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This week has pretty tough, hasn’t it? Since the horrible bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday, it’s virtually impossible to go online, especially social media sites, and not get bombarded with disturbing images of what’s going on. Things have been even more difficult today with this manhunt of one of the suspects happening.

Personally, I’ve seen many, many sad and horrific images online that I almost wish I didn’t see. I’ve also read a ton of misinformation that has made me feel scared and anxious, only to find out an hour later that it was totally wrong. I guess that’s to be expected when news comes to us so quickly through the Internet. Every single news site wants to be the very first one to break something big – and it seems like they don’t care if that information might be wrong. It’s impossible to avoid the terrible images that are being passed around.

The sad part is that this whole situation almost feels like deja vu. When the Sandy Hook tragedy happened, you couldn’t go on any site without being reminded of the terrible events that took place. The same thing happened with the Dark Knight movie theater shooting. You almost don’t want to look at these things because it can be too much, but then you feel guilty not paying attention.

While it’s great and important to be informed about what’s going on close to home, it’s also important to give yourself a break once in a while – and that’s exactly what Amy Poehler talks about in her latest Ask Amy video, which came at exactly the right time.

Amy gets a question about looking at things online, and says, “…What do I want my eye to see? How can I keep myself informed and connected without exploiting people and harming myself?” She adds, “It’s been tough, hasn’t it? Doesn’t it feel like we’re just bombarded with stuff now? That everywhere we go, there’s just some picture that’s worse than the one before? I wonder if we could soften our hearts and minds and eyes and I wonder if we could give our eyes a break and maybe try to see things in a different way. See things by reading about them and talking about them and listening. I don’t know, I kind of feel like my eyes need a break, don’t you?”

In times like these, you not only need to keep yourself informed, but you also need to remember that it’s okay to take a break from these disturbing images and sad stories sometimes. If you only pay attention to this sad news, it’s going to bring you down and it will be the only thing you think about. As Amy says, “It’s okay to not be looking at what everyone else is looking at all of the time, to know what you’re ready to see and not see.”

Watch Amy’s video for more excellent advice on how to deal with these situations:

Have you had trouble dealing with disturbing images online? Was this advice helpful to you? How do you feel about what’s happening in Boston? Tell us in the comments.

If you want to stay up-to-date with what’s happening, do so here

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The Boston Marathon bombing was horrifying, but there are ways to deal. | Source: WENN

By now, you’ve heard about the Boston marathon bombings. It’s horrifying and heartbreaking that something like this can happen period, let alone this close to home. Everything is sort of a confusing whirlwind of bloody photos, misinformation and rumors right now, but we’re doing our best to clarify everything. Here’s what we do know so far.

Two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. So far three people have died and over 150 were hospitalized; some of those people are in critical condition. There were two undetonated devices found–meaning there were two more bombs that, thankfully, didn’t go off. The good news about the undetonated devices–and we’re using “good news” very loosely and very relatively here–is that they can provide clues as to who was behind it: think fingerprints, materials, etc.

Right now, investigators don’t really have any idea who did this or why they did it. What we do know is that it’s being treated as an act of terrorism.

This is scary stuff, and it’s perfectly okay to be scared. That’s a normal human reaction, and you’re absolutely entitled to it. There are a few ways to help yourself stay sane and strong:

Maintain your routine.
When times are tough and terrifying, you may want to crawl in bed and not come out, which is a fair reaction. But it’s also what these creeps want–and living in constant fear to the point of it affecting your daily life isn’t going to make anything better. Maintaining your school, work and extracurriculars will help you function by maintaining some normalcy when you feel like your whole world’s been shaken.

Talk it out.
Whether it’s with your mom, your best friend, a teacher you get along with, a counselor–if you’re freaked out, it’s valid. Hashing it out with someone you trust will probably make you feel better and less crazy or weird (because you’re neither of those things). If your fear gets overwhelming, your best bet is to talk to a counselor who can help you sort it all out and cope. That’s what they’re here for.

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Avoid the news if you need to.
Constantly being bombarded with bloody images and not much actual information is exhausting. Just because it’s on doesn’t mean you have to watch it, and just because people are posting it on Facebook doesn’t mean you have to click. It’s perfectly fine to switch over to Sponge Bob or veg out to sloth videos on YouTube if it makes you feel better for a while.

Pay attention to your body.
Sometimes when we’re stressed, we can get aches and pains we normally wouldn’t deal with. Be aware of your body’s telling you and see a doc if you need to.

