Let’s talk emotions! Ok, so you’ve got a lot going on right now! You’re juggling the physical and emotional changes during puberty with so many other things: school, family, friends, dating…that’s a lot. There are no two ways about it, going through puberty is a big deal, so here's your guide to managing those emotional changes.
Let's take a closer look at the emotional changes that occur during puberty, and give you some tips and advice on how to manage them. Whether you're experiencing mood swings, feeling anxious, or just need some guidance on how to navigate this exciting but challenging time, we're here to help! So, let's get started and explore the emotional ups and downs of puberty together.
Feelings of worry and anxiety are your body’s natural way of preparing for new challenges and now you’re growing into a young adult, you’ll face a few of them. They’re caused by your biology and a rush of chemicals called hormones in your body, preparing you for “fight or flight” — giving you a quick burst of energy should you need to tackle a situation. But don’t panic, we all get these feelings and it’s important to take a few deep breaths and remind yourself of that.
Puberty can be a crazy time for your hormones and can last a few years, so it’s bound to take some adjustment. It’s important to remember that puberty is a time of transition as you become a young adult, so it can be confusing as you adapt to the ‘new you’. Your hobbies may change, you may start to think about what you want for your future, or you may be expected to take on more responsibility at home. All of this is totally normal and bound to be a bit confusing, so try not to be too hard on yourself if you don’t adapt overnight!
As you grow into a young adult, the world can feel like a bit of a scary place. You may feel lots of pressure to do well at school, be popular on TikTok or with your friends etc. That’s totally normal. It’s ok to feel anxious but remember you’re not alone! We don’t know anyone who’s gone through what you’re going through without having a wobble now and again. If you’re finding your moods increasingly more difficult to control or you feel things are too overwhelming it may help to reach out to a family member or guardian, they will have experienced similar things and may have some good advice on how to navigate this period of your life or be able to get you the help you need. Remember, you’re doing fab and we'll tackle the emotional changes during puberty together — we've got this!
Unfortunately, with all these hormones flying about, you’re bound to get mood swings. You may feel happy one moment, like you want to cry the next and back to your normal self just as quickly. They’re completely normal but just as you notice your moods changing so will those around you. It’s good to try and control them if you can, so you don’t end up saying things you don’t mean or hurting anyone else’s feelings. We promise they won’t last forever, it’s just a normal part of growing up. As you find yourself going through the motions, no matter how much you love your parents or carers they may drive you mad! Take a minute to put yourself in their shoes: their role up to now has been to keep you safe and take care of everything; from nappies to driving you from A to B, so your grown-up need for independence might take a bit of getting used to.
Lots of families find this new transition hard, you won’t be the only ones. The best thing to do? Try to talk about it as openly and honestly as you can with each other, they were teenagers once and they may be finding it hard because you remind them of themselves!
So here’s the thing, everyone is different. Everyone starts puberty at different ages and your friends may be in a different stage to you – that doesn’t mean they’re more mature or ‘better at puberty’ than you. Truth is, your friends are probably going through the same and feeling just as confused, so try to support one another. You may find that you’ve changed friendship groups in this period as you find out more about who you are and that’s fine too. There is a lot going on right now for all of you but getting to know yourself is just as important as being part of a friendship group. Remember you’re unique, this puberty madness won’t last forever and it will teach you a lot about who you are as a person and it will be doing the same for all of your friends.
Here at Lil-Lets, we have designed our Teens range specially for first periods and the few years following this because we know starting your period can be a daunting time, made worse by unsuitable sanitary wear!
