Chapter 1 Personal Development 19
Emotional Changes
It is easy to see the changes that
are happening to you physically.
You also know that you are learning
every day. You may wonder if all
these new and confusing feelings
you are having are normal. The
answer is “Yes!”
Emotions are feelings about
people and events in your
life. During adolescence, your
emotions may become more
intense. Something that never
used to bother you before may
suddenly cause worry, sadness,
or confusion. Perhaps you did not
spend much time thinking about
your appearance. Now you may
change your clothes three times
before you decide what to wear.
Talking in front of the class may
have seemed easy when you were
younger. Perhaps you worry more
now about what your classmates
think and say about you.
You may also notice your
feelings change quickly. You begin
to understand what people mean
when they say someone is moody.
You may feel happy and carefree
one day and sad the next. One day
you might enjoy being with people.
The next day you may wish they
would all go away and leave you alone. Your best friend may hurt your
feelings one day and make you angry. You then worry about how to become
best friends again, 1-12.
At times, your friends may get on your nerves. You might be angry with
a sibling or parent for no apparent reason. You may feel certain that you know
exactly what you want. At other times, you may feel like doing something
completely different. These constantly changing feelings are normal. There
is nothing wrong with you. As you develop, you learn how to handle your
emotions. You also learn how to express your feelings and emotions appropriately.
There are both negative and positive emotions. Negative emotions, such as
anger, jealousy, envy, and fear, can often be hard to handle. Positive emotions,
such as love, affection, and joy, make life fun and exciting.
1-11 Communicating your thoughts becomes easier
as your intellectual skills improve.
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