We've grown up hearing, change is the only constant, but we aren't told that, sometimes, change is not only in our surroundings but within ourselves too. We don't always get the chance of going back to who we were before something happened, because sometimes, some situations affect us in ways we didn't think possible, and there's no going back. We need to get to our lowest point, to grow, and discover parts of ourselves we didn't know existed.

This change can happen because of many reasons. For teenagers, it could be parents having high expectations from them, having plans which don't always go accordingly, or childhood trauma. It isn't very easy to be a teenager with everyone treating them as a child half the time and still expecting them to make decisions about their life. With adults, it could be a family that doesn't care, low self-esteem, or a feeling of loneliness.

We often disregard mental wellbeing and do not give it the importance it deserves. We see instances of stereotyping, and of people disregarding mental health issues. People don't consult mental health professionals even though one in four people suffer from mental health disorders at some point in their life. The stigma, discrimination, and neglect that is associated with it stand in the way of consulting professionals, causing them more problems. Our thoughts are often shaped by those around us, and what we don't realize is, our words have a lot of impacts too. The instances we belittle, aren't small. They make a difference. One might have heard about the ripple effect, and how we choose to use it, is up to us. We can be the one promoting mental wellbeing or the one disregarding it, We get a choice every single time. Ignoring something is worse than being the negative influencer because, here, you are the one who isn't taking an action despite knowing about it. It's very important to stand up to people who disregard it, and try and use your skills to allow people to know about the same.

In this growing, competitive world where everyone is striving to be better than one another, we forget to take time out for ourselves. We get so focused on being better and doing better, we forget about our mental health and its existence. It is so important to remember, even when nobody reminds you, that you need to stop sometimes, and have days only for yourself. You need to start loving yourself. When you're saying jokes, instead of self-deprecating yourself, appreciate yourself. When you look into the mirror, point out things you love about yourself, instead of the stuff you think are 'flaws'. Loving oneself is not just lovingly your outer body, but also about loving the person you are, while at the same time, trying to be a better person every day. We need to ask ourselves why we do things. Yes, college, school, family, and every other thing does matter, but you need to stop for once. You need to read that book you have wanted to read for a long time and take a deep breath. You need to learn to say no to things that don't make you happy, and not be afraid to say yes to things that you want to do. If something feels wrong or makes you unhappy, you don't have to do it just because someone asked you to. You don't have to please everyone, you can't please everyone. All you need to do is just stop for once, and appreciate things around you. Be proud of your progress and how far you have come. Maybe there is still a long way to go, but you can do it. On days you feel that your thoughts are jumbled up, you can write them down in a piece of paper and try and sort things out, and try and prioritize on what is the most important at the moment, and do things accordingly. Do things you want to do, it could be making brownies at 3 am, or going paragliding. If face timing with your friends makes you happy, then do it. Spend time with the ones you love and talk to the person you have been wanting to. Smile when you feel like it, and try finding things that make you happy. Make a journal or start that book you thought of when you were 12. Sleep for 8 hours straight in the evening if that's what you want. Get yourself off social media for a while if you feel like that floods you with negative thoughts. See the sunset and go on long drives with the ones you love. Talk to people, because, when we look deep enough, we realize every single person and each place has a story to tell. Those trees, those mountains, that person sitting on the park bench looking into oblivion, or the one who helps you clean up your mess, everyone is living a life. Sometimes, we need to stop and ask them, what's their story, what they love, or what they want to be, because honestly, there are people just waiting to be heard, like you. Talk to them, and ask them about their day, maybe they will ask you about yours. You might just find someone that makes you happy, that stranger in the park might turn to your best friend. Check up on people, but mostly, check up on yourself. Ask yourself how you are feeling every day. Make smiles on every piece of paper you find. Maybe things are hard right now, but there are people who care who will help you through it. Talk to mental health consultants. If you don't have enough financially to do so, then there are toll-free numbers of mental health professionals, consult them. Society shouldn't be deciding how you should be living your life. If you feel that you aren't doing okay mentally, it's completely alright. Talk to people who can help you through it.