"Why can't I get this?! I feel so dumb! Am I behind? Why is everyone else understanding this when I'm not?"

These are common questions all of us at This Teenage Life have felt at some point, especially after taking certain tests. In this episode, we talk about situations—mostly academic—where we experience self-doubt, compare ourselves to others, or spiral about grades. We discuss how these moments feel and how we reframe these moments and feelings.

In this episode of This Teenage Life, the teens open up about their experiences with negative thoughts, anxiety, and stress spirals. Through conversations about their inner struggles, they share coping strategies and practices that help them move out of negative headspaces.

In this episode of This Teenage Life, we hear from teens who have published their stories with Novelly, a platform amplifying teen voices. We hear about what it means to be a writer, and the powerful possibilities of storytelling.

If you're interested in reading awesome teen authors or becoming a teen author yourself, check out Novelly at:

https://www.novelly.org/

Welcome to the first episode of Season 8 of This Teenage Life!

The teens discuss their relationships with exercise: Where are the lines between healthy and unhealthy habits? How can an accountability buddy make it easier to find practices you enjoy? We also hear from Kristin Hoffner, a kinesiology professor at Arizona State University, who shares insights on the science of movement and its connection to mental health.

Support for this episode comes from ASU Learning Enterprise. We invite you to explore the Online Health and Wellness Universal Learner Course. Designed for learners at any stage, this course covers a wide variety of health-related topics to improve your personal health and well-being. It even offers an option to earn college credit. Visit the link to learn more: https://courses.ulc.asu.edu/introduction-to-health-and-wellness-hep-100/

Many of us spend a lot of time worrying, thinking about, and navigating expectations about our friendships. Wondering "How close are we really? Do we call ourselves "best friends" yet?" Do we need to have a "best friend" to have meaningful relationships, anyway?

In this episode, we explore the idea of best friends, how we relate to this idea, stories about changing relationships, navigating changing relationships, and reflect on our feelings about friendships and how they affect us.

One of the biggest pressures of getting older is the idea of having to "figure things out" by yourself. How do we navigate the pressure to "know what we're doing" while also being flexible and open to new things? How do we process the reality that life might turn out differently from our childhood dreams? How do we process that life is less linear than we imagined?

In this episode of This Teenage Life, the teens talk about the anticipation of moving from high school to college and beyond. They grapple with expectations to figure out who they are and what they want to be "when they grow up," even while also recognizing that there is no end to growing up, and that all of life is a process of growing.

Looking for a free, youth-run summer opportunity? Check out Coding the Future, a free, virtual, personalized program run by teens that helps other young people learn how to code. You can also email them at [email protected]

This Teenage Life will also be running some fun and creative clubs and workshops this summer. If you're interested in learning more, email us at [email protected].

Throwback episode on a popular topic...periods!

In this episodes, teens share stories and reflections on getting their periods for the first time, navigating the logistics and their feelings about periods, and working to destigmatize menstruation.

To hear our first episode on periods, check it out here on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

In this episode, we reflect on the idea of self care and the many ways we take care of ourselves without expensive products and "glow ups."

We compare fancy routines and performances of self care on the internet with everyday actions we take to feel well-regulated and whole. We hope this episode brings you some joy and self-kindness during this Mental Health Month:)

Please spread the love and share the show, subscribe, and, if you like the show, give us a 5-star review!

Grief, adversity, and trauma are common, formative human experiences that people move through and grow from. Yet, we often avoid talking about this process, making it harder to understand how people make meaning from grief.

Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) offers us a paradigm for how to make sense of hard experiences and move forward in ways that deepen our connections with ourselves and each other.

In this episode, teens share their stories and we hear from Dr. Taryn Greene, a research psychologist who works with the Boulder Crest Foundation to study PTG. Check out Boulder Crest's PTG story challenge, with opportunities to win funding to share your story.

To learn more about posttraumatic growth, check out the resources below. And as always, if you want to reach out, email us at [email protected].

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/struggle-well/202303/how-to-use-grief-to-grow

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/struggle-well/202305/navigating-trauma-is-not-easy-expert-companions-can-help

https://bouldercrest.org/research-resources/what-is-posttraumatic-growth-ptg/