Life can feel overwhelming at times. Curfews. Goals. Mean girls. Asshole boys. Bad moods. Panic attacks. Fitting-in. Not fitting-in. Dad’s drunk. Mom’s a bitch. Can’t sleep, can’t wake up. Seriously, #TheStruggleIsReal.

However, it’s important to remember that these are all growing pains.

This is the small stuff. You, my dear, are the big stuff.

Curfew— Stop bitching. At least your parents give a shit, and nothing good happens after 11pm anyway. Trust me.

Goals— One day at a time. Do what you can every day and let the chips fall where they may. You can only control what you say and do. Do your best. Let it go.

Mean girls— Hurt people hurt people. Set boundaries. Don’t take shit. You don’t need everyone to like you, you need them to respect you. That starts with respecting your damn self.

Asshole boys— No excuses. Don’t take it personally. Never compromise your values or yourself for another person’s comfort. If he’s a jerk, tell him he’s a jerk. Block him. Move on.

Bad moods— Start with some lifestyle changes. Eat, sleep, exercise. Manage your negative thoughts. Make another person’s day everyday on purpose.

Panic attacks— Breathe. Do some deep muscle relaxation. Try this. 

Fitting-in/Not fitting-in— Stand in your power. Don’t toss aside those integral pieces of self (a.k.a., the unique things that make you you), so that people will accept you. You accepting you is much more important long-term.

Dad’s drunk— He has a disease. Go to al anon. They have 12 step meetings for family members of alcoholics. They can help you.

Mom’s a bitch— She loves you more than her own life. So much so that sometimes, she can’t even see the difference between your life and her own. It makes her act like a controlling crazy person. I’m not making excuses, just offering explanations. #Breathe

You can’t sleep— Shut down your electronics a couple of hours before bed. Read “The Power of Now” by Eckart Tolle for 30 minutes before bed.

Can’t wake up— Get in bed at 9:30pm, lights out at 10pm. Sound early? Do it for one week.

Look, “struggling” is just a word we use for learning how to live despite all that life throws in our way.

The good news? You’ll get stronger with every struggle you overcome.

Start small, have faith.

You can do it.