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’.
Working out how much money to save each month depends on the amount of your goal, how much spare money you have at the end of each month, and how soon you want to reach your goal. It’s a balance between what you can afford and how long you want to save for.
Sometimes people first think about leaving home if they are in conflict with their parents, where the thought of leaving seems easier than resolving the conflict. For others, it might be the need for more space or privacy, or to go to school, get a job, move, get married or live with a partner.
Many people eventually leave the home they grew up in and find a home of their own. However, everyone is different, and some people leave home when they are very young. Others wait till they are in their 30s, and some people live with their family all their lives.
It is natural to feel like you don’t want to let your family down with your personal problems but remember in most families, they only care about you. Sometimes a family member that is not in your immediate family like an uncle, cousin and grandparent might be the right person to talk to.