What I Wish I Knew At Age 14

Here's everything everyone wish they knew at the age of 14. If it's good advice, hit the upvote button. The number next to it indicates the age the author wrote it at. Feel like there's something missing? Add a new message!

Hey 14 year old, If you're behind in school, it's easy to look up these days online on "study skills," or "study habits." You'll find there are a lot of hacks your friends or even teachers may not know!

Hey 14 year old, If you care about the issues of society, as people in this age start to do, look up "volunteering opportunities for teens," "acts of kindness ideas for kids," "acts of kindness ideas for teens," or "acts of kindness ideas for the family."

Hey 14 year old, When stressed, pause and think of a relaxing place you can visit in your imagination. It can be a real one, like a vacation spot or somewhere comforting in the past. It can be fictional, like something out of a show you watched, or one you made.

Hey 14 year old, The accuracy of how true or false a statement is in independent of how many likes, upvotes, views or followers it has. That includes your own posts too.

Hey 14 year old, If someone seems TOO PERFECT all the time, be wary. There's a difference between talented people who have flaws, and perfect people who apparently have none. Stay vigilant.

Hey 14 year old, If you take care of your parent's emotional needs more than they take care of you, that is called "parentification," which is a type of abuse. It's the parent's job to take care of the kid, not the kid's job to take care of the parent.

Hey 14 year old, A basic social skills tip is to learn how to listen. Can't think of anything to say? People love it when you let them talk about themselves, and ask questions about them. Though if people ONLY talk about themselves, be cautious.

Hey 14 year old, Rumors aren't always true. Be careful with gossip when it becomes speculation and turns into something bigger than it began. Begin with what is true for sure, and assume nothing, or others might spin rumors about you too.

Hey 14 year old, A basic point to remember about bullying. A basic manipulation tactic involves making a very harsh cold insult to you, and then laughing it off as a joke, or telling you that you're "too sensitive." Even if it was said by a parent, you're not.

Hey 14 year old, If you're asking why people act so mean, then the answer is that there's no logical reason. Crazy people like that just don't have any reason for what they do. They just act on impulse without thinking. It's not because of you.

Hey 14 year old, If you want to be cautious around possible bullies, look up "signs of emotional manipulation," or "signs of lying." As people get older, passive aggressive forms of bullying can come off in more subtle ways than direct bullying in childhood.

Hey 14 year old, It's okay to participate in a specific alternative fashion style or an unpopular trend, but don't let it define your personality to the point that you just become a stereotypical copy of the style/trend. You're more than that.

Hey 14 year old, If you are confused about your sexuality or gender identity, try to look up online a full list of "LGBT terms," if you're stuck. Also look up "myths of (LGBT term)" or "misconceptions of (LGBT term)" if you are confused.

Hey 14 year old, Bullies are everywhere, so just learn to see what negative things people say in perspective. Ask yourself, will it really matter in 5, 10 or 20 years? If it's too much, don't be afraid to ask help from a trusted (not distrusted) adult.

Hey 14 year old, Do not put too much stock in gender norms. It's okay to be a tomboy as a girl, and it's okay to be more soft as a guy. Girls can be strong without being perfect, and guys can express negative emotions without being weak.

Hey 14 year old, One of the most basic ways to handle stress is to breathe deeply and slowly from the stomach. If it helps, count numbers in your head to distract yourself from your worries. As you get older, more complicated coping methods come, but start with this.

Hey 14 year old, If you enjoy reading, it's okay to just focus on more modern contemporary books meant for younger audiences, instead of the more prestigious classical books. Just read whatever you want, and don't pressure yourself to read what you don't like.

Hey 14 year old, Around this age, you need to understand that not everyone, especially online, is going to be honest. You can easily look up "(name of news) fact check" online if you need to. Otherwise, just be careful who you trust online.

Hey 14 year old, It's okay to lose weight, but there's a balance between eating too much and eating too little. Learn proper health and nutrition from professional sources, and not random overly restrictive health trends on the internet.

Hey 14 year old, If you're worried about the state of the world, you're not too young to make a difference. You can easily research online for ideas on how to make a difference on all the social issues popular with teenagers these days, other than posting it online.

Hey 14 year old, If you think you might be gay, lesbian, bisexual or any other kind of LGBTQA+, do not trust homophobic/transphobic adults even if they are the "adult". Look for older support elsewhere, and know it is dangerous to come out to the wrong people.

Hey 14 year old, Around 14, things start to become more complicated than before. It's okay to cry if bad stuff happens, even if you're a guy. Things feel a lot better after a good cry.

Hey 14 year old, Sadness doesn't make something immediately deep, and happiness doesn't make something immediately deep either. Depth has more emotional nuance and is more emotionally complicated than that.

Hey 14 year old, 13

Hey 14 year old, I am confused about my future

Hey 14 year old, It's time to earn money by yourself

Hey 14 year old, How I can finish my laziness ?

Hey 14 year old, You should not worry about your face, it will change and you will become a beautiful human being. Life goes on

Hey 14 year old, Hiii

Hey 14 year old, You all gonna be all fine no matter how the world is trust me at the end you're gonna be alright