Last week I wrote an article for Spire & Co after everything online told me about different ways to improve myself for 2016. Now, I’m all about a fresh start, but instead of changing yourself, I have a different resolution for you: santosha. Santosha is a Sanskrit word meaning contentment. It’s to recognize that you are enough as you are. We ladies feel the pressure to be all the things. We need to be good at every school subject, be in a certain friend group, maintain a specific body type, and post it all online. Those are just things on the outside trying to make us feel better on the inside. Santosha challenges us to know what you need you already have within yourself.
How to Handle the Sunday Scaries
I know it’s Tuesday, but I’m sharing with you a blog that you might need on Sunday. Sunday scaries are when you start to dread Monday and it lowers your vibe. This especially happens after the holidays! You have to get back into the school routine, do any homework you might have forgotten, and spring break feels far away. Today I’m sharing how to beat the Sunday blues!
https://youtu.be/JaAW65tbJMs
Modern Mentor Year in Review
As we head into 2016, I wanted to share my most popular videos over the year. It’s like a big #MeToo or knowing that you’re not the only one going through what you’re going through. Check out what topics were important to girls in 2015!
How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djDYKUu84Bc
A couple of weekends ago, I worked on an exciting project with my students (which I cannot wait to share with you soon). During it, I asked each girl what her favorite topic that we’ve covered during our Mentoring Sessions was. EVERY girl said the advice they got about sleeping better was really helpful, so I decided to share it here on the blog today!
Everything You Need to Know Before Going to Prom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhZt9yrVfp0
The whole prom process was stressful for me. Between asking someone to the dance (I went to an all girls high school), finding a dress that I actually felt good in, and praying that I was invited to an after-party, I didn’t really have that much fun because of all the pressure I put on myself. This is all the best Modern Mentor advice for a having authentic fun at prom!
How to Get a Boyfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1UdAhdcysk
When my student asked me to help her get a boyfriend I knew exactly what I wanted to tell her. As a professional big sister I get relationship questions all the time. In a world of Snapchat, texts, and dating apps, finding someone that’s a good fit can be confusing. If you’ve ever wondered what you need to do to get a boyfriend this blog is for you!
How to Handle Other People’s Bad Attitudes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdIGPmgGUCY
It stinks when you’re excited about something and the people around you aren’t. Maybe you really like soccer practice but everyone else complains about the coach. Maybe you’re really excited about a class, but everyone is down on it. You can’t change other people, but you can help to make the situation better. Click the video to hear what to do when the people around you have a bad attitude.
How to Create Happy Body Habits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRsP2JR6Uig
Sometimes it’s hard to like the way you look. When we think or do negative things to our bodies, it can become a habit without us even knowing it. In today’s video, I’m giving step by step advice for creating happy body habits. You were given your body so that you could share your gifts, not get upset when it doesn’t look the way you want. Check out this video to learn how to make liking yourself a habit!
How to Actually Talk to Your Parents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BpC5OS8OM
Going to your parents for advice can sometimes be hard, but I know from experience that if you open up to them they can actually be a big help. Plus, they really want to hear from you! Today, I’m sharing helpful tips for talking to your parents or anyone you’re thinking of going to for advice.
What to do when your Best Friend Moves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP5gFadVyyU
My best friend moved from NYC to Los Angeles at the end of June. This became a total #MeToo Moment when in a Mentoring Session one of my students told me her best friend was moving too. While it can be sad you won’t see your BFF as often, there are a lot of things to look forward to when a friend moves.
What to do when Mom stops you from doing something fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnNqk6DF9zg
So the title of this one is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s one of the main questions I get. Sometimes our parents can feel like a roadblock to our fun, but what if there was another way to look at it? Check it out!!
What to do when you feel like you don’t have a Best Friend (and Everyone else does)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNEXC1BMbUc
Today’s topic is super important before heading back to school. My students and I have been chatting and one of the biggest worries is friendship. Sometimes we haven’t seen our school friends in awhile and wonder if we’re going to get back into the flow of things. Still the fear I hear about the most is not having a best friend when everyone else does. In today’s video, I’m giving advice about comparing our friendships to others and what to remember on your first day of school!
What Happens When you Put Away your Phone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFO-xlkRSag
A couple weeks ago, my student, Caroline, and I did a phone challenge. I read an article about someone who never looked at his phone when he was around other people so I wanted to try it. Let me tell you… it. was. hard. Check out today’s video where we chat about how it went and what we learned!
What I Learned from Traveling Abroad with my Sister
My sister and I got back from a trip abroad on Sunday and I literally had the best time ever. With all the quality time, I learned two really big lessons that I feel EVERY GIRL has to know. I definitely struggle with these things and I’m happy I got the opportunity to work on it!
https://youtu.be/4FLlkeQ4AfY
How to Handle Touchy Topics at Holiday Parties
Many of my students are seniors in high school waiting to hear back from their early decision schools this month. When we chatted during the week, they told me how uncomfortable it was to talk to relatives at holiday parties about where they’ve applied and if they’ve been accepted or rejected. We all have sensitive subjects that we don’t want to talk about especially in a public setting. Today, I’m sharing my advice for when someone brings up a touchy topic!
https://youtu.be/mfxsC7UlV0E
How to Manage all the Stress before Break
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that there is so much homework before break. Every project is due. There are midterms, finals, and on top of that you have family things on the weekends. Plus you’re eating lots of foods that you don’t normally eat which can make you feel sluggish. Don’t freak out because I got you! These tips are what save me when I feel like I have a lot to do. Check out my tips for managing stress AND I’m giving away a free meditation!
