Youth’s mindset

2.1 The Emotion Wheel: Naming What You’re Feeling – 4/7/26

If someone asked me how I was feeling, my answer would almost always be, “I’m fine.” Not because I actually was, but because I genuinely didn’t know how to explain what I was feeling. Sometimes I thought I was just sad, but later I realised I actually felt lonely because I felt like nobody understood me. Other times I thought I was angry, but I was really just hurt because someone I cared about disappointed me. Before learning about the emotion wheel, I honestly didn’t know there were so many different emotions hidden underneath the basic ones. I used to think there were only a few feelings—happy, sad, angry, and scared—but now I realise emotions are much more complicated than that.

Being a teenager makes everything feel bigger than it probably is. One bad grade can make you question your intelligence. One awkward conversation can make you replay it in your head for days. If your best friend suddenly starts acting differently, you automatically think you’ve done something wrong. It’s exhausting constantly trying to figure out what’s going on inside your own head. Sometimes I even get annoyed at myself because I can’t explain why I’m upset. I just know something feels wrong.

Learning to name my emotions hasn’t magically fixed my problems, but it has helped me understand myself better. Instead of saying, “I’m just stressed,” I can ask myself if I’m actually overwhelmed, anxious, disappointed, or insecure. Once I know what I’m really feeling, it becomes easier to deal with it. I’ve also found that people understand me better when I explain my emotions properly instead of saying, “You made me angry.” Saying, “I felt ignored,” or “I felt embarrassed,” changes the whole conversation.

I still don’t have everything figured out, and honestly, I don’t think anyone my age does. But I think understanding your emotions is one of the first steps to understanding yourself. It’s okay not to be okay all the time. What’s important is learning to recognise what you’re feeling instead of pretending everything is fine.

2.2 Why Emotions Are Not Weaknesses , I hope – 11/7/26

Growing up, I always felt like showing emotions was something I had to avoid. If I cried, I was told I was being too sensitive. If I got upset, people would say I was overreacting. After hearing those things enough times, I started believing that being “strong” meant keeping everything inside. So I smiled when I wanted to cry, laughed when I felt hurt, and kept telling everyone I was okay even when I wasn’t. The problem was that pretending didn’t make my emotions disappear. It just made me feel even more alone.

I think social media makes this even harder. Every time I open Instagram or Snapchat, it looks like everyone else is living the perfect life. People post their achievements, holidays, and happy moments, but nobody really posts about the nights they cried because they felt like they weren’t good enough. It makes you wonder if you’re the only one struggling, even though deep down you know that’s probably not true.

I’ve slowly realised that emotions aren’t signs of weakness—they’re signs that we’re human. Feeling nervous before a presentation means you care about doing well. Feeling disappointed after failing a test means your goals matter to you. Feeling hurt when your friends leave you out means those friendships are important. None of those emotions are bad. They just tell us what matters in our lives.

The hardest part is allowing yourself to admit when you’re not okay. Asking for help still scares me because I worry people will think I’m dramatic or looking for attention. But every time I talk to someone I trust, I realise I’m not as alone as I thought. Everyone is dealing with something, even if they don’t show it.

Being emotionally strong doesn’t mean never crying or never feeling anxious. It means accepting those feelings instead of running away from them. Some days will still be difficult, and that’s completely normal. I think real strength is choosing to keep going while being honest about how you feel instead of pretending you’re fine all the time.

2.3 Emotional Triggers: What Sets You Off and Why – 18/7/26

Sometimes I react to something so strongly that even I don’t understand why. A friend leaves me on read, someone makes a joke about me, my parents compare me to someone else, or I get a lower mark than I expected. To someone else, those things might seem small, but to me they can completely ruin my day. I start overthinking everything and convincing myself that I’m not good enough. Later, when I’ve calmed down, I realise it wasn’t just about that one moment. It reminded me of other times when I felt ignored, judged, or like I wasn’t enough.

I think everyone has emotional triggers, especially teenagers. We’re already trying to deal with school, friendships, family expectations, social media, and figuring out who we want to become. Sometimes it feels like everyone expects us to have our lives sorted out when we’re still trying to understand ourselves. That’s why little things can suddenly feel so big.

One of my biggest triggers is comparison. Whether it’s marks, looks, talents, or even followers on social media, it’s so easy to feel like everyone else is doing better than me. Another trigger is feeling left out. Seeing friends hanging out without me or feeling ignored in a group chat can make me question whether I really belong. Even though I know my thoughts aren’t always true, they feel real in the moment.

The good thing is that understanding your triggers gives you a chance to respond differently. Instead of reacting immediately, I’ve started asking myself, “Why did this affect me so much?” Sometimes I write my thoughts down, sometimes I listen to music, and sometimes I just need to take a break before saying something I’ll regret. It doesn’t always work perfectly, but it’s better than pretending nothing is wrong.

I’m still learning about myself every day, and I know I’ll probably keep discovering new triggers as I grow. But I’ve realised they don’t make me weak or broken. They simply show me the parts of myself that need a little more kindness, patience, and understanding. And maybe that’s something we’re all learning, one day at a time.