Heads Up For Myself

Stress gets into your mind and your body. Don’t keep it there. Reach out to someone when you need to talk. 

• When you’re overwhelmed by the pressure to get good grades or get into college. 

• When you feel like you need to be the best at school, sports, or relationships. 

• When you don’t have time to rest, relax, or have fun.   

• When you’re getting bullied at home, school, or on social media. 

• When you’re scared of political violence, global conflict, and climate change.   

• When you’re experiencing discrimination due to your race, gender, sexual orientation, body type, religion, or for having a disability.  

• When you’re physically or emotionally impacted by your family's financial struggles. 

Not sure who to talk to? That’s okay. Ask yourself the following:  

• Who do I like to share good news with? 

• Who makes me feel safe and secure? 

• Who do I usually go to when I need support? 

• Is there a teacher, mentor, or coach that shows up for me? 

If you can’t think of anyone, start with your parents, a school counselor, or a healthcare professional. 

You can also text other teens through Hey Sam. It’s a service created for young people by young people. 

Hey Sam is free, confidential, and judgment-free. Text 439-726 between 9 a.m. and midnight EST to connect with other teens. 

Ready to talk, but don’t know what to say? Maybe start like this: 

• “I haven’t been feeling myself lately. Do you have a sec to chat?”  

• “I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed and need to talk about it.” 

• “I’m feeling off and not sure why. Can we chat?” 

• “I’ve got some stuff on my mind. Have some time to talk?” 

You don’t have to put it all out there. Take your time and only share what you want to. And if it starts to be too much, you can stop.  

In some situations, it’s better if you call or text 988 or the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line as they are trained to help you get the exact care you might need. Listed below are examples of those situations. But those call lines are there for you 24/7. You can call anytime you feel like you need support or are confused as to what to do about how you are feeling.  

• If you’re feeling on edge, stressed, anxious, or worried for no reason. 

• If you have physical symptoms like headaches, nausea, GI issues, increased breathing, or increased heart rate. 

• If you’re skipping your favorite activities because of fear, anxiety, depression, or stress. 

• If you’re feeling sad, irritable, moody, or uninterested in things you used to enjoy. 

• If you’re having negative thoughts that don’t go away. 

• If you feel guilty when it's not your fault. 

• If you’re avoiding friends and social activities. 

• If you’re engaging in harmful behaviors, like drugs, vaping, or alcohol. 

• If you’re experiencing intense mood swings or displaying abnormal behavior. 

• If you’re feeling intense paranoia (like thinking people are trying to control your mind or hearing voices that other people don’t hear). 

If you're ever considering hurting yourself or thinking about suicide, call 988 right away. 

Find helplines and mental health resources here.