🌤️ Get Involved!
JTeen856 Teen Mental Health Committee at the Katz JCC
Are you passionate about mental health, wellness, and supporting your peers? Join the JTeen856 Teen Mental Health Committee and be part of a team dedicated to advocacy, awareness, and real impact in our community.
As a committee member, you’ll:
• Share your voice and creativity in shaping blog posts, social media content, and digital resources • Help plan and promote mental health awareness events and wellness initiatives
• Collaborate with other teen leaders to build a supportive and stigma-free community
• Take on a leadership role with a flexible time commitment
🗓 Monthly Meetings TBD
📩 Want to Learn More?
Contact Carl Abramowitz at cabramowitz@jfedsnj.org
📞 856-424-4444 ext. 1191
🌈 Important Note & Resources
The contents of this page are for informational and peer-support purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Teens seeking professional guidance are encouraged to explore Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) resources, including:
● Child & Adolescent Counseling Services for individual therapy and emotional support in a safe and confidential setting
● The Counselor’s Corner, a hub for mental health tips, wellness content, and community resources geared toward youth
● Community Outreach Programs that provide workshops and support groups in schools, youth groups, and communal settings
Please Note: The contents of this page are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified mental health professional regarding any concerns. In an emergency, call 911 or contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by texting or dialing 988.
The Thought Cloud is a visual that provides everyone with 12 meaningful quotes. I hope these messages resonate deeply, and that it guides them throughout the month.
🌧️ Weathering It - Maya Porat
What to do when you’re feeling anything and everything—learning to ride the emotional waves.
Everyone has tough days. Whether you’re overwhelmed, anxious, or just feeling off, this is your space for real, simple ways to take care of yourself when emotions hit hard. Think of it as your emotional first aid kit—crafted by teens, for teens.
😰 Feeling Anxious?
Take a walk.
When your mind is racing, focus it on something simple. Walking helps shift your attention away from fear and toward calm.
😡 Feeling Angry?
Go for a run.
Channel that energy into something active. Movement is a powerful release—and much better than lashing out.
😵💫 Feeling Overwhelmed?
Take a step back.
Like solving a puzzle, life becomes more manageable when you break it into smaller pieces. Zoom out, breathe, and start with one corner at a time.
😕 Feeling Confused?
Write it down.
Journaling clears the fog. Seeing your thoughts on paper brings clarity and helps untangle what’s been swirling around in your head.
💔 Feeling Hatred—toward yourself or the world?
Take a shower.
Let the warm water wash over you. Practicing self-care—even a small act—can help those intense emotions rinse away, bit by bit.
🧘 Need to Calm Down?
Try a bath in low lighting.
When the world feels overstimulating, sensory quiet can help you ground yourself again.
😞 Feeling Left Out?
Prioritize yourself.
Take this as a reminder: you matter. Focus on something you love, treat yourself with kindness, and remind yourself that being alone doesn’t mean being lesser.
Emotions are temporary, but how you care for yourself makes all the difference.
Let Weathering It help you through the storms—and remind you that you’re not alone in the weather.
The Blog: Filled with personal, relatable stories, and information that will help and inspire teenagers.
Blog #1 by Abby Shapiro
Why Are We Talking About This
Navigating your mind and body can be difficult, and the even more difficult thing is creating a healthy mind and body. Throughout our website, we will be calling attention to not only mental health, but also physical health, and the ways to improve one’s mind and body to avoid the bad effects of an unhealthy person, both physically and mentally. We will provide inspiration through quotes and strategies to keep yourself motivated even through hardships. We will also inform and call attention to the stigma around mental health, and why it is so important to put a bigger focus on it. We aspire to influence others to try to change their lives, and make their life worth living, and to do this you need a healthy mind and lifestyle. We hope to give not only teenagers, but anyone who needs help, a healthy outlet to go to that will leave a positive impact on people’s lives forever.
“Teen mental health isn’t something that is trending on instagram—it’s a real, everyday struggle shaped by stress, pressure, isolation, and uncertainty, and it’s time we start talking about it.” The first step to develop a healthy mind with good mental health, is to just talk about it. No matter how smart you are, every teenager deals with some type of stress or anxiety. High school is full of academic pressure, and social pressure with making new friends and finding their way. Along with all of these pressures, teenagers struggle with finding themselves sometimes and just fitting in. Just having a simple conversation with someone you trust about these feelings, can make a huge difference. Keeping these emotions and anxiety in, will never lead to a healthy body or mind. Mental health is not something to be ashamed of. It is something that everyone experiences and deals with, but it’s how you deal with it that will determine the type of person you are.
