Teens your hormones are probably raging every second.  This is normal.  It's the process of life.  You start out as a baby, become a toddler, move into pre-teen, hit the teen years, and then become an adult.  The key to handling your teen years is to get a control over your emotions and hormones as best as you can.  This sounds easier said than done.

Your emotions can go from 0 to 60 in less than 2.5 seconds!  Relax, this is normal.  However, getting a grip on your emotions will help you to experience a happier, relaxed life. Remember don't stuff your emotions because this will make matters worse.

Teens, when you grow up you'll experience changes in your body.  This means your hormones will take over for some time to help your body grow.  You'll have feelings that you never felt before and that's all right.  There's no reason to be afraid.  Everyone has gone through the teen years and survived and so will you.

Tips to dealing with your hormones

1.  Don't give into temptation.  You may be tempted to have pre-marital sex, but the consequence will appear 9 months later in the form of a baby.  Ready my blog about teen pregnancy before you do anything rash.

2.  Meditate.  It's not for monks or new-age people.  Meditation can help calm your body, mind, and spirit.  You'll feel more relaxed and at peace.

3.  Workout.  There's nothing like a good workout to release those raging hormones.  Take up kick boxing, Karate, running, hiking, or yoga.

4.  Get in touch with your creativity.  Use your imagination to paint, draw, write, and design.  You can dance and act.  Use your creativity to channel your hormones and emotions.  You'd be surprised at what you'll create.

5.  Deep breathing techniques.  The next time you're about to "fly off the handle," pause, count to 10, and take 10 deep breaths.  Deep breathing will calm you down and it keeps you in check.

Your raging hormones will cause you to have mood swings.  One minute you'll be sweet as pie and the next minute you'll be on fire.  Take it all in stride.  Feel your feelings and don't over analyze them.  Avoid doing anything rash. 

Teens your body's changing and you're not sure what's happening.  All of a sudden you're interested in boys or girls and you don't know why.  This is apart of growing up.  It happened to your parents and it's happening to you.  That's the cycle of life!  Just remember to pause and think before you act!

Many teens plop themselves in front of the TV or computer and settle in for hours.  You know who you are!  You sit in front of the TV or computer and play video games or watch your favorite shows and movies.  This is not healthy and it stifles your imagination.

It's no mystery that many teens are overweight or obese.  Are you one of them?  Diet and exercise play a part as does mom and dad.  If you're eating fast food seven days a week, you'll pack on the pounds.  All of that grease is not good for you or anyone for that matter.  Tell mom and dad that you want to eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean meats.  You could be an inspiration to your family

Teens your imagination is a wonderful gift.  When was the last time you allowed your mind to wander?  When was the last time you spent time day dreaming?  Chances are you haven't used your imagination or creativity in quite some time.  Instead of playing a video game, why not create a video game?  Hey, if you enjoy playing them you may as well think about a career as a game designer.  You could get paid to design and play video games.  How cool is that?

Use your imagination to get your butt off of the couch and get some exercise.  You could run, jump rope, lift weights, go to the playground and run around, play sports, jump up and down, dance, and do many other activities to get your heart rate up and the weight off of your body.  It's a win-win situation!

If you're a teen who hasn't been outside in awhile, get out there and enjoy the sunshine and nature.  If you haven't used your imagination in some time, get a pad of paper and allow your mind to wander.  What comes to your mind?  Don't fight it -- just go with it.  Draw, write, or doodle whatever comes to your mind.  It may not make sense to you and that's all right.  The point is to get off of your butt, get moving, and use your imagination today because tomorrow it may not be there!

Both my niece (16 years-old) and nephew (13 years-old) have lost a lot of friends in the past couple of years.  Yesterday, my mom informed me that my niece lost a friend to open heart surgery; she became sick and died.  My nephew lost a friend who was cleaning his rifle -- it went off and killed him.  Why a 13 year-old was cleaning a rifle is beyond me.  Why he was handling a rifle without parental supervision is also beyond me.

It's bad enough teens must deal with the death of loved ones but to lose your friends is another situation.  How do you cope when you lose someone who's not only your own age, but your friend?  Teens probably have many questions about "why" their friend had to die.  When it's a senseless death like a self-inflicted gunshot, it only makes matters worse.

Tips to coping with death

1.  Grieve.  Make sure you take time to grieve for your friend.  There is no time limit on grief.  You'll know when you've finished grieving for your friend.  Remember, your friend is not really gone.  They may be physically gone, but spiritually they live on somewhere else.
2.  Remember the good times.  To help you cope with the death of your friend, remember how much fun they were -- this will make you smile.  They'd want you to be happy, it's ok to laugh and smile when you remember your friend.
3.  Let the tears flow.  Whenever you feel like crying, just do it.  Yes, guys it's all right for you to cry.  This is a great way to release and purge your emotions.
4.  Workout your emotions.  If you have a lot of anger, release your intense emotions by working out.  Kick boxing, karate, hiking, running, yoga, or whatever you like will help you heal.  It's cathartic to release your emotions.  Let all your emotions out in a healthy way.
5.  Journal.  Writing your thoughts and articulating your feelings in a journal can be therapeutic.  Hold nothing back when you journal -- let it all out.  You can draw and write in your journal to express your emotions about your friend's death.

