The Advice Column

By: Ruby Butler (12th Grade)

I’ve been feeling really burnt out lately and like I’m not good enough anymore. Do you have any advice to help me from feeling this way?

At this time of year, it’s common to feel burnt out or unmotivated. The most important thing when you’re feeling this feeling is to take care of yourself. There’s no such thing as being “not good enough” if you’re still trying your best. Comparing yourself to your peers is something that is easy to slip into, but ultimately can leave you feeling less capable. It’s important to focus on yourself and your own achievement, and to remind yourself that moments of rest are just as important as achieving academic success. When you feel this way, it is so important to reach out to a trusted adult. Our counselors in the counselor department are extremely experienced with students feeling unmotivated or incapable, and will provide ways to combat these feelings. I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way - these feelings will pass :)

Around the time of Valentine's Day I always get sad because I see people in my grade in relationships and it makes me feel like I’m not meant to be in a relationship or that I’m behind somehow. Is there any advice I could get to stop feeling that?

First of all, it’s completely normal to not be in a relationship in high school. Although being with someone is really important to some, it is completely okay to not be in a relationship either. It is important to note that many of your peers might be in relationships due to insecurity or because they’re trying to avoid the feelings you’re feeling. Relationships made out of insecurity aren’t a good decision for either person. There’s nothing about you that you should think has caused you to be without a relationship, either. The right person will come at the right time!

I’ve had a hard time getting my parents to understand me recently. I feel like every time I try to talk to them about how I’m stressed it turns into an argument or a misunderstanding. Is there anything I can do to make this better?

It’s really hard to feel misunderstood by your parents especially when you’re stressed or upset. One option to help with this feeling is to have a conversation with them. This might be difficult since conversation has proved difficult to you recently, but it’s important to approach this specific conversation calmly and in a straightforward way. If you let your parents know how you’ve been feeling, they might have a better understanding as to how their responses have been affecting you. It’s also extremely important to take care of yourself, too. Try talking about how you’ve been feeling with a trusted adult like a school counselor or therapist. It’s also important to note that your parents might be experiencing challenges of their own as well. During a stressful time of the year, both you and your parents might have things going on outside of your conversation with each other, which could affect how they ultimately play out.

Need some advice? Click here to submit your questions!