We always say that our website is for you, our Shona community. It is a safe space for you to share your story, so no girl feels alone. This is exactly what Kat has done today. Just have a read… Dear 18 Year Old Kat, Everything got better. You’ll discover many things in your final
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Us girls are divils for judging each other. Instead of embracing our differences, we constantly compete to be the prettiest, the smartest, the most popular, the most athletic, the skinniest. When we look in the mirror, we always look at our faults, and therefore, looking for faults in others makes us feel better about ourselves.
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Here’s the thing. Us girls spend many years changing and growing, moving from one group to another and identifying more with some at different stages because we like to hang out with those who are similar to us. Our personalities change over time, and we will go through phases where our friendships are just plain
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We’re generally not into labels because everyone is different and unique. We shouldn’t need to find a box that we fit neatly inside so that everyone knows and understands us. As a society we’re changing rapidly, trying to find new ways to respect and protect each other. And that’s a good thing. When it comes
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I can bet my life on it, that there is not a girl or woman alive who hasn’t had thoughts (or several thoughts) of feeling ‘not enough’ – whether not good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, rich enough, sexy enough, funny enough etc. We’ve all been there, but the question is, is it necessary to
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Whether it’s a beautifully controlled rendition of Swan Lake in front of an audience or a good old twerk to a bit of Nikki Minaj in your bedroom, there are so many reasons why Dance is good for you. You don’t have to be good at it to reap the benefits. You just have to
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My name is Steph and I work as a counsellor in Waterford. Most of my clients are young people so I get to hear and see what it’s like trying to find your way in today’s world. I’m also the proud Godmomma of a beautiful 14-year-old warrior princess which helps too The issues that land
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We’ve been kind of feeling a bit out of touch with reality lately, anyone else? Who knew living through a global pandemic would be this confusing and chaotic? For almost two years now, our entire lives have moved online. And we thought we already spent too much time engrossed in social media. We don’t know
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A large part of the LGBTQ* community but one that is often silenced is the ever-growing transgender community or trans for short. Trans people often face more oppression than other members of the community with threats of sexual assault and physical violence looming over the very existence of these people. The often unaccepting social atmosphere
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Hi there! Chances are you are here because you have a teenage girl in your life that you want to support. They might be struggling and you just don’t know how to help. Well, that’s where we come in. Our Survival Guide Handbook is a handy little tool that will help the girl in your
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The word “Crazy” has been used to undermine and discredit women since the dawn of time. “She’s nuts, a psycho, way too emotional”. We’ve all heard it, but we’re too quick to believe it. In fact, it says way more about the person who said it than the person they’re referring to, and it’s a
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We all think that everyone else has the perfect family and that ours are the only ones who are completely dysfunctional. When we visit our friends’ homes, their parents are sweet and light, the house is always clean, and they are loving to each other. NEWSFLASH: ITS A FACADE! Every family has its ups and
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When we are small, our parents read us fairytales. Stories about people from faraway lands, living in kingdoms dominated by dragons, unicorns, witches, warlocks, giants and fairies, just to name a few. A common trope in a fairy story is the romance between a prince and a princess. Perhaps he’s a tall, dark, handsome stranger
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Dear Reader, I don’t care who you are. For all I know, you’re a 44-year-old man trying to figure out what’s going on in his daughter’s head. Or perhaps you’ve just finished an exam and you’re anxious about your results. As I said before, I don’t care. Because that’s not what’s important. What’s important, is
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Back in May, we ran a writing competition where we asked secondary school girls across Ireland to submit a piece on either: A lived experience they have overcome, and what they learned. A profile of a woman they admire. An opinion piece with a positive and empowering message. Here at SHONA, we believe in
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Most of us suck at asking for help. We’re not sure if that’s a girl thing, an Irish thing, or a human thing. Asking for help with our mental health is a whole other level of nope. “I’m fine, everything’s just peachy, thanks for asking.” According to Clinical psychologist John Mayer, this is often because
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You’ve been friends since pre-school. Your parents get on. She’s like family. You have matching friendship bracelets. She’s your bestie for life. Or is she? There are unfortunately a few types of friends that you really don’t need. A quick way to check if a friend is a good one is to ask yourself one
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Ah, the brain. Our little inner best friend that’s always there for us, but is so deeply complicated that it can also be your biggest bully. Did you know that your brain processes somewhere between 60,000 and 80,000 thoughts per day? That’s an average of 2,500 to 3,300 thoughts per hour! Just let that sink
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