A major part of emotional self-care is simply paying attention to your feelings—from what kinds of situations spark certain emotions, to how you react to those emotions. You aren’t nitpicking your faults or fixing what’s “wrong” with you; you’re simply getting curious about your emotions and how you express them, and noticing any patterns or habits that might be getting in the way of your success. These really are formative years, and the thoughts you start to reinforce at this stage in your life can easily stick around for years to come—so make sure they’re helpful ones!
You might start this practice by thinking back to what kinds of things made you happy or mad or sad during high school, and how you reacted to those feelings back then. Then, contemplate whether anything has changed or stayed the same—either in your feelings or how you react to them now. You can write down the things you’re good at when it comes to self-expression, along with what you want to get better at. You can even ask a friend to do the same for you, then compare the lists; you’ll receive open, objective feedback that helps you grow.