Life doesn't always make sense.  Sometimes events occur that are beyond our control.  You can only control you react situations.  When you lose a friend you'll go through the grieving process which includes:  denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  Allow the process to occur because you'll heal from your friend's death.  Your emotions will eat you alive if you don't grieve.  Your body can manifest your emotions with a dis-ease.  This is no way to grieve for your friend.

Coping with teen death is not easy for anyone.  Parents lose a child and you lose a best friend.  No, it doesn't make any sense, but that's life.  Make sure you live each day to the fullest because you never know what lies around the corner.

If you're a fan of soap operas like General Hospital, MTV shows like Real World and Jersey Shore, or the CW's Gossip Girl and Beverly Hills 90210 then you've probably watched episodes where a teen was in an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, it's usually a teen girl who's in the relationship.  Luckily, the actress walks away at the end of the day.  In real life the outcome can be deadly.

No one has to suffer from abuse -- it's not love.  Most teen girls stay in abusive relationships because they have low self-esteem and self-confidence.  They believe no other guy will want to date them.  This is psychological bullsh** and a bully tactic.  Avoid falling for it at all cost!

Some teen girls mirror what they see at home.  If mom's in a horrible relationship, you may believe that's the way relationships work.  Teen boys and girls who see parents beat each other up receive the impression that this is the way relationships are.  You are dead wrong!  If you love someone, you would not beat or hit them.  If you lose control, you can end up doing serious damage, not to mention jail time!

Any guy who tells you "he's sorry or it won't happen again" is lying.  Any girl who tells you "she's sorry or it won't happen again" is lying.  Of course, it's going to happen again.  The only way to prevent abuse is to runaway as fast as you can. 

Being in a relationship is not worth it if your boyfriend or girlfriend has major issues.  The only way a person can change is if he or she wants to and seeks professional help.  Chances are an abuser was or is abused.  That's usually how it happens.

Teen girls and boys respect you.  By allowing someone to abuse you sends the message "it's all right, I deserve this because I'm not worthy of love."  This is so untrue.  Everyone deserves love and to be treated with respect.  But you must love and respect yourself first before anyone else will.

The worst mistake is to say you deserve the abuse.  Many teen girls fall into this trap.  They make excuses for their boyfriends such as "he told me he was in a bad mood or I spoke to another guy whom I know he doesn't like."  First of all, who cares if he's in a bad mood?  Second of all, you're a teen; you can speak to whomever you'd like.  Who says you can't speak to other guys?  Any guy who tells you not to speak to other guys has control and possession issues.  These can be dangerous.  It's best to end the relationship before it gets out of hand.

Teen girls and boys don't be in a hurry to grow up!  There isn't a rule that says you must date or be exclusive with one person.  This doesn't mean to be promiscuous, it means you have options.  Take your time to get to know someone before you become exclusive.  In fact, get to know yourself first before you begin dating.  Write down the qualities you'd like in boyfriend or girlfriend.  You'll need to become that person before you'll attract him or her into your life.  Take your time because the teens years go by fast -- enjoy them while you can!

Judgment is like a boomerang -- it will come back and smack you in the face!  When you judge someone, you're projecting your shadow onto that person.  If you feel someone is arrogant, look deep inside to find out where you've
been or act arrogant.  The answers may surprise you.

When you "judge" someone, there's something that resonates with you on a deeper level.  Why judge someone?  What do you get out of it?  Get to the root cause of the judgment and clear the air.  You may judge without even knowing it. 

Look at the patterns that repeat in your life.  You may judge out of frustration that you're experiencing in your life.  Take a breather and look at what is really bothering you.  Remember, it's easier to take our frustrations out
on others than looking at ourselves in the mirror.

Why you may judge

1.  Frustrated in your life.
2.  Disappointed with your life.
3.  Jealous of others.
4.  Feeling stuck in your life.
5.  You absorb other peoples' energies without even knowing it.

For those who are empathetic and absorb others energy (Indigo children) may find themselves judging others for no apparent reason.  It would be good for you to "shield" yourself before you leave the house.  You could say a prayer of protection or send "love" to the people and place you'll be.

Judging others is a waste of time and energy.  You could be pursuing an activity or career that you love.  The next time you find yourself judging another, step back, take a deep breath, and ask yourself "why" you're doing it.  The answers may not be the ones you want, but they'll help you to move forward in your life.  The sooner you clear the air, the better!