Everyone worries. But how do you deal with your worries? Whether your worries are big or small, you can take these steps to deal with your worries.

Try to find out what you are worried about.

Sometimes, you will know what you’re worried about. Other times, you might not. Try to find it out. If you can’t, you can ask for help.

Think of ways to make it better.

There is always something you can do to help you feel less worried. Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won’t solve your problem.

Grades at school are often a top worry for kids. If you are worried about grades, ask yourself these questions:

Why are grades important? What do grades mean to me?

(A)   How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn’t a test?

(B)   Do I have a good place to do my homework?

(C)   Have I tried different ways of studying?

If your worry is about a fight you had with a friend, you might write down all the things you could do — write a note to her or him, invite her or him to a basketball game, say sorry to her or him, etc. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose the one that gets your friend back.

Ask for help.

When you are worried, it can help to find someone to talk to. You can ask your parents, friends or teachers for help.

Do you feel a little sleepy after lunch? Well, that’s normal. Your body naturally slows down then. What should you do about it? Don’t reach for a coffee! Instead, take a nap (小睡).

It’s good to have a daily nap. First of all, you are more efficient (效率高的) after napping. You remember things better and make fewer mistakes. Also, you can learn things more easily after taking a nap. A nap may increase your self-confidence (自信) and make you more active. It may even cheer you up. But, there are some simple rules you should follow about taking a nap. First, take a nap in the middle of day, about eight hours after you wake up. Next, a 20-minute nap is the best. If you sleep longer, you may fall into a deep sleep. After waking from a deep sleep, you will feel worse. Also, you should set an alarm clock. That way, you can fully relax during your nap. You won’t have to keep looking at the clock, so you don’t oversleep.

Now, the next time you feel sleepy after lunch, don’t get stressed. Just take a nap!

If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.

When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.

If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault(过错). But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents may be blamed(责 备), and few of us know that it is just his own fault. Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things; they cannot write them down in a small notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories, so their memory is being exercised the whole time.

So if you want to have a good memory, try to practise remembering things as those with good memories do.