idk

[Guest_01698185]

recently it was my birthday, and i turned 16. idk why but i feel so different. i feel older but then again not really. i haven't changed, but everything around me is changing. im closer to becoming an adult, closer doing my hsc, i got my Ls yesterday. i just want to be a kid again, i don't want all this stress and this pressure to be happy and content all the time. i cried a lot on my birthday, and i dont know why. not really. im scared of growing up. im scared of being 16. i know im still young, i just need someone to tell me that.

[Sophie_M]

Hey idk123_4,

Welcome to the Forums. Thank you for posting here and sharing with us what has been happening for you. Turning 16 is a big milestone and can certainly feel both exciting but also overwhelming.

Your feelings are no doubt shared by a lot of young people in the community. Preparing for HSC and learning to drive (congratulations on passing your Ls, by the way) are both big life events and your feelings of stress are completely understandable.

You are still young, but in the midst of such ‘adult’ milestones it can be hard to remember this! Are there things that you have in life that bring you some enjoyment or respite from the stress? While there can be a lot of pressure placed on HSC and figuring out what we want to do after school, it is super important to make sure we are creating space for the things that bring us joy, too.

We are always here if you want to talk, via phone or online chat. Other options are a school counsellor or teacher if there’s someone you know can be supportive. Our friends at ReachOut, too, have some great advice regarding school-related stress
 
We hope that you have been able to do something nice for yourself over the last few days. Our community is here to support you.

Take good care of yourself 🙂

Kind regards
Sophie M

[BlueLily]

Hi Guest_01698185,

This reminds me so much of the mixed emotions that I went through when I was going through my teen years. I am glad that you are in this forum sharing your emotions and asking for support in this safe space. That itself is a great start.

Becoming an adult can be scary and overwhelming at times. Trust me, even though I'm way passed my teens I still have days that I wish I didn't have to have certain responsibilities in life. So everything you are feeling is normal and fair. It's a matter of how you navigate through life to become an adult and making sure you have the right support system and role models around you. 

You've already got your Ls, that's such an achievement! You should be very proud. HSC is another big milestone (Good luck with HSC!) so it's totally natural you feel the pressure.

I think what gave me strength going in to adulthood is making sure that I was doing things I like and helping each other while focusing on my future. For example after finishing school I chose a path I really liked and applied to a university degree. That was very exciting and I was so much looking forward to it. I tried to focus on adult things I like such as cooking interesting dishes or learning new skills. 

Best of luck!