Building Confidence Through Self-Discovery
Where does self-confidence come from? According to researchers, confidence is built from both external elements, like a positive family environment, and internal elements, like a strong sense of self. To develop a strong sense of self, tweens and teens need opportunities for self-discovery: learning about their unique character, beliefs, abilities, and feelings. By exploring themselves, […]
Building Confidence Through Self-Discovery
Where does self-confidence come from? According to researchers, confidence is built from both external elements, like a positive family environment, and internal elements, like a strong sense of self. To develop a strong sense of self, tweens and teens need opportunities for self-discovery: learning about their unique character, beliefs, abilities, and feelings. By exploring themselves, […]
Why Are Loneliness Rates Increasing?
Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. In May, Murthy’s office released a sobering report which stated, “Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding […]
Why Being More Present is so Important for Teens
Did you know that learning to be more at home in the present can give teens a brighter future? Being more present gives them tools to manage stress, reduce anxiety, increase their focus and build emotional resilience. And since adolescence is a critical time for brain development, teens who practice presence are learning healthy habits […]
Why Confidence is so Important for Teens
Here’s a cool, little-known fact about the word confidence: it comes from the Latin fidere, which means “to trust.” If you’ve used the Lucero App, you might have seen this word before. Hint: It’s the title of Island 2 because the 28-day experience is designed to help improve your sense of confidence. You could say […]
Why Living Consciously is so Important for Teens
What does it mean to live consciously? According to Zen Habits blogger Leo Babauta, it’s about “taking control of your life, about thinking about your decisions rather than making them without thought… If you’re drifting through life, or feel out of control, or don’t know how you got here, deciding to live consciously could be […]
How to Help Teens Manage Emotions
A day in the life of a teenager can feel like an emotional rollercoaster– for them and for their parents. Teens sometimes shift rapidly from elation to frustration, excitement to anxiety, and joy to despair, and those feelings are often complex and confusing. Emotional intensity is normal during adolescence, says psychologist Erik Nook, and so […]
Raising Your Teen to Have Self-Compassion
“In this incredibly competitive society of ours, how many of us truly feel good about ourselves?” asks author and self-compassion researcher Dr. Kristin Neff. It’s a sobering question, especially when we’re talking about teens. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry identifies “negative thoughts or feelings about themselves” as one of the top causes […]
3 Mini-Meditations for Teens
Teens today have a lot of reasons to feel stressed. Mindfulness – paying attention to the present moment – is one of the best ways to deal with stress, but kids, like adults, often find it challenging to adopt new habits, especially when stress levels are already high. We recommend starting small with strategies that […]
Re-centering with Nature
Time in nature is critical for kids’ mental and emotional health. In the book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv cites research connecting a lack of time in nature to attention disorders, obesity, a dampening of creativity, and depression. According to Louv, “Time in nature is not […]
