Believe me when I say this... Almost every girl has been through the same thing as you. So first things first: You’re not alone! Girls all around the world are constantly worrying, trying to find their true self. Teenage years can be rough. Psychologically speaking, it’s the time when most adolescents are trying to discover their identity.

It seems like everyone around you has their life planned out, right?

If you’re anything like me, all you want to do is have your life planned out just the way you want it. Millions of girls struggle with mental health issues because they’re trying so hard to make their life “perfect.” The type of “perfect” you see on TV, in movies. You want that “perfect life” so badly that you’re willing to do anything for it. Trust me when I say this, but you WILL find your true self in due timing. As young people, all we want to do is have everything at our fingertips immediately, I mean it’s just the generation we live in.

When it comes to role models, don’t even get me started on their “perfect” bodies. Those perfect bodies aren’t even real! Chances are, the people you see on Instagram with slim, toned bodies are most likely photoshopped in some way or another. It’s funny to me how our generations push to see a more realistic representation of women in the media but we are still seeing the same people. Models are still bone-skinny and tall with no imperfections at all.

Just a reminder to you girls out there that the models that most businesses and brands hire are not at all normal. Not every girl looks like them! I mean come on, we’re women! We go through a lot of changes throughout life. Stretch marks are completely normal and having extra pockets of fat in places you may not want them to be is even more normal.

It took me a while to find my identity. Most of my teenage years were spent crying and stressing over who I was meant to be. However, I found my identity only after experiencing new things in life. I tried every new opportunity that life brought my way. Doing this allowed me to figure out what was and what wasn’t right for me. I developed more likes and dislikes that further allowed me to develop a more interesting personality. I could finally clearly identify the interests in my life that defined who I was.

Although some may not understand why that was such a big deal, I felt that discovering my interests that shaped my identity was everything that I was looking for. Trying different things to see where you fit in is key to developing your identity. Try going to different clubs at school that you may have some interest in. It's important to have a strong support system and you may just find those people at the book club you've been wanting to go to for years. Having a group that shares the same interests as you is important and in return, helps you grow even more.

Whatever your interests are, make sure that you feel connected to those around you.