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, 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, 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, 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, It's okay to be easily embarrassed at this age, because it's normal. Just know when regular moodiness turns into something deeper and greater, it's okay to ask for help.

Hey 14 year old, Not everyone is going to like you, and that's normal. You wouldn't want to be told you have to like everyone either. No one in this world is liked by everyone, even famous celebrities. Stars always have their haters.

Hey 14 year old, If you can argue against others, why not argue against your own negative thoughts? If you think something negative, ask, "What is the evidence this is true?" "What is the evidence this is false?" Play detective and you'll learn a lot.

Hey 14 year old, Being nice doesn't mean you just have to stay silent and accept it when others are mean to you or your friends. Stick up for yourself and your friends. If they're REAL friends, they will stick up for you too.

Hey 14 year old, Remember that it's not embarrassing to ask for help. Everyone needs help. Even the strongest and responsible looking people need help. It's very brave to admit that you need help, after all.

Hey 14 year old, Don't change who you are to impress people to fit in. No one can truly fit in when others have different opinions of what counts as "acceptable," and you can't keep up honestly with contradictory demands at once. People respect honesty more.

Hey 14 year old, If you have an embarrassing moment, go read about embarrassing stories online or share and laugh about it with your friends. Learn to laugh at yourself, and know that everyone has moments like this, no matter how old people get.

Hey 14 year old, You don't have to say yes to every invite or request to go out with your friends. It's okay to say no or make an excuse to just have time in your house sometimes. It's okay to be alone sometimes.

Hey 14 year old, Everyone makes mistakes. We're human. The important thing is to learn from those mistakes, and figure out ways to prevent those mistakes. What mistakes have you made in the past? And no matter how small, what is something you can do?

Hey 14 year old, If math is becoming even more confusing these days, then look up the website khanacademy. It will help a lot. You can also check out other math websites online, but khanacademy is the easiest to understand for most.

Hey 14 year old, Try to explore positive affirmations if you want something to pick you up. You can find some online ranging for affirmations for body image, studying, self-esteem, sports, and more. It feels weird at first, but it gets easier over time.

Hey 14 year old, You're not a burden on other people. Your life has value. You matter. You're stronger than you think, more talented than you think, and smarter than you think. You have so much unexpressed potential in you waiting to come out.

Hey 14 year old, The truth is, when you worry about what others think, most people are thinking of themselves in worrying about what people think. People are obsessed with their own lives, and that's where their thoughts focus on, not you.

Hey 14 year old, If you tend to overthink your decisions too much, learn to take action more even if you make mistakes. Part of learning is gaining experience. If you tend to think without acting, learn to pause before acting. Part of learning is reflection.

Hey 14 year old, If you're thinking of doing something that you feel is bad for you, but you can't seem to stop yourself, at least try pausing for a few seconds. 60 seconds, 30 seconds, 10 seconds, it doesn't matter. At least try to pause.

Hey 14 year old, If you have trouble sleeping, count numbers in your head backwards. It can be from 100. If you're not asleep yet, count backwards from 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and so on. At least if you won't sleep, it'd block out your worries.

Hey 14 year old, Know that love is not always said directly. Sometimes people show it through actions, gifts, appreciation and favors. Though beware if people who say they love you, but don't show it in action.

Hey 14 year old, They're not always 100% accurate, of course, but if you need some place to look for who you are first, look up personality tests and personality quizzes to try. It doesn't tell you everything, but it's a good start.

Hey 14 year old, Sometimes meaning or a purpose to live can be found in enjoying the small little things in life. If you just want to accomplish a small goal, or just have a casual hobby you enjoy, that's enough reason to live. Purpose doesn't have to be grand.

Hey 14 year old, Be careful about using dark humor to ignore and run away from your problems. It's okay to have dark humor. I also like it. But when it's used to escape problems you can do something about it, however small, it becomes a problem.

Hey 14 year old, No matter what your parents or family says, psychology is a science and mental illness is real. If they don't listen, you might want to try to look for at least one single sane adult, whether it's a teacher, neighbor, aunt/uncle, and so on.

Hey 14 year old, Bring a good luck charm around you. It doesn't matter if it's real or not. Whether it's due to the placebo effect or actual magic, it'll help you gain confidence if you bring something around you like that. Imagination can really give you confidence.

Hey 14 year old, Fidget toys, such as fidget cubes, fidget spinners, pop its, stress balls, ASMR sensory toys, slime, and so on, can be really useful when you need a way to relieve stress, especially if you're always fidgeting when you're staying in one place.

Hey 14 year old, Make a mental health first aid kit to gather the things that calm you down. It can be sentimental photos, toys like rubix cubes, plushies, accessories, pillows, calming notes, journals, coloring materials, stickers, geeky collectibles, and so on.

Hey 14 year old, If you like video games and looking for something to do outside technology, board games can be pretty fun. It can range from something complex like Dungeons and Dragons, or it can be something classic like Monopoly. Give it a try maybe?

Hey 14 year old, If you want help calming down, try looking up "calming games," or "relaxing games," online. There are more of these types of games beyond just Animal Crossing, if you're into that kind of game. Try looking up "Zen games," too.

Hey 14 year old, If you're worried about the world and what's on the news today, look up "volunteering ideas for kids," or "volunteering ideas for teens," if you want an extra challenge. Doing something active helps calm you down better than watching the news.