Don’t get sucked into stereotypes.
Sometimes disasters can bring out a lot of prejudices. Try your best not to succumb to those or stoop to that level, because no one person represents an entire race, religion, ethnicity or nationality–and both good and evil people come in all shapes, sizes, colors and creeds.

Focus on the helpers.
You can get resources for the Boston Marathon bombing victims and find out how you can help here. Mr. Rogers said it best: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Trying times bring out both the worst and best in humanity–and the good will always, always, always outweigh, outshine, outnumber and outdo the bad. Believe it.

Did the Boston Marathon bombings shake you? Do you or anyone you know suffer a loss in the Boston Marathon bombing or any other act of terrorism? How are you coping with fear and grief following the Boston Marathon bombings? Tell us in the comments!

It’s scary out there. Here’s how to deal with loss.

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Their “breakup” hasn’t been confirmed (although Miley did tweet a denial) and I hope it’s not true, but like I said… there’s some pretty solid evidence. So if they really did split, I can’t help but wonder how Miley is dealing – she is my imaginary celeb BFF, after all. Sometimes after a big split, it can be hard to figure out exactly what you’re supposed to do. Ever wondered what to do after a breakup? Are you allowed to lay in bed and cry all day, every day? Um, not really. Here are eight ways to deal:

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Cry Your Eyes Out

Okay, I know I said you shouldn't lay in bed and cry every day for a solid week, but... you should do it for the first few days. Breakups hurt and they're the worst. There's no reason to keep all of your emotions inside and act like everything is fine - everything isn't fine! Let yourself cry and mope around for a day or two, it's good for the healing process. But after Day 2 of sobbing into your snot-covered pillow, force yourself to calm down. You can't wallow in your misery forever, no matter how much you want to.

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Make An Ex-Boyfriend Box

While you're holed up in your room crying, this might be the right time to make an ex-boyfriend box. Get together everything that reminds you of your ex, whether it's pictures, movie ticket stubs or that teddy bear he got you for Valentine's Day. Put it all in a big box, seal it up and put it somewhere you won't see it, like deep into your closest. This will help give you some closure and it will also prevent you from a) bursting into tears when something from him randomly catches your eye and b) dumping the stuff on his front lawn to show him how much you "don't care" (because that's immature).

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Hang With Your Girls

This is probably the most common piece of breakup advice, but there's a reason for that - it works! Once you've showered and stopped crying, get your butt over to your BFF's house. You can totally talk to her about your breakup and how you're feeling, but you should also let your friends distract you. I know it's tempting to be alone all the time, but trust me, they can help get you through this if you let them.

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Lean On Your Family

It's totally fine to reach out to your friends first, but you also shouldn't be ashamed to lean on your family at this time. Chances are, your parents and siblings care about you and hate to see you hurting. Don't shut them out or push them away. Let your mom and dad hug you and maybe try spending some time with your brother or sister. You don't need to talk to them about every detail, but you also don't need to alienate yourself.

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Watch Something Funny

After a breakup, when you're feeling all depressed and lonely, it's easy to reach for a movie like The Notebook or Titanic. Don't do this. Why? It will only result in you sobbing into your sweatshirt while wondering why you can't have a love like Allie and Noah. How is this helpful? Oh, right, it's not. Instead, force yourself to watch something funny, whether it's your fave hilarious movie or just an awesome TV show (I recommend New Girl). It will keep you occupied and may even lift your spirits.

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Re-consider That Rebound

I know you're feeling lonely and I know you want someone to hug you and kiss you and make things better. But a rebound isn't the best idea, especially immediately after a breakup. Hooking up with a random might just make you miss your ex even more. Starting up a new relationship or fling? You'll probably end up projecting your feelings towards your ex on this new guy and that's when things get messy. Be totally single for a little while. Trust me on this one.

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Delete Him Off Facebook

Okay, now it's time to do something tricky: delete your ex off of all forms of social media. I know, I know. You want to be able to look at his profile to see if his dog is okay or whatever. Except, lies. You want to be able to have access to his profile so you can keep tabs on his every move. That's normal, but don't do it. Seeing happy status updates from him or noticing a girl wrote on his wall will never help you move on. Delete him and get it over with. You'll feel a huge weight lift off your shoulders as soon as you do.

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Keep Yourself Busy & Productive

Lastly, you should always be keeping yourself busy when you're knee-deep in heartbreak. Sitting by yourself in silence or listening to sad music is only going to make you dwell on your relationship. Do your homework, study harder, join the gym, go to some after-school clubs - just do something. Keep your mind busy!

