teens unscripted

happy new years everyone! hope you all are having an amazing start to 2026 filled with gratitude💛 this episode we will be looking back at our highs and lows in 2025 and how we used what we learned to elevate the new years 💛💛 stay tuned for more content!!

happy thanksgiving teens unscripted fam!! we appreciate all your support, no matter how big or small it may be, and giving us a part of your day to listen to us yap!!in this episode, we go more into what gratitude means to us, setting positive intentions, and fostering more contentment by nurturing the relationships we have which make us better peoplewe hope you all are able to resonate with this episode, plz take the remaining part of this year to really hold onto those relationships that keep you strong!thanks for listening !!

hey hey! welcome back to another episode where we are joined with Edie Westergard, an MSW Therapist, former NAMI employee, and an extremely helpful guide for our mental health works!in this episode, we get to know more about how youth can be the catalyst for change in their community, whether its starting their club, joining an organization, or just reaching out to people who you think may need help. we also dive into how to recognize when we need to help for mental health and the importance of being open to therapy. we hope you guys are able to take something valuable from this episode and share it with a loved one! thanks for listening and we hope to see you next time :)

hi everyone! in this episode we are joined by Sarah from THIRA Health! with Sarah, we talk about everything ranging from the role of group therapy, the importance of neuroscience in mental health advancement, and the power of acceptance and hope in healing.to learn more about what THIRA Health specializes in, please visit: https://thirahealth.com/ thank you all for listening to this episode! we hope you took something meaningful from it :)))

hihi! 🌟 welcome back to another episode! join us as we dive into Brene Brown's BRAVING model, your guide to measuring and nurturing relationships! discover how to be a healthier partner and friend with fun insights, stories, and tips. let's strengthen those bonds together! #BRAVING https://share.google/LnjUGRwne8PNCAGgp

hi everyone and welcome back! in this episode, we sit down with a 988 responder and ask questions about their experience de-escalating crisis, and the tips they have for us, as people interested in mental health advocacy. we also add in our own insights based on our extensive suicide prevention trainings, so there's a lot of tidbits here and there. if you're interested in becoming a responder, check for opportunities in your local region! thanks for listening :) if you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, text or call the 24/7 hotline at 988. there are trained professionals ready to respond to crisis.

hi hi everyone! thank you for tuning in this episode where we just talk about our current life, reflect on friendships, share our thoughts on the first day of school , and recognizing that your now is not your forever, things get better :) !!make sure to listen to our 988 episode where we share our conversation with the hotline and talk about suicide prevention. stay safe and happy !!!

hey all! welcome back to an episode where we take a break from discussing our normal teen life and instead talk about ADVOCACY!!advocacy is super exciting and relevant now days, and it is not hard to get involved! whether you want to make a change on an individual, personal scale or a grand, national level, there is always a way for you to get involved.stay tuned for our next vid! thank you all for listening 💛💛

frustrated because that friend who comes asking for advice is really just complaining all the time? we're back with a new episode guiding you through dealing with this exact situation! we speak from personal experience when we say its tough navigating this on both ends, being the person who doesn't want to be stuck in a tough situation and being the person who listens, day in and day out. stream our latest episode to hear our tips and our conversation unpacking why these people might not want to take your advice. our five minute call to action touches on avoidant personality disorder and dialectical behavior therapy! check out these links to learn more:

hi all! welcome back to our podcast and a special episode with a member of Washington State's Legislative Youth Advisory Board! in this episode, we dive into how youth can begin their journey with advocacy, how to get involved in their schools, and also talking about personal experience with youth depression and how one can help themselves navigate through that hardship.as promised, here is some brief information about current (and dead) bills in WA state regarding youth mental health: there were a couple of bills this past session focused on improving support for youth, especially in schools. one of them was hb 1663 (and its partner bill sb 5369), which wanted to expand the role of school social workers and get more mental health interns and associates into schools, especially in communities that need it most. sadly, that bill didn’t move forward this session. another one was hb 2038 (and sb 5799), which proposed creating a youth behavioral health fund by taxing big social media companies. the idea was to use that money to boost mental health services for youth across the state. that bill also didn’t pass this time, but it shows that there’s growing attention on youth mental health in the capitol.source: washington state legislature website at leg.wa.gov