https://youtu.be/WlE1SqQDe_U
Meditation for Reflection and Stress Release
https://youtu.be/xn7wLqRMms0
The Advice I got From Taylor Swift
Today I’m sharing what I learned from Taylor Swift about #squadgoals with my best friend, McKenzie. When there’s a lot going on during the holiday season we can get caught up in what everyone else is doing. McKenzie is one of my biggest supports and today we’re chatting about it!
https://youtu.be/vUCI-IyJmOQ
5 Must Follow Instagram Accounts for Positivity
Over the summer, I followed a fitness blogger on Instagram and I constantly compared myself to her. Every time I looked at her posts, I felt like I wasn’t enough. It was nothing she was doing. She has no idea who I am. It was the internal dialogue I had with myself when I looked at her content. I decided to unfollow her in order to choose inspiration that builds me up.
I don’t know one girl who isn’t constantly comparing herself to people online. In a world where there’s a lot of information, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), and social media drain, we need to be mindful of what we’re looking at online. The relationship we build with ourselves starts with the inner dialogue we’re having. This means intentionally following people that make us feel good and not bad. Today I’m sharing my top 5 Instagram accounts that bring me positivity and make me smile!
These adorable doodles come with such great messages. Whenever I catch one, I take it as what I needed for the day!
Gabby is my long time mentor. I love her! Her Insta is so inspiring. I love knowing what she’s up to, her tips on life and meditation as well as motivational quotes.
Pumpkin is a rescued raccoon who lives with a family (and dogs) in the Bahamas. She’s so cute and always doing goofy things.
My friend Trella runs a yoga nonprofit called Yogi’s Heart, which brings yoga scholarships to individuals 15-25 years old who want to practice regularly. Her Instagram feed is as beautiful as she is inside and out!
I love to travel and this Insta is like taking a mini vacation. Plus I love learning about new places! #travelgoals
What to do when you Find Yourself Jealous
The other day I found myself jealous as I scanned through a (stranger’s) instagram feed. The girl looked like she was having a super successful day while I was figuring out how to delete hacked code from my website… in my pajamas. Jealousy and envy are normal human emotions that aren’t talked about too often. Even in the mentoring groups I run as a professional big sister, we kind of breeze by it and instead talk about comparing. So what is jealousy really? For the rest of the article click here.
A Week in the Life of a Modern Mentor
A note about Halloween:
This Halloween so many girls reached out to me panicking. There was stress over what costumes to wear, which group of friends to dress up with, which group of friends to go trick-or-treating with and the disappointment when things didn’t work out the way they wanted. November 1st, I heard all about the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) from all the pictures they’ve been seeing online of everyone else’s Halloween.
All the stress over the holiday definitely took away from the fun. We forget that people are only showing us what they want us to see, not the whole story. Also, this is an amazing #MeToo moment. So many girls reached out to me and need to hear that they’re not alone.
In today’s blog, I’m sharing a week in life of a Modern Mentor and in order to give you a more whole version of the story, I’ve also included insight on what’s not shown. I hope you enjoy!
Thursday:
I spent all day getting ready for Friday’s #HangIn. I packed up everything the night before (something I recommend to my students too)! These are all the water bottles that I wrapped in my stickers while watching Scandal.
Not pictured: Putting stickers on water bottles took a long time! Also, this picture can’t show you how nervous/excited I was for the event. I get afraid I’m going to forget something and I always get butterflies before a new group.
Friday:
The HangIn! I had the best time on Friday. The first part of the class was yoga to center my students then we went into a super fun talk about social media/texting/everything before finishing up with a really awesome Q&A. All the girls took a polaroid before class that they were able to take home after. Props included for the pics!
While the girls were in the yoga class, I hung up all the pictures. I even wrote little messages on the clothes pins too!
The girls were amazing during our chat!
My friend Cat (on the right) taught the yoga class!
Not pictured: The torrential rain that happened RIGHT before the HangIn started. It stressed me out, soaked the bottom of my jeans, and made me feel rushed when I finally did get to the studio. Also I was super nervous. I always want to make sure everyone finds the space and has a great time! It’s sometimes hard being a mentor and putting yourself out there!
Saturday:
Saturday night I met up with college friends who were in town. It was super fun to catch up. I miss them.
Not pictured: All the work I did before hanging out with my friends. I had groups, privates, and emails to get back on. By the time we got back from dinner, I wanted to fall asleep! #GroupNap
Sunday:
My sister, cousin, and I went for a hike near the George Washington Bridge. The views were amazing and it was perfect day for a hike.
Not pictured: We originally went to a trail that was closed because of bears! Eek! Also we had lots and lots of girl talk.
Monday:
I got sent a picture of my Modern Mentor card hung up in a dorm room. It made me so happy to know that my work is growing and making an impact on girls.
Not pictured: All the hard work it took (and still takes) to be a resource for girls!
Tuesday:
On Tuesdays I have dance. We had rehearsal at a different studio this particular class and we were so squished.
Not pictured: All the rushing I did to make it to rehearsal on time.
Wednesday:
Nothing. I didn’t take any pictures. I was mentoring and packing for my trip to Dallas the next day.
Thursday:
I got to Dallas and became very familiar with the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM.
Not pictured: How excited my best friend and I were to see Taylor Swift. We must have listened to the 1989 album a million times. Also not pictured, how I cried through the airport when I left Dallas. Best friends are the best!