GIRL Talk

In this episode we're talking about mental health with our friend Maddie Phelps. Maddie is a Development Associate at Girl Scouts River Valleys writing grant applications that fundraise for the Girl Scout mission. Outside of work they spend their time writing, weightlifting, and hanging out with friends.

We had a great conversation with Maddie about experiences we had with mental health as teenagers and now as adults. Like what it felt like to deal with things like depression and anxiety, what made things hard, and what helped. We also talk about how it got better as we got older, but that some things are still hard.

We'll get into our own experiences with depression, anxiety, autism, and bipolar disorder, and how hard it sometimes was as kids and teens to live up to other peoples' standards while dealing with really hard stuff internally. We'll also talk about how it feels to be in different states of mental health and how exhausting it can be, or on the flip side feeling like a speeding bullet train or volcano and being able to take on anything, with not-so-great consequences later.

We've all got some personal things we've found that help us get through challenges— like using humor to cope, making our own accommodations that help make school and work settings easier to deal with, and finding people that get it and have our backs. We discuss our own experiences with things like medication and therapy and how they can be really helpful for some people, but that there are also other ways to cope and help yourself if there are barriers to accessing these options or if they just aren't right for you.

Our takeaway— The most important thing for us is encouraging sustainable, healthy balance in our lives. If you're dealing with some of these challenges yourself, find things that help you promote your own success, and people who you can be honest with and rely on.

Note: We'll mention the terms mental illness and neurodivergence. So we're all on the same page, mental illness refers to health conditions that affect thinking, mood, emotion, or behavior, and neurodivergence means having a brain that functions in a way that's different from the usual norms in society.

 

Helpful resources:

Face to Face https://face2face.org/support/mental-health/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255

 

Want to connect with our team about thoughts and ideas, or to find out how you can be featured on Girls Pick? Contact us at girltalk.girlscoutsrv.org/contact

Hey GIRL Talk listeners! We’re hard at work putting together season two, coming soon! We've got all new topics and some great guests lined up for our next round of episodes. Make sure you subscribe to the show in your favorite podcast app so you'll know when they're released, and if you're listening in Apple Podcasts please rate the show and submit a review. It'll help us reach more listeners!

Do you have a favorite episode you'd like to tell us about, or a topic you'd like us to dig into? Or maybe you're wondering how you can be featured on our segment Girls Pick? We'd love to hear from you!

Email [email protected] or visit our website at GIRLTalk.GirlScoutsRV.org.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode we talk with Khadra Mohamed about her experience growing up Somali in America. Khadra is a friend of ours and a young professional woman who works as a program coordinator for Girl Scouts ConnectZ bringing programming to girls in underrepresented communities. She has a degree in child psychology from the University of Minnesota and has worked with youth in lots of different ways.

Outside of her work with girls Khadra loves going to concerts, sewing, journaling, and hanging out with her siblings. We had a great conversation about her experience growing up in the Somali-Muslim community in central New York, Ohio, and Minnesota, and some of the challenges she and her family have faced. Khadra and her parents and siblings moved to Minnesota to be closer to extended family and found a thriving community where she was able to connect with other Somalis and learn more about her culture and religion. But while the Somali community in the Twin Cities is strong, there are still lots of barriers and misconceptions. Our conversation got deep, and we learned so much from Khadra, but we still had our fun and funny moments :-)

We learned from Khadra that on top of all the other hard things girls go through in middle and high school, Somali girls are navigating other identities that can make things tough and cause them to be targeted— like being black, Muslim, women, and wearing the hijab, a headscarf many Muslim women wear to connect to their religion.

Khadra talks about how Somalis are storytellers and poets, how important it is to have the support of family and community and always have each other's backs, and the significance and deep love of good food!

Our takeaways— Somali girls are smart, cool, and creative, and are a thriving, incredible force. We can support Somali girls in our own communities by reaching out with resources and opportunities. Girls can reach across cultures and learn about their peers and neighbors, breaking down the barriers that can keep us from making friends and supporting other girls.

Not sure where to start? Do some research, learn about Somali culture, educate yourself! We all have things that make us unique, but also things in common. Reach out and find out what those things are! Check out this great blog post Khadra wrote on supporting Muslim girls to learn more.

Stay tuned at the end for Would You Rather, then we'll feature a girl from one of Khadra's Girl Scout troops in Girls Pick!

The idea of bravery: you might think of courage, selflessness, or just not being afraid. We know bravery is not necessarily equal to not being afraid, but it can seem that way. Bravery can be navigating your own anxiety and insecurity, or fears of judgment and criticism, and putting yourself out there to try something new or stand up for yourself.

Feeling scared or intimidated can keep us from trying new things. Don't beat yourself up, we've all been there. It's hard not to have expectations for ourselves that are too high and that keep us from taking risks or trusting that we'll figure things out along the way, especially when it comes to big things like applying for colleges, internships, and jobs, or joining student government and taking AP courses.

