The complete list of all life-guiding messages for young people – click the titles for further information
Everyone feels like or fears they are not good enough at some point or another. Fearing that we are not good enough doesn’t make us not good enough; it just makes us human. Remembering this can help you feel less alone if you’re feeling “not good enough”.
Encourage your inner mentor with simple exercises like keeping a “have done” list (as opposed to a “to do” list), taking time each week to reflect on positive experiences, new opportunities, things you feel proud of, and lessons learned.
Everyone gets overwhelmed from time to time, but prevention is the key. Think about what things need to be in place on a regular basis for you to perform at your best. Think about what works for you.
When stress is high, it’s important to know what makes you feel calm and relaxed. Otherwise it’s easy to turn to unhelpful coping strategies. What calms you when stressors are high? Take a moment to reflect so you’re ready when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
It might be easier for you to text or write messages over the internet when first getting to know people in your new area, or you might try to meet people outside of group settings, like when you are working on a project with someone.
When you move to a new place or start at a new school, it can be difficult if you are more introverted in approaching and meeting new people. You might feel awkward and uncomfortable trying to socialise in a group and it might take time to find people that have shared interests.
With family conflict, sitting down and talking about the situation may seem stressful. It could ease the situation if they see you are being ‘mature’ and taking the first step. It can also be a great way of sorting through issues and coming to an arrangement that works for all of you.
Your parents or guardians might be worried and stressed about things unrelated to you such as work, relationships or money that can affect how they talk and act with you. They can also feel pressure from expectations from their own parents, family and their community about “being a good parent”.
Your inner mentor shows you things you can improve, in a very different tone to your inner critic. They balance constructive criticism with acknowledging everything you’re getting right, asking open questions like “How could you approach that differently in the future?”
Your inner critic highlights all the things you’re doing wrong, usually with a big helping of shame and judgement on the side. You can learn to turn down the volume on this part of your internal dialogue and turn up the volume on your “inner mentor”.