hi hi all!! we're BACK and better than ever, giving you an episode on how to have a #mindfulandproductive summer! just because its summer does NOT mean you have to rot all day or be in your summer slump. summer is the time to ENJOY the little things and re-set your mind to be happy and healthy 💛💛we have exciting content coming up and loads of features to have more diverse voices on the podcast, so stay tuned!! if you want to read more about the science behind the "summer slump", keep reading below: so if you’re wondering what this whole “summer slump” thing is about, it’s when summer seems like freedom at first but turns into boredom, isolation, and zero motivation, which can actually make anxiety or depression worse. kids often lose the structure they have during the school year, making it harder to adjust back in the fall. college students can also feel disappointed or behind if they don’t have a plan.the good news? beating the slump is all about adding some structure and intention! for younger kids, keeping a simple routine, planning fun activities, giving them space to play on their own, and using small rewards can help a ton. for college students, it’s about creating a schedule you’re excited for, making time to rest and recharge, staying socially connected even from a distance, trying new things, and letting go of the pressure of what you “should” be doing.basically: summer doesn’t have to mean rotting away or feeling stuck. with a little planning, you can reset, enjoy the little things, and have the happiest, healthiest summer ever! stay tuned for more awesome tips and voices coming your way!! 💛✨ #mindfulandproductivesource: behavioralpsychstudio.com

we're done! the dreaded junior year is finally behind us which means an episode reflecting on what it means to find ourselves after IB, navigating the confusing thoughts of being a teenager, and being scared of the future. join us in this rollercoaster by listening in! we hope you enjoy this light hearted episode and found some relatability in our thoughts post-junior year, or some comfort knowing that this year isn't as bad as people make it out to be! you're never alone! with love, kushi & yana

hi hi all! after our couple month hiatus (so sorry!) we are BACK with another episode, recapping what we've been up to for the last 2 months in terms of advocating for youth mental health. in the first half of the episode, we talk about our first time experience of LOBBYING, which we did alongside NAMI in order to advocate for various bills and legislation. in the second half, we switch gears and dive into our involvement in the Bellevue Youth Involvement Conference, where we were panelists on their mental health panel! real-world problems and solutions regarding mental health advocacy are shared in this episode, so if YOU want to start your journey advocating, we highly suggest you listen to this episode :)thank you so much for listening! follow us on instagram @teensunscipted!!

do you ever feel frustrated and annoyed by the people who surround you, even your closest friends? this is (most likely) a feeling we've all experienced, but its a confusing one. how are you supposed to navigate such complex feelings? tune in to this episode to see our takes on this topic. we'll be uploading more content very soon! stay tuned. love u guys 💛 follow us on our instagram @teensunscripted

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! we hope you guys enjoyed the new year and spent it with the people you love. in this episode, we're giving you some of our personal tips on self-care on how YOU can create the strongest 2025. from exercising, meditating, hydrating, and practicing gratitude, these simple habits can help us become better, happier, and more positive people. thanks for tuning in! we hope to see you in our next episode! if you've made it all the way to here, follow us on our instagram @teensunscripted

hi hi!!! welcome back to teens unscripted! in this LAST episode of 2024, we look back into 2024, share our highlights, some of our challenges, and the lessons we will carry with us into 2025. we hope you guys have/had a cozy holiday szn and we encourage YOU all to come up with some resolutions for yourself. its never too late to change up your habits. stay tuned for more content in 2025! thanks for tuning in! if you made it this far, follow us on our instagram @teensunscripted

MERRY (almost) XMAS EVERYONE!!! This episode is a little bit of a shorter one! Join us as we recap our 2024 jnr year, reflect on our accomplishments, share our holiday plans, and more. We hope you guys are staying warm and cozy during this winter season. We appreciate all your support so much 💛 ALSO! As mentioned in the episode, here is the link to pre-submit questions for our NAMI PANEL on Dec 19th. We would really appreciate your support: https://forms.gle/7yUEgSinypMkVSRv6 And if you made it this far, follow us on our insta @teensunscripted!!!

does your intuition tell you someone has overstepped your boundaries? where do you draw the line between self-preservation and being secretive? what does it mean to truly open up? what do healthy boundaries look like? we grapple with these confusing questions and more in this episode, where we share our personal struggles with communicating our boundaries and sticking to them. if you're dealing with something similar, listen in to our advice! please listen to the suicide prevention episode, which we published last week after streaming this one. we appreciate it! we hope you're all staying healthy and safe, especially if you're in our region, which was recently hit with the bomb cyclone  💛💛 if you made it this far, follow us on instagram at @teensunscripted!

