Plenty of teens—and adults—feel “blah” at least some of the time.

For teenagers, though, hormones might be making the normal “blahs” feel worse or last longer. You probably know that puberty causes all kinds of body changes. Girls begin growing breasts, guys sprout facial hair, and the zits start popping up. These changes are caused by surges of natural chemicals in the body called hormones.

Hormones cause emotional changes, too. You may feel like things are great one day and awful the next. Other times, you might feel apathetic—meaning you couldn’t care less about what’s going on in your life or your friends’ lives, which can make it hard to take steps to make the situation better.

The best thing to do is first realize why you’re feeling this way. Then, take positive steps to help yourself feel better. That means doing something that’s good for you every single day.

Listen to music, read, make plans with friends or join a club. It can also be helpful to exercise or play a sport regularly. Not only is exercise good for you physically, it causes your body to release chemicals called endorphins. These give you a “natural high,” and can make you feel better. Even just walking regularly can give you a boost.

Other people find it helps to write in a journal, talk with friends, draw or find other creative ways to express their feelings; it can help you understand and then let go of your negative emotions.

Sometimes people look to feel better in unhealthy ways. For example, they may think having sex will make them feel better about themselves or will help them to feel less alone. This can backfire, though, because it can be hard to make the best decisions for yourself if you’re depressed or really down.

Drugs and alcohol are another way that people sometimes try to “check out” of how they’re feeling. You might get some short-term escape, but in the long run you’ll end up feeling worse because the feelings are still there and you haven’t learned a healthy way to cope with them.

Now, if you do all this and that “blah” feeling sticks with you for more than a couple of weeks—and certainly, if it feels like it’s getting worse, it’s time to get some help.

Talk to your parents or another trusted adult. If you don’t feel like you can go to your parents with this problem, try the school counselor, a teacher, neighbor or other family member. There are also plenty of free or low-cost counseling centers available in most towns. Check online under “counseling” or “mental health services” in your zip code, or call your doctor, local mental health board or hospital for a referral. You can also find a trustworthy counselor through this Web site.

The best thing to do is reach out and get some help. Don’t try to go through this alone.