How To Not Hate Your Teenage Years: A Checklist
“Teenage years are the best time of your life!”
I’ve heard it. You’ve heard it. Your mom has heard it. All of us have heard this at least a thousand times. And at this point, we all know that’s just a myth. This myth stems from the fact that teenage life is the epitome of all the funny, weird, and crazy experiences that adult life complicates. But teenage life is also the epitome of emotional turmoil, constant confusion, and endless drama.
So, here’s a list of stuff you can do to contain the mess of teen life:
1. Overcome spotlight syndrome.
Teenagers often fall victim to the “spotlight effect”. The spotlight effect is a psychological phenomenon where you tend to think that people are judging you or noticing every little mistake or embarrassing accident you have. But that’s not true. Everyone’s too busy worrying about their own embarrassing mistake to even think about yours.
Here’s a harsh truth: You’re not the main character. There is no large spotlight following you around and focusing everyone’s attention on your actions or appearance. In reality, you’re just one human in this vast world. People don’t care as much about your mistakes as you do.
Instead of making presumptions about what others think of you, observe their reactions. Ask for feedback to know what they are thinking. Even better, accept yourself and don’t care what others are thinking. So what if someone else doesn’t like your outfit? So what if they saw you trip in the hallway? So what if they so you walking alone to the cafeteria? Your world isn’t going to crumble. Just because someone says your outfit is ugly doesn’t mean it is. It’s just their opinion, not a fact!
2. Type your emotions. (Yes, I know this sounds boring and cliche, but it works.)
Sometimes we feel on the verge of a breakdown, and our minds rant about how horrible life is. Other times we suffer existential crises or complain about all the plot holes in society. In such times, I find it relieving to type it down in my notes app instead of talking to another human like a normal person would. Sharing our emotions with others is hard as a teen because most adults think we overreact, and our friends are too busy stressing about their problems. While talking is probably the healthier method, as a teen, I think typing is much easier and helpful because we don’t have to deal with the fear of judgment or receiving unwanted input from others. It’s also quicker!
3. Take Pictures.
Whenever you feel happy or think you look good, take a picture of yourself. Take photos and videos when you’re with your friends, family, and pets. Record videos of yourself dancing, singing, drawing, writing, or doing whatever you love. Look back on them when you feel upset. Even something as simple as looking back on such small memories can help boost your mood and make you feel much more positive. Looking through photos of yourself with your friends can cheer you up when you feel left out. Looking back on a video of you dancing can remind you how talented you are, even if you thought the opposite when you recorded it.
Dressing up fashionably and conducting an at-home photoshoot is also a fun and confidence-boosting activity. It may seem pointless, but it’s worth it.
4. Participate in creative activities.
You don’t need to join a club or classes to do what you love. Self-learning can be just as effective. All that matters is if you love what you’re doing. Don’t look at how impossible it seems or how pointless it might end up being. Just do it!
5. Create Bucket Lists
Write down anything fun you might want to do or explore. Persuading your parents can be time-consuming, so it’s better to plan.
Here’s a list of stuff you might want to try out:
- Decorate a room.
- Plan and buy a wardrobe (btw blogs on how to do that for both girly and boyish outfits are coming soon)
- Restart an old hobby
- Read. You can find book recommendations that even people who hate to read may like on booktok, bookstagram, booktube, and beingmehak 😉
- Watch the sunset.
- Stargaze
- Go out with your friends.
- Eat something you’ve never had before.
- Thrift and shop.
- Bake
- Start a journal/bullet journal
- Start a youtube channel.
- Write a book
- Design a website (on WordPress, Wix, etc for free)
- Get a crazy haircut.
That’s about it..so umm..yeah…. I’ll see you soon with blogs on book recommendations, cheat sheets to feel confident, aesthetic high school outfits, and other fun content! Don’t forget to check out my previous blogs and follow my socials so that you can keep procrastinating on whatever homework you have.
Ok, now, get out. Bye!
