The school semester has started but it will be completely different this time. Some young people may find it more or less stressful than a usual in-school semester, they may miss friends, or feel stressed out about things. Many of us feel the same. That is why this week we’ve prepared five tips that may help you to cope with stress and anxiety.
1. Aroha chatbot. Wow it is real, AI is taking over the world. "Aroha" is a chat bot designed to help young people coping with stress at the time of lockdown. It has been developed by University of Auckland digital youth e-health providers and it provides practical supports and tools while we are physically separated from friends, from school, from sports, activities and communities that would usually support us. You can register and provide your feedback to make it even better and smarter. You can also try a Clever Bot, which is not so clever actually :-)
2. M3 mindfulness. A perfect combination of Mindfulness, Maori stories and Movement = 3M. Follow along and stay Zen.
3. Shut Up & Dance! What can be better for stress than dancing? Only dancing with New Zealand's first dance class to teach routines inspired by films and music videos. Join online classes and be a star!
4. Sigh language. By that point, you should feel a little less stressed so maybe it is time to learn something new. For example, one of New Zealand’s national languages. The National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Facebook page offers you a rare opportunity to learn New Zealand Sigh language for free. Watch live streaming on April 16 at 12 noon. You can also watch a lesson from the last week.
Did you know that sign language is different in every English speaking country? If you want to learn more about young people who live with hearing impairments watch Switched at Birth it is a very cool TV show about two young girls, I learned a lot from it.
4. Buses. Transportation is a big issue for all young people, and that is why it may be a good idea to tell the Councils what you like and don’t like about public transport in our region. There is a very simple survey on their website.