1 . The teenage years are a transformative period marked by great physical, psychological, and emotional changes.     1     They refer to the feelings that arise during interactions with others, such as gratitude, shame, sympathy, guilt, and pride.

Understanding and managing social emotions can help develop teenagers’ identities. Teenagers experience a wide range of emotions from social interactions, which significantly influences their self-understanding and social awareness. In the process, they learn to understand, and appropriately respond to both their own emotions and those of others.     2    

In academic settings, social emotional competencies like self-regulation, motivation, and social awareness directly impact a teenager’s ability to learn, participate, and engage in school activities.     3     Teenagers with strong social emotional skills are better equipped to handle stress, resist peer pressure, and avoid risky behaviors, reducing the likelihood of developing mental health issues.

Learning social emotions involves a combination of personal experience, guidance, and formal education.     4     This environment influences teenagers’ earliest understanding of how to communicate and manage their emotions. They feel safe and supportive to express their emotions freely and learn to manage them without fear of judgment. Schools also play a significant role through social emotional learning programs that teach these skills in a structured environment. Community involvement, extracurricular activities, and peer (同伴) interactions offer additional opportunities for teenagers to practice and refine their social emotional skills.

    5     It contributes to a teenager’s ability to manage their own emotions, understand others’ emotions, and face social complexities. This learning is a cornerstone for shaping their identity, influencing their interpersonal relationships, academic success, mental health, and future life outcomes.

3 . It’s hard to please everybody all the time. Whatever you do, and no matter how hard you try, there will always be certain people who dislike you. There are often times you can overlook them and go on with your life. Sometimes, however, a person’s negative feelings for you might affect your grades or your ability to meet and get along with other people.     1     .

This might be awkward, but sometimes the only way to know what is going on or why someone has a problem with you is to speak out straightforwardly.     2     . That means instead of saying “Why don’t you like me? ”, say something like “I feel like there is some tension between us. Is there anything I have done or anything I can do to help? ”

If you’ve done something to hurt or offend someone and that is the reason why the person dislikes you, the best course of action is to try to make it right. Clearly say the words, “I’m sorry. ” Be sure not to say “I’m sorry you were offended. ” or “I’m sorry you felt that way. ” or anything else that places the blame on the other person for misinterpreting your intentions.     4     .

    5     . Importantly, you have to choose not to allow the person who dislikes you to influence you or get you down. It is OK to be disliked. Remember that even the most popular and well-loved celebrities are disliked by some people!

4 . “Anxiety.” The very word invites discomfort. Its effects—shortness of breath, pounding heart, muscle tension—are outright upsetting. But, as a clinician, I find that we tend to miss out on many valuable opportunities presented by this human emotion. In and of itself, anxiety is not deadly, nor is it a disease. Quite the contrary: it is an indicator of brain and sensory health. Once we accept that it is a normal, though uncomfortable, part of life, we can use it to help us.

We all know working out at the gym is hard. By nature, a “good workout” is uncomfortable, since it involves pushing our physical strength past what we can easily do. The sweet spot of exercise is always a somewhat challenging experience. Similarly, if you want to be emotionally stronger, you need to face some tension. For example, one effective treatment for fear is exposure therapy (疗法), which involves gradually encountering things that make one anxious, reducing fear over time.

Humans are social creatures. When my patients learn to open up to their partners about their anxieties, they almost always report a greater sense of emotional closeness. Also, as international relationship expert Sue Johnson teaches, when we express our need for connection during challenging moments (e.g., “I’m having a hard time right now and could really use your support”), it creates greater connection and turns our anxiety into love.

From time to time, we find ourselves at the end of our rope. Our responsibilities pile up, our resources break down, and we feel uncomfortably anxious—what we’re experiencing is called stress. Simply put, the demands placed upon us outweigh our available resources, just like a set of scales (天平) going out of balance. Focusing on work and pretending everything is OK only leads to disastrous results. Medical treatment for stress may function for a while, but it tends to make things worse in the long run. The only solution to deal with stress is to do the mathematics to balance the scales.

7 . Do you find it difficult to feel content in your own company? Do you feel pressure to be constantly connected to others, resulting in overwhelming anxiety when you’re alone? If the answer is yes, then you’ll be pleased to learn that there are tips to help you enjoy solitude without feeling lonely.

Whether your passion is art, writing, or knitting, being alone is a great opportunity to get connected to it. Investing mindful, quality time into doing something you love is beneficial to your mental health.     1    .

You may find yourself just going through the motions in life. While structure is a good thing, it can also prevent us from moving forward. When you’re alone, sit down with a pen and paper and design a plan.     2    . It could be as simple as aiming to save money, or looking for new hobbies and classes to attend. Being mindful about the direction of your life allows you to feel in control.

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One of the biggest consequences of finding yourself alone is that you may automatically believe you’re bored.     4    . Climb that mountain you always wanted to climb or lift those weights you always wanted to lift. Do something that you see as a challenge and then focus your mental energy on achieving the goal of completing it.

Please understand that loneliness is a feeling, one you can take control of. If you’re a social person most of the time, when you’re alone your brain maybe guilty of convincing you there’s something wrong.     5    . Breathe...Taking time to focus on your breath and meditate has proven to be a great way to reduce those feelings of hopelessness and worry.