Feeling unsure of yourself can sometimes lead to a shifting sense of identity.

You might always be trying out new ideas or personas to see if they fit.

Or you might find yourself changing in response to other people.

Identity is shaped by the experiences people have during their lives, particularly during childhood and adolescence.

Later, psychologist James Marcia described two primary identity statusesexploration and commitment.

Exploration involves the process of experimenting with different ideas while commitment involves making decisions based on those identity-related ideas.

What Should I Do If I Don’t Know Who I Am?

Journaling, engaging in expressive writing, or creating lists of things that matter to you might be helpful.

What are your favorite books?

What pop in of music do you like?

When did you feel the happiest?

As you work on your journal, you may start to see certain themes or preferences beginning to emerge.

Reflecting back on these lists and notes can help you better see and appreciate your individuality.

What beliefs and values are the most important to you?

These are the keytraitsthat you feel are the most important in both yourself and in others.

Things such as being honest, trustworthy, and kind are examples of core values.

Challenge Yourself

Trying new things can be another helpful self-exploration tool.

Sometimes figuring out who you are involves testing out new aspects of your identity.

Think about how teens often experiment with different styles as they forge their sense of self.

If you have a weak sense of self, you might struggle tomake decisionswhether they are large or small.

One way to learn how to trust your decisions is to simply start making them more often.

Find out which option is the best for you.

Topolewska-Siedzik E, Cieciuch J.Trajectories of identity formation modes and their personality context in adolescence.J Youth Adolesc.

2018;47(4):775-792. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0824-7

American Psychological Association.Individuation.

APA Dictionary of Psychology.

Crocetti E, Meeus W, Ritchie RA, Meca A, Schwartz SJ.

Adolescent identity: The key to unraveling associations between family relationships and problem behaviors?