Do you think you’re the only one who’s been so embarrassed they wanted to hide? You’re not. Think you’re the only one who feels [insert the name of any emotion here]? I can promise you you’re not. Think you just don’t know how to study? We can fix that (there are research-backed tips to help you study and test better that you’ve probably never been taught)! Think this life isn’t really yours, that you’re just taking up space in it or going through the motions? No way—it’s yours and you have every right to own it. Think you just aren’t good at talking to people or you’re not likable? There are some simple strategies to help you overcome that.
Life is really hard. Being a kid is hard and being a teenager’s even harder. How you navigate the challenges and struggles you face now will influence who you’ll become and how you’ll interact with others and the world around you...for better or for worse. I struggled too and for far longer than I should’ve. I’ve learned, as an adult, about so much research and so many strategies (from the fields of psychology, sport psychology, positive psychology, resilience, and academics) that would’ve helped me lead a better life sooner if only someone had known to tell me about them. Your mental habits get harder and harder to change the older you get, so starting to use these strategies early in life is much easier than waiting until your mental habits get totally hardwired into your brain.