High school drama is a problem that plagues many young people, and it can be extremely destructive.
My definition of drama is something that someone made up in their head. It isn’t real unless you make it real. For many young people, school can be a tough place. Bullying and other social problems can make an otherwise safe environment feel unsafe. Here are some ways to avoid drama at school, and help you build self-esteem and confidence to take on life beyond high school:
Stick to the facts
The first thing you should do if you suspect or know that there is drama going on in your school is try to find out the facts. Try not to get involved unless you are asked to. You don’t have to be a part of every argument. Just finding out the facts will usually solve most problems. If this won’t, talk with a trusted adult. Most often, drama at school can be avoided if kids stop passing on rumors and stick to the facts. If you get a rep as a gossip, it can hurt your rep.
Don’t bully others
Apart from not bullying, go further and help someone who is getting bullied. The first thing you can do is to talk to the person who is being bullied and ask them what is going on. You can also try to find out if it is happening all the time or just sometimes. If it is happening all the time, you need to find out what is causing it and who is responsible. Try to find out whether this is one isolated incident or part of a pattern of harassment. In order to change the behavior of the bully, you need to make sure he or she knows that they are not being tolerated–so don’t encourage them or laugh along with them when they bully others.
Stay Connected With Your Favorite People!
If you know someone who has a lot of friends, they almost always have a strong support system. It is people like this person who tend to NOT get picked on. These are the people who have “real” friends to help them get through tough times. So don’t take your friends for granted and keep them on your good side as best you can.
Learn to like yourself
You may have heard a lot about self-acceptance, but it can be a hard thing to actually do. This is because you’re constantly judging yourself and comparing yourself to others, which leads to all sorts of negativity.
You may have heard that “self-love is the greatest love” before, but how many times have you actually thought of your self in a positive light? Do you feel like you’ve achieved “self-love”? If so, congratulations! If not, why not?
If you like yourself, you are much less likely to follow bad influences or be affected by the drama from others.
Don’t Wear Your Insecurities on Your Sleeve
In high school, people are constantly changing, whether it is physically or emotionally. This can lead to a lot of insecurity if you aren’t careful. People who don’t have a strong sense of themselves seem to fall into the trap of acting out with dramatic behaviors. Make sure that you have a good idea of who you are and what you want. This will help you stay grounded and secure.
Identify Your Values What do you value in your life? Is it being an honest person? Being a good friend? Being a good student? If you aren’t sure, ask yourself what matters most to you. The answers to these questions will help you know what values to hold on to.
Avoid Relationship Drama
Relationship drama is the worst type of drama. It’s the most confusing, emotionally draining, and emotionally destructive. If you take a look around, you’ll realize that this type of drama dominates the high school world. When things were great, they were very, very great. You’ve got to hang out, like, all the time and enjoy the good things about each other.
However, all relationships face challenges. If there is a split, life becomes much more awkward and you might think that its all over. (Or at least that’s what your 16-year-old self would have you believe.) The truth is that this is normal, so don’t sweat it and just move on, trying to at least maintain friendly relations with the ex or not stir up trouble with their new BF or GF.
In short, popular people tend to make others feel good about themselves and avoid drama. Try it!