The life of a teenager can be difficult enough, what with tests, exams, hormones, fall outs with your friends and then added pressure from your parents. The good thing is these emotions do in fact pass and you will get through the turmoil of teenage-hood as you learn to deal with these issues. However, there are some who struggle a bit more to cope and battle to find a way out of these hard times. Read on as we share with you a few worthy tips that will make a big difference when you are dealing with depression or feeling down.
1. Always remember that You are not alone
Much as you may feel that you are all alone in the middle of this nightmare, there are thousands of other individuals out there who have been where you are. As tough as things are right now, make the effort to seek help. Should you not feel comfortable talking about your feelings out loud, look up some helpful websites about dealing with depression. There are tons of reliable and useful sites where other teenagers express themselves and can offer you help.
2. Eat nutritional meals:
When you are feeling down, the thought of food is usually the last thing on your mind. But, when you add hunger pangs to the set of emotions that you are struggling with, your emotional state will only get worse. Healthy foods that you enjoy eating can do wonders for your mood as the nutrients and uplift in serotonin levels will make you feel better in a short space of time.
3. Cry when you need to:
Society has us believing that we have to be strong and not show weakness at any time. This does not mean that you have to conform though. When we are feeling sad and low it is often helpful to let our emotions out. Allow yourself to feel the feelings that you are experiencing and cry when you need to. This process encourages catharsis and enables us to cleanse our souls when we are in pain.
4. Open up to those who care:
It may seem unfathomable to actually share how you feel with your parents or friends, but it can be a great help. Your friends may well be experiencing the same or similar problems and be able to empathise with you. Your parents may also surprise you and offer some worthy advice.
5. Seek professional advice:
Should your depressed feelings persist longer than 6 months and you continue to feel that you simply cannot pick yourself up, seek help. There is no shame in talking to a trained professional who can offer you sound advice as well as insight into you issues. Psychologists, counselors and even teachers can be a worthy sounding board.
Let us leave you with a powerful and inspirational quote by Carl Jung: “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become”.
Source: http://www.gutsytutoring.co.za/blog/dealing-with-depression-teenager/
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