Introduction

Being young is hard. Everything is unknown, everyone else’s opinions seem to matter and little speed bumps cause collateral damage.

When I first moved to secondary school, this was exactly the case for me. Girls were mean, social media dictated my every move and I desperately wanted to fit in, but I never felt that I did. This all seemed like the end of the world, and I just couldn’t see that I wasn’t the only one feeling like I was on the outside. I wish I knew then that most of my classmates were just as uncomfortable as I was. It felt impossible to leave the house each morning for school, and I couldn’t even say why. Nothing was really wrong, but nothing ever felt right either. I was very unhappy, and that’s not a good way to be feeling for a long time.

I think that when you’re at your worst, advice can go straight over your head. You just want to know that everything is going to be okay. The problem is, though, that people can tell you this all they want, but you know there’s no way that they could know it for sure.

I felt frustrated and angry a lot. I didn’t know why school wasn’t working out for me, so I couldn’t take anything on board to try and make it all better. Letting other people see how I was really feeling was my worst nightmare. I thought that if I put up with the discomfort for a little bit longer, everything would brighten up. But that was like leaving a wound open for more bacteria and dirt to get inside; it just made things worse.

I don’t think it’s okay for anyone to be stuck in a sad place for a long time like I was. I felt like no one could possibly understand what I was going through, because to be honest, I didn’t fully understand it either. It was even more frustrating to know that everyone around me seemed assured that I was going to somehow feel better, but I couldn’t see it that way at all. It seemed that I would be stuck in that place forever.

Getting ready to face my final years of schooling, I’d be lying if I said that things were perfect. But after learning how to deal with the discomfort, things are getting better. A few years ago, it would have been so reassuring to have known for sure that it was all going to turn out fine.

In creating this book, I don’t expect to provide instant relief to young people out there going through the same things that I did. I know from experience that it only feels overwhelming when advice is coming from every direction, despite everyone’s good intentions. When you’re feeling as bad as I was, the only person who can convince you that things will get better is yourself.

While I know that I can’t make people feel instantly okay, I’d like this book to provide support to anyone feeling low. Other people out there who have struggled at some point in their lives have gone on to do amazing things, which is possible for anyone, regardless of what they may be going through. Being young can be hard, but it’s a journey that we’ve all got in common.