Guest Post
Lindsey Leavitt
Author of Sean Griswold’s Head
I am so excited that Lindsey Leavitt wrote a guest post for Reading Vacation today. That’s right, you DO know her from somewhere – Lindsey is the author of Princess for Hire. Her new book, Sean Griswold’s Head, released on March 1.
In Sean Griswold's Head, Payton is asked to find a focus object to help her deal with her emotions. I asked Lindsey to tell me a little about other focus objects that may be good for teens or tweens. This is what she had to say.
So let me start off by saying the focus object thing is made up therapy. I mean, there might be similar, legitimate coping strategies out there, but it’s not like I read through psychiatric journals and found a chapter on Focus Objects. I made it up. Any connection to actual therapeutic methods are purely coincidental.
That said, I DO think the idea of losing yourself in something else to find yourself is effective, as long as you go back to the problem and hand and don’t try to ignore it permanently.
Some healthy activities (read: No drugs, alcohol, avoidance kissing).
Books: I don’t care what book you read. You can find a piece of yourself, a nugget of truth in there. Take that time to be solitary, to become engaged in a story, and when you walk away you’ll have a changed perspective that might just help you in analyzing your own life.
Sports: Always a great energy burn for me. I could be totally upset about something, and go hit some softballs and by the end the steam was gone and the dramatic problem seemed less dramatic. Also, loved out hitting my dates. Although they never seemed to ask me out again. Hmmm.
SERVICE. Seriously, it’s so easy to get over your own problems when you concentrate on someone else. Join honor society, volunteer to tutor after school, whatever you enjoy doing. Learn to crochet and make blankets for babies… I’m serious! Find something that you love, couple that with helping another, and I promise it will ease The Angst.
Oh, and baking. Super cathartic. And when you’re done, and you need to dispose of those focus objects, I will gladly help. But not if you go all low-fat and organic. Butter and chocolate, my friends. Butter and chocolate.
It looks like Lindsey and I have something in common. I am a chocolate lover too! Thank you to The Teen {Book} Scene for arranging this guest post.
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