trigger warning: suicide & depression. are you struggling with heavy thoughts? is someone around you exhibiting warning signs associated with suicidal behavior? would you like to know strategies to contribute to creating suicide-safe communities? hey everyone, this is a serious episode, and likely the most important one we’ve ever made. we recently did a suicide prevention training through safeTALK, and this week, we recap this experience and our main takeaways. we want to emphasize that every single person’s life is valuable, and many suicides are preventable. through this episode, we hope you learn about invitations, ways to navigate conversations with people thinking of suicide, and connect them with the help they need. hotlines:  24/7 Suicide or Crisis Hotline: 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: HEAL to 741741  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.8255 WA Teen Link 7 days/week 6-9:30: 1.866.TeenLink. other resources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqfn8XvpJD4 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention https://988lifeline.org/help-someone-else/ please reach out to our instagram @teensunscripted or to our email [email protected] if you’d like to just talk through anything. you’re not alone, and you’re so strong!

does it feel like you have too much on your plate? like you’re juggling multiple lives while still trying to maintain healthy relationships? in this episode, we have a special guest (and our special friend!) abhidi who is also the founder of EmpowerCare, an organization dedicated to improving healthcare access for underserved communities. tune in as we chat with abhidi about dealing with the pressures of school, coping with tumultuous relationships, and being a women in stem. look forward to more content coming soon!!

do you feel undeserving of your accomplishments? does imposter syndrome hit you time to time? do you convince yourself that your success is because of factors aside from your hard work? we discuss all these confusing feelings and our personal experiences battling imposter syndrome as people with high expectations for ourselves. here's our reminder to be more lenient and kind with yourself!

are you feeling the pressure of junior year? struggling to balance productivity, friendships, and your sanity? in this episode, we explore the ups and downs so far of our jnr year of high school! we'll share our experiences with managing time effectively while still making room for the fun moments with friends. tune in as we figure it all out together!

in a negative world, positivity is so key. but is it possible to be too positive? we tackle this topic in this episode, as we talk about what kinds of positivity is self-sabotage in disguise. this is a reminder that if you're struggling, that's valid, and you don't need to negate your feelings because of the situations other people are in. we hope through being transparent about our journeys with this, you feel less alone :) if you've made it this far, follow follow us on @teensunscripted and reach out if you'd like to talk about anything LOTS OF HUGSSS💛💛💛

"just smile more, you have so much to be grateful for" are you aware of mental health stigma in your culture? frustrated by the misconceptions people have about it? in this episode, we are so excited to collab w Asian Together, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reduce mental health stigma in asian communities and advocate for racial justice. we are joined with arjuna, the founder and executive director of this organization. we talk abt what asian together is, the importance of addressing stigma in asian cultures, and how YOU can contribute to a world free of stigma. if you've made it this far, follow them on their insta @asian_together and follow us on @teensunscripted LOTS OF HUGSSS💛💛💛

are you frustrated by people who don't have opinions of their own? or by your own people-pleasing tendencies? how do you embrace your authentic self without caring what others think? in this episode, we give a quick recap on our first two weeks of junior year, and then we dive straight into the concept of "people pleasing", how it can be harmful, and assessing whether we consider ourselves to be people pleasers as well. the information we shared at the end of this episode is from medicalnewstoday.com thank u all sm for listening! if you've made it this far, follow us on our insta @teensunscripted stay tuned for our next episode where we'll feature a special guest!!! LOTS OF HUGSSSS 💛💛💛

escaping the matrix, class schedules, friends, and college... all these topics and more our talked abt in our last episode of our sophomore year :( . join us as we say goodbye to summer as we enter into our junior year of high school! it's a confusing, difficult, but exciting transition. we hope you guys give this episode a listen, especially if you're entering into highschool!

