Happy Movement : Segment #6!

Hiya jammers! ^.^ Can you believe this is the 6th segment of the Happy Movement already?! Thank you again to everybody who has joined the Happy Movement! ^.^ Together, we will bring happiness back to Jamaa! If you haven't joined yet, and would like to, make sure to join by clicking here!

In this segment, I will be sharing some tips on how not to get stressed over school- including popularity, friendships and schoolwork/tests!

Sometimes when your teachers (especially in the upper grades) pile homework, projects, studying and just overall pressure on you, it can be very stressful, and can cause unhappiness. There are lots of ways to keep all this under control!

• Don't stress about everything too much. Even if it doesn't affect your day-to-day life, we always have stress in our lives. Even if you don't even notice it. Even if it doesn't really do anything. But when you add more stress on top of that, things get out of hand, and you begin to "drown" in a giant vat of pressure. To keep yourself from having a stress overload, do things that make you happy! You can learn a few tips here! Doing things that make you happy and relaxed calm you down and prevent stress from taking over! 

• Be smart about homework and studying. "Cramming" the night before the big test is not a good idea. Unless you get really lucky and your brain can absorb all the information in time, you will probably forget all the facts and information by the next day. And the point of tests and quizzes is so that you can see how well you know the information, not how well you can stuff information into your head or how well you can guess at all of the answers. Develop strong study habits by writing information down. Writing things down sticks the facts in your brain! Study with a friend! Having a buddy around who has to go through the same exact test or quiz as you do makes it a whole lot easier! If you like, you can email me or go on Google Hangouts and I can try to quiz you, if I know the same information as you are studying! Use flashcards- the old-fashioned way of studying to get the info into your head! Just make sure that you study in little sessions leading up to the test instead of stuffing it all in the night before. Sitting down and studying for two hours won't help you at all, but studying for around 15-30 minutes a night will guarantee better test results! Maybe even run through your notes or flashcards before the test!

• Do homework the day it is assigned. The best feeling in the world is to have no homework, yet that hardly ever happens, especially in middle school and high school. By doing your long term assignments or pieces of homework due in a few days the day it's assigned, you can help yourself right along by not having to do that homework tomorrow! If you are bored at lunch, you can bring your books and homework to lunch and study or do homework! That way when you go home, you can have more fun!

• Ignore popularity. It may seem hard, but being popular in high school really won't get you anywhere in life. When you go to get a job, will you put, "super popular in high school" on your resume? And even if you do, will the person deciding whether or not to hire you, really care? Ignore popularity. Don't go along with a group if they are doing something wrong or something you would rather not do (such as drugs, smoking, certain types of clothing etc.). Be your own unique self, and do what you want to do! Because that is what will help you in life. There are hundreds of people out there who choose to hide themselves within a group, but what will make you different and special is what is really you. Not what your friends want you to be. Not what your group wants you to be. Not what anyone but you wants you to be. "You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine. Just own the night like the 4th of July. 'Cause, baby, you're a firework! Come on, show 'em what you're worth! Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"! As you shoot across the sky-y-y. Baby, you're a firework! Come on, let your colors burst! Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"! You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe!" - Katy Perry's Firework.

• Be yourself in friendships, no matter what. People change as they get older, so don't be surprised if your friendship takes a sharp turn- for better or for worse. Never, ever compromise yourself for someone else. If they don't like you for who you are, then they aren't worthy of how awesome, great, unique, special, amazing and fantastic you are.

• Smile! Those who smile and are always kind, always in a good mood and always happy tend to attract others wanting to be their friend. Not that you should care about being popular, but it is always nice to have some relationships, even if they are kind of loose, with other people. And smiling and laughing in some stressful times sometimes lets some of the depression out of everything. By being happy, you enlighten the world, and are an inspiration for yourself and everyone around you! 

I hope this helped, and if you have any questions or concerns or comments, don't hesitate to ask! 

Have a joyful and happy day, jammers!

-Panda