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Are you going through a breakup? What are your tips on how to deal or what to do to get through it? Tell me in the comments.

What NOT to do after a breakup

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There’s no question that the condom breaking can be one of the worst sex disasters ever. If you didn’t catch the breaking in the act, you can’t help but wonder when it happened – in the beginning? At the end? Were you ever protected at all? And then the worst thought comes creeping into your mind: what if you get pregnant?

Even if this has never happened to you, it’s best to be prepared for the situation. What will you do if your form of birth control fails you? We’ve got some answers. Here are seven ways to deal when the condom breaks – trust me, you’ll appreciate this info one day.

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Stay Calm

You might want to go into full on freak-out mode when you realize that the condom broke, but try to stay calm. Panicking isn't going to help anyone - it's only going to make the dude more worried and yourself more stressed out. It happened, it sucks and now you guys need to figure out how to deal. Being more calm will help you make a better decision.

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Survey The Damage

Try to figure out exactly what happened. Did you guys realize the condom was broken once everything was all finished up? Did it happen in the middle of the hookup sesh? Is any part of the condom missing and/or still stuck inside of you? You may not be able to figure out exactly when and how this happened, but trying to get some details down will probably help you relax a little.

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Talk About Your Options

Once you figure out what happened down there, talk to your guy about what's going on. You shouldn't feel like this is something you have to handle completely on your own, but at the same time, you don't have to involve the dude in your decision making. For example, if you're planning on taking Plan B, you can ask the guy if he can chip in on the money since it's expensive. It's up to you, but it's a good idea to have a little support when dealing with something like this.

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Consider Emergency Contraception

If you think the condom broke and some semen got inside of you, Plan B may be your best bet here, especially if you're not on another form of birth control like the pill. It may be a little expensive, but it also may be worth it: Plan B can stop a pregnancy from happening before, you know, it happens. If you need more info on it, watch this super helpful video. Also, like I said before, you can ask your partner to help pay for it or you can leave him out of the process altogether. It's your body and your decision.

Go To A Doctor

Do you know if your partner is STD free? If he wasn't your long-term boyfriend and was just a random hookup, or if you guys never had the STD talk before, you might want to go to a doctor for an STD test. It's a good idea to be on the safe side, especially with something as risky as STDs.

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Consider Alternate Forms Of Birth Control

If your primary form of birth control has always been condoms and this situation totally freaked you out, you may want to consider some alternate forms of birth control. Maybe you want to start going on the Pill or using an IUD - talk to a doctor about it. At the same time, don't start thinking that the condom is going to break every time you have sex. You don't have to use another form of birth control, but it's definitely a safer option and will be something to fall back on if the condom fails you in the future.

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Avoid This In The Future

Do you never want this to happen again? Yeah, I don't blame you. Read these tips on avoiding this situation in the future. The tips will help you avoid sex disasters from happening one too many times.

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Has the condom ever broken for you? What would you do if it did? Do you use alternate forms of birth control? Tell me in the comments.

Find out if your sex life is normal or not

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These naive feelings lasted until I started dating a guy who had one of the most annoying families ever. Suddenly, I understood why everyone complained about their in-laws. It’s one thing to be stuck with your own sometimes annoying family, but it’s an entirely different thing to be stuck with a family that you don’t even have to be stuck to. At least your family is flesh and blood! 

Okay, so not every other family is annoying. I’m sure there are plenty of in-laws or soon-to-be in-laws out there who are perfectly lovely. But if you’re dating someone who happens to have the kind of family members that make you bite your tongue, there is help. Here are some tips on how to deal with your boyfriend’s family, from the pain in the butt little brother to the over-protective mom:

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The Over-Protective Mom

Ugh, over-protective moms are the WORST. JK, not really. Dating a momma's boy can be a challenge because you constantly feel like you're competing with his mom... which is just plain weird. To deal with her overbearing-ness, start by trying to include her once in things once in a while, like eating dinner with her or watching a movie. There's not much you can say to the mom without coming off as kind of a jerk, so if she's really bugging you, talk to your BF about it nicely. He's the one who needs to tell her to back off, not you.

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The Creepy Dad

Or the creepy uncle or grandpa... whatever fits. The creepy dad is always checking you out, flirting with you or making inappropriate comments. If things get super comfortable, don't hesitate to say something to your boyfriend about it. And if the dude gets really weird, you can absolutely say something to him - just a polite, but strong, "please don't talk to me that way" is fine. The only other thing I can tell you is to avoid him as much as possible and don't giggle at his "jokes." That will only encourage the creepster.