am i doing enough? i wish i could've been invited to that party/hang out/event. why don't i get to travel as much as them? why do i always give in to peer pressure? in this episode, we lay out how you can turn fomo (the fear of missing out) into jomo (the joy of missing out). there's so much to learn, and so many ways to enjoy spending time alone, so choose to live in the moment, and not be concerned about how others are spending theirs. by making this episode, we hope to highlight how normal these feelings are, and discuss how to navigate them. in this week's call to action we talked about the psychology behind fomo. calls to action: check out the articles below for more info on the psychology behind fomo: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/understanding-fomo https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/the-psychology-behind-fomo/ do a value-based assessment to understand your goals and what you align yourself with understand your triggers, journaling, and setting limits on social media are good strategies to reduce feelings of fomo as well! follow us on instagram at @teensunscripted if you like our podcast, want to support us, or want to learn about opportunities related to the fields of mental health/neuroscience

how do you hack your brain? do 4.0 gpa, perfect students still get college acceptances? what does neuroscience tell us about learning and trauma? tune in for this collaboration with mysteries of the mediaverse host: aarohi! mysteries of the mediaverse aims to use neuroscience topics to teach their audience how to elevate their life! learn from aarohi in this episode as she explains concepts relating to psychology and neuroplasticity. then, we dive into our experience with academic pressures, and the anxiety we have about getting accepted to college. calls to action: to learn more about neuroplasticity, check out this website: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/neuroplasticity listen to mysteries of the mediaverse: https://open.spotify.com/show/3N0YSLnAMGZCvhG76OFjOn follow projectbrave on instagram!

are high schoolers as mean as they are in the movies? how do you respond to an unkind person? are influencers treated like people? is social media a valid way to get to know people or is it a facade? we discuss all these and more in today's episode! the audio quality is spotty, but we hope you enjoy the content of our first episode of season 2! we have exciting things coming up this season, including social media consistency, collabs, and a website. check out our nami fundraiser and consider donating at the link below: https://doityourway.nami.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=556381 calls to action: consider donating to our fundraiser or any other mental health charity to make a difference check out project brave, and their podcast: mysteries of the mediaverse, who we will collab with for next week's podcast episode! they make content based on neuroscience to help elevate every aspect of your life. we hope you guys enjoyed this episode, and have an amazing week! p.s. remember to take the high road

HI GUYS! sorry for the shorter episode! as mentioned in the podcast, we are hosting a NAMI partnered fundraiser!!! this fundraiser is dedicated to address the housing crisis prevalent across washington state and the nation, especially those struggling w a mental illness. homeownership remains out of reach for washington residents as, since 2015, prices have climbed faster than incomes. those who experience housing difficulty in washington have reported negative effects on their mental health, exacerbating anxiety and even depression. our goal for the fundraiser is $1000! we know this is a lot but w your help, we all can make a difference. any amount would be greatly appreciated. link to donate: https://doityourway.nami.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=556381

hey all! we’re back on our CONSISTENT grind and we’re giving you guys a new video about unsatisfying friendships and how to deal with them. we all have had a fair share of friendships where we feel misunderstood, annoyed, and even frustrated. all these feelings are valid and we’re here to help you navigate through that! here is the link to our webmd resources: https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/dependent-personality-disorder and here is the link to the united brain association: https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/dependent-personality-disorder

hey everyone! in this episode today (which we actually filmed a month ago), we chatted with YES (youth eastside services) counselors who take the time to be vulnerable with us and explain what made them get into their professions, their roles at YES, their goals, and how youth can seek help when they’re struggling with their mental health. we hope to do more of these informative eps in the future to get youth the help that they need. suicide and crisis lifeline: 988 live in washington state and need access to health & human services? dial #211

hey guys! we appreciate our listeners for keeping up with the podcast throughout sophomore year and going forward in the summer, we hope to post weekly! stay tuned for more episodes and content coming up.

hey everyone! we know it’s been a while but we PROMISE (hope) that we’re back on track with posting every other sunday. in this episode today (which we actually filmed a few weeks ago), we visited the "Together Center" in the King County area to chat with NAMI counselors who take the time to be vulnerable with us and explain what made them get into their professions, their roles at NAMI, their goals, and how youth can seek help when they’re struggling with their mental health. we hope to do more of these informative eps in the future to get youth the help that they need.  nami hotline: 1-800-950-NAMI nami website: ⁠https://www.nami.org/ suicide and crisis lifeline: 988 live in washington state and need access to health & human services? dial #211

