitting all day and working hard in school, you might very sleepy when you get home. It is hard to sit down and start back up on homework. But before you decide to take a “quick nap,” try taking a walk instead. You will be more energized afterwards and ready to be productive. 
 
Hunger: Our bodies need fuel to function productively. Dr. Roni suggests having a quick snack such as nuts, cheese or yogurt to boost your brainpower. For more snack ideas, check out Appetizers and Snacks Recipes.
  
 Brain overload: Our bodies and minds get exhausted when we have too much going on and no time to rest. If this is your struggle, try making a list of the most important things you need to get done and do those first. Also, taking short breaks in between assignments is a way to relax and a nice reward for finishing something.
  
 Stress: Sometimes it seems that there is just too much to do so you just don’t want to do anything. In this case, Dr. Roni suggests to take a few minutes to breath deeply and relax. Or, try getting active by going for a jog when you get home from school. These things will lower your feelings of stress and make you feel more alert. Click here for more stress-relieving ideas!
Dr. Roni says the best strategy to beating procrastination is self-discipline: making ourselves do something even when we don’t want to. Even though it’s not going to be easy, it will be well worth it in the end. Procrastinating will never solve a problem, it will only make it worse. If you push through these last few weeks of school you will be able be proud of all your hard work and determination!
 

Is it sometimes hard for you to not procrastinate? How do you get around procrastination to get your work done?

 
Emily
New Moon Intern

 

Filed Under: New Moon Girls News, Sister to Sister

Give A Gift, Get A Gift!

May 25, 2011 By
Be-You-tiful Girls of Detroit - recipients of NMG Scholarships

Be-You-tiful Girls of Detroit - recipients of NMG Scholarships

As a New Moon girl, you know how great New Moon Girls makes you feel.  It gives you support when you need it, room to be creative, and supportive friends! You can share all of the positive things that New Moon does for you, and you will make a difference in a girls’ life who can’t afford to buy a membership of her own!

 

Until May 31st, for your generous donations, we want to give a special “Thank You!” just for you with these special opportunities:

 

When you donate $10 to $19, you’re at a Crescent Moon! We’ll honor you by putting your name in a special section in NMG Magazine!

 

When you donate $20 to $29, you’ve made it to a Rising Moon! We’ll honor you by putting your name in a special section in NMG Magazine + email you 1 downloadable classic NMG Magazine!

 

When you donate $30 to $39, you’ve reached a Full Moon! Well honor you by putting your name in a special section in NMG Magazine + email you 2 downloadable classic NMG Mags!

 

To make a donation, visit our scholarship donation website, and be sure to have a parent with you!

 

Your parents can also get in on the fun by getting special opportunites that are just for them when they donate!

 

Your donations go a long way in make New Moon Girls accessible to all girls! Thank you for your help!

 

Love,

Luna

 

Filed Under: New Moon Girls News

Sister to Sister: Do you get nervous about test-taking?

May 23, 2011 By

Test

By: Hallie, 16, Minnesota

I think many kids deal with test anxiety/worries throughout their life, and it is something I don’t think gets enough attention.

 

 

Girl Taking TestIt’s definitely normal to be worried before a test, but when it gets to the point that it can prevent you from doing your best, it can be considered anxiety. Before a big test I typically say the usual, “Oh no! I’m definitely going to fail this test,” and of course my friends respond, “No you won’t!!” and that’s the end of that conversation.

 

For me, the fear of not doing well on testing is detrimental (harmful) to how well I do on tests, but people tend to dismiss it as the result of nerves, slacking off, or not studying enough. I’ve learned that the negative things I say and think before a test definitely DON’T help with that anxiety!

 

Here are some tips I’ve found help me out, if I know I have a test the next day:

 

  • Girls at chalkboard writing "Stay Positive"I try and study and go to bed fairly early.
  • Then when I get up it helps me to reread my notes quickly
  • Then I just try to do some deep breathing.
  • Write down your fears/worries about the test 10-15 minutes before you take the test. That can help to calm down your body, relax your mind, and let you get rid of those negative thoughts. I’ve read articles on this and it’s actually been proven to really help!
  • Now the very last step is to try to think and say positive things to yourself when taking the test! If you find a question you can’t figure out, move on and go back to it later.

 

Have you dealt with test worrying/anxiety? If you have any tips or want to ask more questions, go check out the Sister to Sister forum post on Test Worrying/Anxiety!

 

Filed Under: New Moon Girls News

Are you getting enough ZZZ’s?

May 19, 2011 By

A girl's room with a bunk bedAre you struggling not to fall asleep at your desk halfway through school? You might not be getting enough rest at night.   As a middle schooler, I thought it was so uncool that I still had a bedtime of 8:30 p.m. Now that I am older, I would love to go to bed that early. These days, school, friend and family pressures often make it hard to go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep. But sleep is important to your health, and getting enough of it can benefit you in many ways.   According to WebMD, girls between 7 and 12 years old need 10-11 hours of sleep each night. Girls 12 to 18 years old need an average of 8.5 hours. So if you need to get up at 7:00 a.m., you should try to set your bedtime between 9:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. depending on your age.   Stack of pillowsGetting enough sleep each night is very important for your body. Here are some benefits to a full night’s rest:

  • Your body a repairs the damages it endures throughout the day.
  • It keeps your skin and heart healthy.
  • It helps increase your memory and reduce stress.
  • It is easier to stay alert in school and remember what you learned.
  • You will usually be in a better mood when you sleep enough.

Not getting enough sleep each night can have harmful effects on your health too, including:

  • Leaving you sluggish and crabby.
  • You could have trouble concentrating on important things such as schoolwork.
  • It is harder to think, process and retain information.
  • It might be harder to do activities such as sports.
  • You will be more stressed and not as happy as you could be.

Sleeping childSometimes it is hard to go to bed early because you want to stay up for your favorite TV show or talk on the phone with your friends, but parents set bedtimes for good reasons. It is important to respect those reasons so that you can function better the next day.   Tell us what you think. What is your bedtime? Do you think it is fair? What effects have you experienced, both positive and negative from sleeping enough or too little?   Leave your thoughts in the comments below!   Emily New Moon Intern

Filed Under: Body & Feelings, Shout Out, Sister to Sister
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