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The Annoying Little Brother

You know those brothers that spend most of their time either spying on you and your BF or following you guys all over the place? Yup, that's this guy. Deal with him by actually giving him some attention - if he wants to hang out with you guys all the time, let him do it some of the time and get on his good side. Then, when you want to be alone with your BF, ask him nicely if he can leave you guys alone or suggest he go play with his friends. I know it's tempting to be mean, but doing that is probably just going to make things awkward.

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The Bratty Older Sister

Maybe she's just rude in general or maybe she's feeling protective of her little brother - either way, dealing with an older sis who is constantly nasty isn't fun. How to deal? Kill her with kindness and be the bigger person. Yeah, it's annoying, but maybe one day she'll come around.

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The Mean People

It's a huge bummer if your boyfriend's family is just plain mean. The best thing I can tell you is to not take them too seriously and to just ignore them. Don't spend time with them if they're rude to you, and definitely feel like you can talk to your BF about it. You can be mean back if you really want, but that might eventually put a wedge between you and your BF. Continue to be polite, but don't feel like you have to try too hard.

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The Weirdos

Maybe your boyfriend's family is a little on the odd side. It might be weird to you, but to them, it may be totally normal. The only thing you can do here is to embrace their weirdness. Don't hate on them for doing things you think are strange - plus, sometimes weird people are the best people. Seriously.

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The Ones Who Just Don't Like You

Unfortunately, we're not all going to be liked by everyone. Why doesn't his family like you? I don't know, girl. It's a major sad face moment, but it happens to all of us at some point. If his family seems to be against you for some reason, talk to your BF about it to find out if you ever did something they didn't like. If so, make sure to apologize or make it clear that you want to move past that. Try to get to know them better without being too over-eager. Always be nice and polite... don't give them another reason to dislike you.

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In the end, keep this in mind: you really can’t change your boyfriend’s family. They are who they are! The best thing you can do is learn how to deal with them and accept that they might sometimes annoy you. Remember: you’re dating your boyfriend, not his family. If he’s worth it, then that’s all that matters.

Have you ever had to deal with a boyfriend’s annoying family? How did you do it? What kind of family members did I miss? Tell me in the comments.

Think YOUR parents are strict?! Check out these!

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There’s not a girl on the planet who hasn’t had a fugly day at some point. Even though we want to spend our fugly days locked away from society, the truth is that we have to get out there! Work, school, and even our social lives don’t take a break because we’ve got a case of the fugs. So, Meg’s here to help you deal when you’re feeling fugly.

Do you ever feel fugly? What do you do to boost yourself up again? Tell us in the comments!

Ever Feel Like You Just Don’t Fit In? Here’s Help

Do you have brothers and/or sisters? Do you guys deal with sibling rivalry, or do you always get along? How competitive are you in general? Tell us everything in the comments!

Feel Like You Don’t Fit In? Here’s How To Deal

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Sex. Is. Everywhere! You see it on TV, read about it here on Gurl, hear your friends talk about it when they tell you about their weekend hookups. It can start to feel like everyone is having sex…well, everyone but YOU. That’s really not the case though. Meg is here to help you deal with feeling like you’re the odd one out when it comes to S-E-X.

Do you ever feel like you’re the only one not having sex? Tell me in the comments!

Need To Tell Him You’re A Virgin? Here’s How

If you’re having regular run ins with your local mean girl, or worse, mean girls, then you know how crappy it can feel to be bullied. Meg’s here to help you out. She has tips on how to protect yourself from bullying, where to get help, and how to put the bullying in perspective. Watch and remember, this bullying won’t be forever. Take care of yourself and get the help you need.

Have you ever been bullied or are you being bullied now? How do you deal, and what do you think could help the situation? Tell us in the comments!

Don’t Fit In? Here’s How To Deal.

 
Ever heard the expression three’s a crowd? Well, what about four, five, six, or seven? Any time there’s a group of friends, there’s a chance, someone will feel like the odd girl out. If you’re feeling like it’s you, don’t worry. Meg has 5 amazingly helpful tips on how to deal with the lonely girl blues.

Have you ever thought you don’t fit in? Do you know any girls at school who don’t fit in? How do you deal with it? Tell us everything in the comments!

Got A Broken Heart? Here’s How To Deal