In this episode we'll talk about times we felt like we were brave, when we weren't, and when we maybe wish we had been but let fear or misconceptions get the best of us. You’ll also find out how much Shanna loves baseball and why she really wishes she had joined softball, and which sports make Hannah faint…

We'll recount our high school prom experiences and how we were influenced by other kids and social expectations— How do you figure out how to make experiences like prom your own and feel comfortable? We're still not sure, but we have some ideas.

Experiences that don't turn out great can end up being positive— they teach us what we do and don't like! We also recognize that being able to say "no" can be powerful and brave, especially if you feel overwhelmed or like you're too easily pulled into things you might not want to do. Shanna uses daily reflections and affirmations to keep herself grounded and find energy to be brave and make choices that are good for her. We'll be trying it out, and maybe you'd like to try it too.

Go forth and be brave :-)

Stay tuned at the end for our segments Would You Rather and Girls Pick!

In this episode we dive into the types of media content that shaped us when we were girls and now as adults. We're constantly taking in information and messages through media sources like YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, books, radio, magazines, movies, TV, music, and podcasts. This can have a huge impact on how we see ourselves and can be a major factor in the direction we take in school, jobs, relationships, and life. It's important to be able to see yourself reflected in media. A quote that resonated with us: If you can't see it, you can't be it!

We'll get into some things that stuck with us like Hannah's deep love for Star Wars and how it finally loves her back, and Shanna's love of punk, screamo, and metal music and how inspired she was as a teenager by awesome female singers. We'll also talk about identity, body image and the perils of Photoshop, social media validation, and feeling limited in career choices and opportunities from what we could see on TV and in movies when we were growing up.

What we hope you'll take away and think about-- What kind of impact does seeing girls and women in media have on your self-image and choices? Do you see yourself in the things you watch, read, and listen to? And last but not least-- if you don't see yourself or what you like out there, do something about it! Become a screen writer, YouTuber, musician, podcaster, or producer!

As always, stay tuned at the end for our segments Would You Rather and Girls Pick.

Advocacy— it’s standing up for things you believe in and influencing the decisions that affect you and your friends and family’s lives every day. We recorded this episode right in the middle of the 2018 election season, so advocacy was at the top of our minds! This made for a great conversation with our guest— Girl Scouts River Valleys' Capacity Building Director and resident guru of all things girl advocacy, Liana Michelfelder-Tessum, about how political decisions affect girls and how they can make sure their voices are heard. Liana has all kinds of great tips for how girls and youth can get involved in politics and be change-makers in their communities.

When you hear political advocacy you might think of big stuff, like governor or president level, but you can advocate for change at local levels too. We'll talk about how important it is to speak up for things in your community like public transportation, safety, parking, schools and education, and other causes you believe in.

We'll also get into how stressful and frustrating it can be to try to take in and process everything we see in the news and on social media, and how we can unplug, be mindful, and re-charge when we get overwhelmed by all the information and opinions swirling around.

Our big takeaways— Educate yourself! Get involved! Take time to reflect on how you really feel and what issues are most important to you. We learned from Liana that change is often small and incremental, and with girls' voices at the table we can make a difference. Remember, decisions can’t be made about you without you.

As always, stay tuned at the end for Would You Rather and Girls Pick!

For more about advocacy and how you can be a catalyst for change, visit www.girlscoutsrv.org/advocate.

Here are links to some great youth advocacy organizations mentioned in the show:

The Minnesota Alliance with Youth- Minnesota Youth Council

The National Youth Leadership Council- Youth Advisory Council

St. Paul Youth Commission

Saint Paul Public Schools Student Engagement and Advancement board

Brooklyns Youth Alliance

Getting outside is good for you! In this episode we'll get into what we like to do outside in our everyday lives as part of our own self-care, where we would go on dream adventures, and just how fascinated we are by tiny black capped chickadees and mountain-dwelling lizards.

Our challenge to you: spend time outdoors! Find some green space, or snow space, to go for a walk or just hang out. Things like taking photos, drawing, listening to music, exercising, or reading are all better outdoors. Try it! You might find yourself feeling calmer, more focused, and energized after a little dose of nature.

We'd also like to challenge you to try something new. If you've never been camping-- go for it! Already done the camping thing and looking for something new? Sign up for a wilderness trip at a Girl Scouts River Valleys camp, or plan an adventurous weekend with your family, friends, or Girl Scout troop. You could be spending next summer backpacking, canoeing, or riding horses. There's also plenty to do in the winter-- think snowshoeing, skiing, ice fishing, winter camping, or snowy walks through your local park.

Stay tuned at the end of the episode for Would You Rather and Girls Pick.

Visit Camp.GirlScoutsRV.org to find out about Girl Scouts River Valleys' Every Girl in a Tent challenge and Adventure Club. Looking for some beginner camping tips? Check out this blog post: Forget the Box - Think Outside!

Failure: We've all been there. It's a learning experience, right? And it can be good for us…right? But it can feel really bad! In this episode Hannah and Shanna dive into what it means to fail, why it feels so bad, and how you can turn it around to learn and grow from your mistakes. They'll get into some of their own epic fails, how it felt in school, and how it's still hard when you grow up. Did you know failing comes with sound effects? You do now. ;-)

Stay tuned at the end of the episode for our segments Would You Rather and Girls Pick!