An important read for our highly sensitive teenagers.
You might sometimes think that when you will be in your twenties the issues that bother you now, will then have faded away, or at least will be much easier to deal with.
True, you are right!
Your perspective on things indeed will change, and then other new positive and negative daily things will take that place.
In life there isn’t always balance, usually there isn’t, and that is actually okay.
When you hang out with other teenagers you might sometimes feel a bit sad, anxious, or maybe a bit disappointed in yourself.
Maybe to you, these teenagers might appear to be so much more confident than you and it seems like they ‘have got it all together’.
At times it might appear as if things don’t impact them as deeply as what you feel it, within yourself, to be.
Where words can hit and hurt you so much, another teenager might ‘seem’ to be so much more resilient after hearing the same words you did. As if the same words didn’t have such impact or after effect and that can surprise you at times.
You might wonder how it is possible that their faces didn’t show traces of ‘being hurt or affected’ after having heard words that weren’t very empathetic. It might have ‘seemed’ that they were not that bothered by feelings as shame.
Wondering how some can just continue their daily lives and be less affected.
As a highly sensitive teenager you might sometimes feel that the activities, of teenagers in general, are just childish.
Let’s talk about school. You might think that you are the only one who doesn’t like to introduce yourself, but I can tell you that the majority of teenagers aren’t that fond of introducing themselves in the classroom either….also adults.
Then you might wonder why people don’t address that, it would make things so much easier for everyone, or at least be more open about it.
Instead, people can put on a ‘mask’. With a mask, I mean an attitude, where you hide your feelings and emotions behind.
Where you can hide the true YOU behind.
To you, wearing a mask can be so much more depleting than being clear about things. You know, It takes courage to be open and for some it’s sometimes easier to put on a mask or even create several masks for different groups.
You see through these personal masks anyway.
So give yourself some credit for being a highly sensitive teenagers, I know you didn’t choose to be sensitive and yet it can be wonderful to be gifted with this talented character trait. Maybe, at this age, it doesn’t feel that way and you might feel very misunderstood.
I get that.
And step by step you can learn to honour your high sensitivity.
Because isn’t it an incredible asset to be able to feel something happening within a person, before they even knew themselves that they were feeling that specific feeling?
Do you actually realise what a talent you have to process things more deeply?
You probably also have outstanding creative ideas that you want to develop and I bet you can feel when your teacher is a bit distracted that day.
I can assure you that in a classroom of 25 at least 5 students will also be highly sensitive and think, feel, learn and interact in a similar way you do.
Don’t wait to get older and ‘only then enjoy the beautiful things in life’.
Start appreciating now.
An average teenager also feels insecurity, anxiety, indecisiveness and low self worth…also adults. It’s very normal. Do you know why that is okay?
Because once you see that you don’t have to conform or adjust to things or others, who don’t share your values… the challenges I mentioned before will slowly fade away and you will see it from a different perspective.
Sometimes in life you have to go through things in order to truly see YOU.
You might have heard people say ‘I want to find myself’. Personally I don’t fully share that opinion, because in my experience I notice that the highly sensitive teenagers I work with, already know very well what they stand for, and what their values are.
Very often even more than adults, and that is also okay.
The challenge for you, sensitive teenager, is to stay true to your own intuitive beliefs, to who YOU are.
When you overly adjust to other people’s perspectives or you let people cross your boundaries because you pity them, maybe out of empathy. Then you will feel more confused and unstable in the long run and protecting your own boundaries might be your biggest challenge.
Are your thoughts and feelings lifting you up, helping you move forward, and explore if they are actually still realistic?
Don’t waist your time on what other people will think when things feel good to you.
Luckily, you are unique!
