In January, I sent out an anonymous Google form to my peers to gather their concerns.
As a street-smart, capable senior, I am on the verge of being an adult. In my 17 years, I’ve gathered varying amounts of knowledge and wisdom from my experiences. Now, I am ready to bless five respondents with my advice.
“How do I get over a guy that doesn’t like me?”
Good news, I think you are already on the right track. By acknowledging that he isn’t into you, you are already one step closer to ridding this nuisance from your mind.
Time does heal all wounds, but if you would like to take control and heal efficiently and effectively, here’s what to do: anchor back to reality.
Get it into your head that you don’t even know this guy well. What you have been falling in love with is the idea of him in your mind. To move on, you need to let go of that idea. Every hour you spend entertaining a fantasy, you miss out on making true connections in real life.
But you’re still thinking about him a lot, right? Well, you’ve been conditioning yourself to keep thinking about him to the point where it’s become a habit. So, maybe you can develop some new habits. If you can spend so much time and energy thinking about him, imagine what you can do if you direct that energy elsewhere.
You can spend more time hanging out with your friends, going on side quests like hiking or even taking a pottery class. Or, you can pour energy into turning into your best self with skincare, journaling or a digital detox.
Don’t beat yourself up! Healing doesn’t come fast. As he occupied most of your brain capacity, it’s gonna take more than a day for him to leave completely. Take your time, and understand that missing him doesn’t take away from your self-respect. You got this!
“How do I get a man for prom :(“
There are approximately three more months until prom, so we better get a move on. To find a date for prom, we first have to go searching.
On the first level, the easiest date to obtain are friends. Are there any guy friends that you would have lots of fun going to prom with? Ask if they are available!
Not looking for a friend? We can try vague acquaintances — like that guy you met over summer camp freshman year, that cute guy you keep bumping into at the library or your friendly neighbor that lives down the street. If you just spark up a conversation, you never know what might happen.
If we’re thinking really bold, it is an option to go find people out in the wild. Hang out at Main Street Cupertino after school to hunt and fearlessly confront any cute guys you see. This isn’t my favorite method, but social media makes it very easy to DM strangers on the internet if you’re too scared to do things in person.
Whatever choice you end up taking, I wish you the best of luck! Anyone would be lucky to go to prom with you. I’ll see you with your date there?
“Global warming 😁😁😁😁😁”
Now, I’m not a scientist to any extent, but I have been noticing that our summers are getting warmer and our winters are getting colder (which is kind of counterintuitive but oh well).
I’m glad you are worried by such a large issue. There are certain factors that contribute to climate change: industrial processes, land use and waste.
For these elements to really contribute to climate change, they all happen on a large scale. It may seem too far-fetched for you as an individual to make an impact, but there are little things you can do.
Reduce consumption — buy fewer things, shop second-hand and repair to reuse whatever you can. This can be in regards to clothes, amenities and even diet. Did you know that livestock production accounts for 14-18% of all greenhouse gas emissions because of deforestation and methane emissions? Switching to a plant-based diet can help lower your environmental impact.
You can also improve your energy efficiency at home. A little browsing on the internet will help you generate many ideas, from improving insulation to installing LED lights and conserving water use.
If we all take small steps to helping our environment, we just may be able to reverse the damage we have inflicted on Mother Earth.
“I keep scrolling before bed”
Twin, I feel you. These social media apps were purposely designed to be addictive. But, I believe your self-control will prevail over the tech gods!
Out of sight, out of mind is my motto. You should try setting a time (like 10:30 p.m.) where you place all of your electronic devices outside of your room. By creating a physical barrier to getting your phone, it makes it just a little more difficult.
If you want to go even bigger, delete all of your social media apps. Too unrealistic? Try time limits instead. I have 30-minute screen time limits for all apps that I want to restrict, and I had my parents set the password, so I cannot bypass it without their permission. Friends work as well.
I know you’re not going to like it, but when you are finally able to settle into bed at 11 p.m. without itching for your phone, your body will thank you. Say goodbye to dark circles, eye bags and grogginess throughout the day. Cheers to a new and better you!
