The complete list of all life-guiding messages for young people – click the titles for further information
Introversion is usually thought of as the tendency to enjoy solitude rather than time with a group of people. It can be exhausting for introverts to spend time around lots of people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t like people – just that they “recharge” on their own rather than when socialising.
For a short-term savings goal (up to 5 years), look at a savings account, term deposit or a cash ISA. For a medium term goal (5-10 years) use a savings product, or consider investments depending on your risk appetite. For a long-term goal look at shares/bonds/funds that provide protection from inflation over the long term.
Once you’ve got started saving money, give your savings chance to grow faster by spending some time to find the right home for them. The best home depends on how much time you have to reach your goal, and how much risk you’re willing to take.
If you are 18 or older, have a stable income and are planning to leave home, you can probably either move into shared housing with friends or look into renting your own place. If you’re going to university, you may also have the option of going into halls of residence with other students.
When you begin to plan leaving home, it is a good idea to think through the consequences, as well as your needs, such as: have you found somewhere else to live, are you leaving because of conflict, do you have enough money to support yourself, and who will support you in making the move?
Families can cause a lot of stress and may not be the right place to find someone to talk to about your problem. Even if they are understanding, you may still not want to talk to them about what is troubling you. You can always talk to a teacher, mental health professional or a friend.
To figure out who you can talk to in your family about an issue, ask: Will they give me a hard time? Will they make me more upset? Can they offer me the help I need? Will our talk be kept secret? If I tell them something personal, will they think differently of me?
Practice responding to distressing emotional states with grounding techniques and self-soothing strategies. If these are difficult or you need additional help, counselling can help you develop coping strategies, new perspectives and skills for managing difficult emotions.
If your emotions feel particularly intense, try an activity to make you feel better: run around; do 100 jumping jacks; put on the radio and dance; listen to a funny comedian; hold, stroke and hug a pet, pillow or teddy bear.
To get started saving money, open an instant access savings account, which might be easiest to do with your own bank. Set up a regular payment to transfer the amount you want to save into your savings account each month, and give it a name that inspires you to save – like ‘Prague holiday’.