Hi Sloppy_Dreams,

I used to be like that, too. I used to compare myself to other people in the room and imagine all the things they might be saying about me. Then in my early twenties I began to imagine like they were saying the worst possible things that they could possibly think of. I imagined they called me ugly, and fat, and stupid, and that I wasn’t good enough to socialize with them. Maybe I was the worse person in the entire class.

So what?

I realized that I cannot ever know for sure what people think about me, but I can work on knowing myself. If you are living life they way you think is right, a way you can be proud of, then what other people think won’t bother you as much. Is there something about yourself or your life that you wish you could change? If so, create a list of steps that will help you work toward that change and appreciate the progress toward becoming the person you want to.

Another suggestion I would have is to find something you love to do and appreciate doing it instead of thinking about all the things that bother you, many of which may not even be true. Anytime you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, maybe you can pull a book out, or pull up a favorite app, and try to lose yourself instead of falling into the emotion. You probably won’t even remember what is bothering you now by the end of school.

Focusing on ways you can help others can also take your mind off all the anxious thoughts. You can reflect on the good that you did during the day instead of all the imagined judgments of other people. Even simple things like a smile or a compliment could make someone’s day.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by Mark.