In high school, everybody seems to care about what other people think about them. Every day, you let others affect how you dress and act–the people you hang out with, the things that you post, and even the makeup that you wear. It affects how you feel about yourself and your mental health. This is a struggle for people all the time because as humans we all have insecurities.
“I think if you care too much, especially if you do a lot of comparing to other people, that can negatively affect your mental health,” said Amber Fry, a licensed independent mental health practitioner. “I think that we should focus on the people closest to us. The people who love us no matter what.”
Why should you not care about what others think?
Of course, it is important to care whether people think you are respectful or a friendly person, especially if it is your boss or a relative, but what happens when it comes down to a friend or classmate just being rude to you?
It is crucially important not to care about what bad things others may think about you for many reasons, such as your mental health. You have to keep an open mind when you hear someone saying something bad about you. Remember the fact that no one is the same, no one holds the same beliefs and no one has the same experiences as another person. This brings me to my steps toward the art of not caring.

The Art of Not Caring – Ask yourself these questions before you let someone get to you.
Number One: Is anyone actually popular?
When we look at people from a different perspective, like social media or the way we see them at school, we never truly see what is going on in their life from behind a screen or from far away. A person could seem “cool” because they smoke, drink, have a bunch of friends or they have a lot of money and live in a big house. This person could live a life completely different from yours, but that does not mean you have to do things the way they do to enjoy your own. You can find happiness in life by doing the things that you love, and, most of the time, you can always find happiness in simple things.
Number Two: If someone is judging you, do you like the way they live their lives?
If the answer to this question is no, then you may want to think twice before you care about what that person feels about you. If you do not like the way that they live their lives, then why would you want to care about what they think about you, your friends, the way you dress or the way you act?
Number Three: Nobody shares the same beliefs.
In the world, as we know it, not everyone is going to completely agree on every single thing. We have our own minds and have millions of thoughts that go through our heads each day. Each one of those thoughts could be drastically different than the person right next to us. We all have mismatched views on life and live days completely offbeat than the people around us.
Number Four: Why should you care what others think if you do not know them and they do not know you?
It is true, we may not know everybody that we go to school with or what they are going through at home. Their personal lives or how their day is going may take up most of their mind. They may not even remember you the second you walk away. Everybody is way too focused on themselves to care about what you are doing every day.
“If you do not know the person at all, then what they think of you shouldn’t matter,” freshman Londyn Wiese said. “I do not know anything about their day-to-day life, so why would it matter to me?”
Number Five: People who put you down are most likely insecure about themselves.
The truth is, we are all human. We all have our insecurities. If you are worried about other people judging you, always think about what they are going through. People can always put up a fake wall of confidence or act like nothing is bothering them. Do not take advice from people when you do not like the way they treat you or how they live their life.
“Teenagers may project a lot of confidence, but, it is true, we never really know what’s happening behind it. Sometimes people can act confident but underneath it be intimidated or worried that they do not measure up to other people,” Fry said. “If you’re too busy comparing what’s happening in your life to others and feeling like it does not measure up, then you’re missing out on the opportunities to be mindful and present.”