As a lot of us know, being a teenager can be hard. It’s especially hard going into high school and being exposed to things like rumors, bullying, cyberbullying, stress, dating, and depression. Hopefully, we can give some tips that will help with these struggles.

Depression
Depression is something many of us students deal with every day. It can be exacerbated by bullying, troubles at home, academic problems, any form of abuse, or self-esteem issues.

Being social and getting out of your box can help some with depression; some of you might have social anxiety, which is understandable, but maybe try to go to a club and meet new people to take your mind off things. Maybe bring a friend with you for support so you’re not going into anything alone. Meeting new people is great. As life goes on, friends come and go, but if you don’t try to get out of your box to meet new people, you could miss the opportunity to meet an amazing person that would later become a best friend. They could be there for you to talk to about stuff when things get rough.

Another thing is to do something positive. Whether it be going outside doing something you love, walking a dog, or painting. Doherty sophomore Marcus Dinan says, “Listening to positive music helps me be in a better mindset.” These things may not cure depression, but they can definitely help. According to Toronto CMHA, ”When we are mentally healthy, we enjoy our life and environment, and the people in it. We can be creative, learn, try new things, and take risks. We are better able to cope with difficult times in our personal and professional lives.” Therefore, being positive can help.

Bullying and Cyberbullying
I think bullying is something all teens have experienced at least once. Bullies often talk bad about people or are mean because they’re often going through their own problems and tear other people down to feel better.

No matter what people say or think about you, don’t worry about it because you are your own person. You determine who you are. No one else does. The truth is that they don’t know you, they have no clue what goes on outside of school, and for all they know you could be something great because they don’t know about the unique things you do. They don’t have your unique traits, so it doesn’t matter what they think of you.

Dating
A relationship is something almost everyone wants in high school, but something people need to understand is that a relationship is more than just cuddling and kissing; it’s about getting to know a person and doing stuff with them. A relationship is also not meant to be rushed because if you do rush, it could end badly. For example, if you rush into it and you don’t get to know them well, you may have just gone into the relationship because the other person was cute or hot. That’s not bad, but you want to focus more on their personality and how they are as a person because getting to know the person your gonna spend the rest of your life with is important. If you don’t get to know a person for all you know they could be into bad things or not even share interest that you have. So you have to be careful of who you trust and put your time into.

Doherty junior Mackenzie Nelson says, “Communication is key. You have to be open to each other and talk to each other. It is also very important to understand each other’s needs and make sure each person knows that they are loved and appreciated. And you have to fight for each other no matter what and know the love you have for each other is worth the fight. Relationships can be hard at times and take a lot of work from both people but being happy with the person you want is worth it.” Mackenzie has been in a relationship for a long time therefore her advice is important to help in future relationships.

Rumors
Rumors about you or a specific person are one of the most stressful things anyone can deal with. You want to be willing to clear up those rumors but you don’t want to panic. You want to be calm and relaxed because if you’re panicking about a rumor that isn’t true, then you will make yourself look guilty.

Rumors can actually help you a lot in life because they will show who your true friends truly are. If your friends are real, then they will communicate with you and tell you what’s happening instead of hiding it from you and letting it spread around the school. Always make sure to help those who have rumors getting spread about them and make sure you tell your friends the real side of what actually happened so you and your friends can have a conversation and solve the problem together.

Stress
Stressing out as a teenager is really draining and mentally tiring, but sometimes you just have to breathe slowly, relax, and calm down and think about the more positive side. Try not to keep thinking about something if you are not able to fix it. Instead, focus on the parts that you can fix. If you can’t calm yourself down, then go do something to distract you from it, take a nap, get some food, or drink some water.

Empty your mind. Don’t keep putting things in your mind that will lead your stress to worsen. Clear your head and take a full restart. Start something new in your life too. Go out and see some new interests and go see what you would like to improve about yourself. Don’t bring yourself down by getting stressed out. Stay strong and talk to someone very close to you so you can talk to a close friend about it and get your mind free of things. Doherty sophomore Vincent Tomberlin says,“ I like to play sports or watch movies just to keep my mind off things”