"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." — William James What is stress, why do we experience it, and what can we do to relieve anxiety? Host Hannah Sahota and reporter Kirpa Gill tackle this complicated subject that affects everyone. There are three types of stress: acute, episodic, and chronic. The youth discuss techniques to overcome stress, including deep breathing and talking with a trusted person. Reducing and acknowledging stress isn't just about coping; it is rooted in creating fairer systems and lessening inequality that can give everyone an equal chance to thrive and have a healthier future. Tune in to this episode of Express Yourself! to discover ways that you can manage your stress and feel increased relaxation. Stress is a silent killer.
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Self-Care and Empathy
12/03/2026 | 38 mins.
"You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself." — John Steinbeck
According to the Stanford Medical Health Center, by including teens as full participants in self-care, they're more likely to choose healthy behaviors during their lives. Hannah Sahota hosts this important program focusing on empathy and self-care with reporters Diya and Jatin. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is described as "The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider." Self-care is not fulfilled by buying things for pleasure, but rather by utilizing tools that genuinely improve one's mental, physical, and spiritual health to avoid further consequences. The textbook definition of empathy (pulled from the Merriam-Webster version) is, "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another". Learn more about self-care and empathy from our Express Yourself!® teens. Tune in!
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Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health
05/03/2026 | 26 mins.
Mental health is a part of being human. We are not only our eyes, ears, voice, and body parts, but we are also our emotions. These emotions affect how we feel, react, and portray ourselves to the world. Kirpa hosts a program with reporters Milan and Jatin, with an open discussion defining mental health and how we define it to ourselves and to others. Educate yourself, create safe places, and choose kindness and empathy. No one should struggle alone.
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Cancer Awareness
27/02/2026 | 18 mins.
"Cancer is just a chapter in our lives and not the whole story."— Allie Moreno Host Keerthi begins the show with a bold and true statement: "Teenagers are some of the most powerful people on the planet." She believes that teens need to be involved in cancer advocacy. Cancer isn't just a medical issue. It's a human issue. It's about funding research. It's about supporting families. It's about making sure treatments are accessible. It's about early detection. It's about mental health. It's about hope. When you fight for something bigger than yourself, you grow. Cancer patients often say the thing that helps most isn't just medicine — it's community. It's feeling seen. It's knowing someone cares. You can be that someone. Keerthi shares a powerful recipe for cancer advocacy! Follow us: https://www.starstyleradio.com/expressyourselfteenradio https://www.starstyleradio.com/guests-express-yourself https://www.facebook.com/ExpressYourselfTeenRadio/ https://www.facebook.com/BTSYAcharity/ https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselfradio/
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Confidence Versus Comparison
20/02/2026 | 31 mins.
"Comparison is the thief of joy." – Theodore Roosevelt
Are you confident in your abilities? Do you compare yourselves to others? Host Julia dives into the importance of confidence and reframes how to think about comparison. She interviews reporter Jatin, who shares how comparison negatively affects confidence. He talks about the effects of social media and AI. Reporter Milan then speaks with Julia about how our personal growth can be impacted when we compare ourselves with others. He suggests that being confident in one's abilities without comparison is usually the best recourse. As accomplished as Julia is, she reports that Comparison has always been her toxic hobby. There will always be someone, somewhere who is better, taller, wiser, smarter, faster, etc. She reminds us to ask the real question. What story do we tell ourselves after the comparison? Because comparison is information. She reframes comparison to admiration and asks herself, "Who do I want to become?" Be proud of who you are because there is only one you!
"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." Emerson
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Listen to all Express Yourself!™ Teen shows at https://sites.libsyn.com/560220 Or https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/express-yourself/
Express Yourself! is an entertaining adolescent fusion program where passion, productivity, and possibility populate the airwaves. Produced by Starstyle Productions, LLC as an international outreach program of Be the Star You Are! charity, the radio program, Express Yourself! is a show for, by, and about teens. Hosted by teens and teenage field reporters from around the country, Express Yourself! is THE destination for teens to be heard. Within the walls of the young adult community, listeners are uplifted and encouraged to be the stars of your own life. Through collaboration and conversation, a global campus of young people express their views. Topics include anything that kids talk about-books, music, making a difference, technology, school, art, humor, writing, tough talks, health, sports, films, family, friends, foes, fashion, and fun. Come play in STAR country and Express Yourself!, Sundays at 3 PM Pacific on VoiceAmerica Empowerment.