Hi guys! This is a special 5 minute episode that contains information about the impact of social media on the mental health of users. We discuss our personal experiences and connect them to research done by professionals and certified organizations. We hope you learn something from this topic and tell someone you know about it! Here is a list of our sources: https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/news/juvjust/us-surgeon-general-issues-advisory-social-media-and-youth-mental-health The High Price of Materialism, a book written by Tim Kasser: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/12/materialism-holidays https://chicagomaroon.com/28114/arts/social-dilemma-first-step-towards-brighter-future/ (The Social Dilemma is a documentary accessible on Netflix) https://bulimia.com/eating-disorders/impact-media/#:~:text=Impact%20of%20Social%20Media&text=One%20of%20the%20most%20damaging,achieve%20this%20%E2%80%9Cperfect%E2%80%9D%20life. And credit to the Upbeat site for the Copyright Free Music For more information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9096894/

our post this week was postponed due to finals! hope you enjoy this episode centered on what it means to peak - focusing in on how it's used often in a negative context. our call to action is about bipolar disorder! the links to the organization mentioned will be posted soon.

hope you guys had a great holiday season! in this episode, we get right into the conversation of how to be happy with yourself. with the new year, we want to emphasize on self improvement and knowing when to take a break from social interaction. it’s ok to prioritize yourself and your needs! here are the links mentioned in todays episode: the cost of loneliness project: https://www.thecostofloneliness.org/ dependent personality disorder: https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/dependent-personality-disorder codependency: https://www.mhanational.org/co-dependency

thanks for tuning in to our last episode of 2023! in this episode we reflect on these past months including our academics, social life, and the friendship we have with each other.  as always, here is the organization which we mentioned in this episode:  https://www.nami.org/Press-Media/Press-Releases/2014/Mental-health-and-the-holiday-blues

thanks for tuning in to this weeks episode! as college decisions come out and as we transition into a new year, we wanted to reflect on our own feelings about how uncertain the future is and how it’s scary growing up in a world which is constantly changing. here is the link which kushi used for anticipatory anxiety: ⁠https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/anticipatory-anxiety-bleeding-you-are-cut-0⁠ here is the website which yana mentioned to learn more about anxiety or get help for your or a friends mental health:  ⁠https://www.charliehealth.com/⁠

In this episode, we focus on how this season of life is going - and the roles that the cloudy weather and the drop in temperature play into this. We cover a range of topics, from our motivation to maintain relationships to our handle on school work. Coping techniques are essential to enjoying this period of time, and we discover what works best for us through this conversation. Listen in if you relate, want to learn more, or just want to have a good time :) Calls to action: Seasonal Depression is clinically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for short and is relatively common with more than 3 million U.S. cases per year. More information available in the last 5 minutes of this episode, or in the links below: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9293-seasonal-depression#prevention https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=Seasonal%20affective%20disorder%2C%20or%20SAD,antidepressants%20can%20help%20treat%20SAD. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651 Organization to check out: NAMI! Strongly dedicated to addressing mental health and supporting those affected by it, providing information on their website, offering opportunities for people to get engaged in the cause including through volunteering/fundraising, and have local clinics in every U.S. state. https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Who-We-Are

thanks for tuning in to our second episode of teens unscripted where we dive deep into the impacts of social media on young teens. we discuss the negatives and positives of social media, its influence on the real world, and recognizing when it's time to take a break from social media. if you’re feeling overwhelmed by social media, know that you’re not alone. take time for yourself and do the things that you love (: calls to action: https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/it-or-not-social-medias-affecting-your-mental-health - The article referred in the end of the episode that complies different statistics and information to create a comprehensive view of the impacts of social media on users https://www.socialmediasafety.org/ -  Providing seminars and publishing information about the adverse effects of social media and how we can protect ourselves from relevant dangers  aap.org : Center of Excellence, Social Media and Young Mental Health Dedicated to creating “a healthy digital ecosystem for children and adolescents”.  You can volunteer and join a chapter!

thanks for tuning in to this episode where we talk about our stressors and how we live with them. we are slowly working on our audio, so thanks for being patient with us! Like mentioned, check out this non-profit organization: https://adaa.org/

***SORRY FOR AUDIO QUALITY*** thanks so much for tuning in to our intro episode! we're so excited to start this podcast, have a space to share our thoughts, and build a community of teens in high school. look out for episodes dropping every other sunday :)