The New Year is a great time for self-improvement, setting goals for yourself, and implementing healthy habits into your daily routine. Try something new this year!
THIS MONTH’S BOOKS
Himwari House by Harmony Becker
A graphic novel about three foreign exchange students and the pleasures, and difficulties, of adjusting to living in Japan. Living in a new country is no walk in the park. The three students became friends through living together in the Himawari House in Tokyo and attending the same Japanese cram school. Though each of them has her own motivations and challenges, they all deal with language barriers, being a fish out of water, self discovery, love, and family.
Piece by Piece: The story of Nisrin’s hijab by Priya Huq
A graphic novel about growing up and choosing your own path, even if it leads you to a different place than you expected. Nisrin is a 13-year-old Bangladeshi-American girl living in Oregon, in 2002. Near the end of her 8th grade year, she gives a presentation for World Culture Day about Bangladesh while wearing a traditional cultural dress. On her way home, she is the victim of a hate crime when a man violently attacks her for wearing a headscarf. The next school year, she decides she’s going to start wearing hijab, to the surprise of her family.
TAG You're It Podcast
Read the New Year Pack Insert
AT HOME
GET ORGANIZED
ORGANIZE YOUR PERSONAL SPACE
We know, cleaning your room isn’t always the most fun, but keeping a clean, organized space helps improve sleep quality and productivity.
KEEP A PLANNER
Have trouble keeping track of your assignments or managing your time? Use a planner to write down daily tasks, break assignments up into manageable pieces, and check off those boxes!
GET HAPPY
PRACTICE SELF CARE
Make sure you take time for yourself! You can’t achieve your goals if you are too stressed and anxious. Mindfulness exercises like meditation or yoga are great ways to reduce stress.
GET REGULAR SLEEP
Teens need 9-11 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is the time when your body clears all the toxins from your brain, and getting regular sleep can reduce depression and help regular your mood. Stay off screens 1-2 hours before sleep. Reading is a good before-bed option!
KEEP A JOURNAL
Journaling is a great way to organize your thoughts and reduce anxiety. Write it down!
GET HEALTHY
Drink more water
Eat less sugar
Walk daily
Exercise 2-3 times each week!
Click below to set up a free FitOn account that gives you short videos tailored to your interests.
S.M.A.R.T. TIPS FOR SETTING GOALS
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Realistic
T – Time-based
Make sure it’s something you’ll end up doing! It’s ok to start out with a simple goal and work your way up over time. It’s about being consistent and implementing habits into routine that will help you grow in the long run.
Be self-motivated and hold yourself accountable. A great way to motivate yourself to stay on track with your goals is to create incentives for completing a task. “If I exercise 30 minutes, I can watch an episode of that show I like!”
AT THE LIBRARY
The library is a great place to learn something new! We have books and tools. CreativeBug is a database of how-to videos; we have a Library of Things you can check out that includes ukuleles, puzzles, and telescopes; and we have free movie and music streaming services.