As you grow older you learn more about yourself and others and go through a range of life experiences. These pages are intended to help you think about your experiences and support you through difficult times.
Experiencing Racism
Some people find that they are treated differently because of the way that they look, whether that’s the colour of their skin, their race or their ethnicity. This is not acceptable and you must speak up if you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
Sexuality
Sexuality can be confusing in terms of the vocabulary used, how you are feeling about yourself and how other people are treating you because of it. If someone treats you unfairly or badly because of your sexuality then that’s discrimination.
My Gender and Sexuality
Your experiences with your gender may affect your mental health. For some, this can be a confusing or difficult time, but it doesn’t always have to be this way. Here's some information and advice to help.
Transitions
Life is not easy! We will all encounter different changes, transitions and challenges within our lives, for example moving school, moving house or friendship, relationship or family issues. These challenges test our resilience and ability to cope, when something difficult happens. These situations can upset us; they can make us feel sad, anxious, stressed, angry or disappointed. It is important to acknowledge that these feelings are ‘normal’ and experienced by everyone at some point. You are not alone.
Bullying
Bullying is when someone physically (punching, kicking, shoving, pushing) or verbally (name-calling, teasing, putting you down) abuses you. It also includes stealing or destroying your personal belongings.
Abuse
Abuse can come in many forms, such as physical, mental, emotional, verbal or sexual. It also includes neglect. It is often about someone trying to get power over you to get you to do things you may not be comfortable with.
Body Image
Body image is how we think and feel about ourselves and how we believe others see us. Body image isn’t just about weight. There are different ways we might think and feel about our bodies – sometimes we might like our bodies (or parts of our bodies) and other times where we might struggle with how we look.
Exam Stress
It is normal to feel a bit worried about your exams but pressure to do well can sometimes feel overwhelming, causing you to feel anxious or depressed. Remember: you are not alone and there are things you can do to help yourself.
Grief and Loss
You may feel a whole range of emotions if you’re dealing with the loss someone close to you such as a family member, friend or even a pet. Grief is not always in response to a death, it can be a change in a relationship with someone. For example, if someone close to you moves away or someone experiences changes due to illnesses such as dementia.
Problems at School
School brings many challenges which can affect your mental health. From exam stress, tricky relationships, problems concentrating, bullying or finding schoolwork difficult – we all face different problems at school from time to time.
Social Media
In today’s world, many of us rely on social media platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to find and connect with each other. Although this technology is designed to bring people closer together, spending too much time engaging with social media can actually make you feel lonelier and more isolated.
Coping with Every Day Life Experiences - Resources
Please see the links below for further help and advice: