Read “Why You Truly Never Leave High School” (2013) and “My So-Karen Life” (2019). Reflect on the themes of identity, race/ethnicity, status, in-group membership, out-group membership, privilege, and shame raised by the authors.
1. Recall a time during your teenage years when you remember being depressed, stressed, or anxious. Remember as much as possible about this past moment. Where were you? What was happening? Who was with you? How did they respond to your worries?
2. During this early depressing/stressful/anxiety-invoking experience, what thoughts do you remember thinking? What bodily sensations did you feel? How were you breathing? What emotions surfaced? What were you worried would happen?
3. If you could go back in time to that experience, as your self today, and have a talk with your younger self, what would you say? How would you offer comfort and reassurance?
4. Knowing what your younger, teenage self was thinking and feeling at the time, what new perspective could you offer? Is there an alternative to your belief system of that past time?
Save these comforting sentiments, as they may soothe you today, too! They may serve as suggestions to transform underlying core beliefs. Notice how this process is similar to several types of psychotherapies.
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