I pride myself on being a good listener. Whether my friends are upset about sports, stress, relationships, family, or anything I am always there to listen and be a shoulder to cry on. In my opinion, good mental health equals being a good listener. If you are able to sit back and truly listen to someone speak, then you are not only improving your mental health, but also theirs. When I listen to someone speak about something they are passionate or upset about, I am not thinking of my next response. I am genuinely listening to them, and trying to understand and engage with what they are saying. Talking about your feelings and thoughts isn’t something that people are always good at, but good mental health always starts with good listening.
Blog #2 by Emmy Soffian
A Simple Way to CHANGE Your Life
Many people go about each day just to get through it and they will say “finally” just before they go to sleep. I think people forget the whole point of living; to get through and enjoy each moment of one’s day, despite it being far from perfect. Oftentimes it is hard for people to be present and stand with gratitude when times are hard. But the ability to take in and embrace each and every moment, whether good or bad, is one of the best things a person can do.
Bad days are something everyone has, but some people are able to take advantage of this feeling and perceive it through a lens of positivity. No matter what is happening in your life, every person should always take a moment to appreciate where they are in the moment. Seeing the good in any situation can change the whole outlook of what will happen after. If you find yourself upset, angry, jealous, frustrated or feeling guilty here’s what you can do:
- Take a deep breath and close your eyes for a few seconds
- Think / write down 3-5 reasons on how the emotion you’re feeling will positively affect you
- Take these three things and carry them with you throughout your dayTaking these few reasons with you will remind you how little a moment can matter in a life so beautiful,
long and full. Small challenges that are greatly overwhelming in a specific moment, ultimately will make you stronger, and learning how to stay in control of your emotions will give you the strength to believe in yourself through everything. Although trying to suppress your feelings may seem the most reasonable decision given the circumstance, feeling emotions is very important, as it helps us learn how to process and handle them in healthy ways.
Whenever someone does something that makes me feel upset, it’s very hard to not let it ruin my whole day. But, by remembering this concept and actually trying to pursue it, it helps me remember that nothing is ever that deep and life will go on. Saying those exact words may just change your whole perspective on the situation and can change how you move about it; living life feeling sad, mourning and reminiscing about what happened, or positively taking this setback as a greater push for a stronger and happier outcome. The greatest power is to be able to positively see every situation in life. In the end, it’s not about your day being perfect— it’s about seeing the beauty and greatness in imperfect ones.
Looks and Books
A curated collection of articles, videos, shows, podcasts, and more—handpicked to support, inspire, and guide you on your mental health journey.
🎬 Movies
• The Lego Movie
• Pitch Perfect
• 10 Things I Hate About You
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
• Legally Blonde
• The Pursuit of Happyness
🎧 Music
• Fix You – Coldplay
• Landslide – Fleetwood Mac
• Three Little Birds – Bob Marley
• Lively Up Yourself – Bob Marley
• Clarity – Zedd
• Something in the Orange – Zach Bryan
• Assumptions – Sam Gellaitry
🎙 Podcasts
• Pretty Lonesome – Madeline Argy
• Moments – Lexi Hidalgo
• Anything Goes – Emma Chamberlain
• Hot Mess – Alix Earle
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Suggested Episodes:
• “Confidence, Comparison & Body Image”
• “Anxiety: From Hospitals to Healing”
📚 Books
• The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
• The Giving Tree
• The Fault in Our Stars
• Out of My Mind
• The Midnight Library
• The Giver
• The Judgment of Yoyo Gold
🌐 Articles & Websites
• Happify
• Project Healthy Minds
• Seven Ways to Bring More Meaning to Your Life – Greater Good
• Purpose in Life Quiz – Greater Good
• 11 Simple Things That Will Make You Happier, Backed by Science
Upcoming Events
2027 ~ Katz Night Out: JTeen856 Sha-Prom~ Will you go to Sha-Prom with me? More details coming soon!
