Question by a 16 year old girl:
I’m only 16 and I take full pride in doing school work. Lately I’ve been procrastinating and not studying as much. I am such a neat freak normally but lately I don’t feel like cleaning or organizing anything. I am very much into keeping my body fit but lately I just don’t want to exercise. What is happening to me? Please help me. I’m scared and I just want to go back to the way things were. I just don’t want this to be my life style anymore.
The Cause
Lethargy could be related to a loss sense of purpose. At 16, you would probably be uncertain about your future, unsure of what to do and at a complete lost. An unhappy event which could have affected emotionally could have triggered the episodes.
Need to rediscover a sense of purpose. We reach crossroads in life where we become very uncertain or it challenges the very belief that we used to have. Or we have one after another challenges thrown at us- there’s the homework and there’s the emotions- peer pressure, crushes. Or we lose self confidence when we compare ourselves with others. The expectation laid out by TV is really not helping.
We may keep having to keep up- watch out diet, exercise vigorously, continue winning sports competition, be the most popular guy or girl in school. There’s always ‘competition’ and one day, something within us will question. Our hearts would get too tired being pushed around, of being someone we are not. Conflicts arise when there are feelings in inadequency- so it gets very tiring as the battles rages on within.
This is part of growing up- and how each person deals with it is very individual. It’s not easy. Friends, love and acceptance are very important for a teenager. But lethargy is a sign that we need to let go and balance up. Understand the conflicting emotions and learn to face and overcome them. Take sometime alone and learn to genuinely enjoy your own company- don’t judge your own self worth and values based on other’s acceptance of you or your own popularity levels.
