What I Wish I Knew At Age 16

Here's everything everyone wish they knew at the age of 16. 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 16 year old, After a bad break up, do 10 things that your ex would never do with you. You'll feel better and realize how much of yourself was being held back.

Hey 16 year old, When a friend is upset, ask them one simple question before saying anything else: 'Do you want to talk about it or do you want to be distracted from it?' This will change everything when it comes to trying to comfort a friend.

Hey 16 year old, If you're one of those aesthetic book loving teens who enjoy the artistry of classic novels, you can get a lot of free classic ebooks from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/) if you can't afford as many books as you want to.

Hey 16 year old, If a job makes you pay money to work for them, it’s a scam. Period. If you have to pay for a membership, a "limited edition" pack, a set of products first, a ticket to an event, and so on, it's a scam. Jobs pay you and not the other way around.

Hey 16 year old, If your teacher or professor doesn't want you using Wikipedia, you can go to the References section and use Wikipedia's sources. You can see it at the bottom of the Wikipedia page, and you can make use of those instead. Take a look.

Hey 16 year old, If you want a website to offer calculations for different types of math problems, that a normal calculator can't, there's Wolfram Alpha. There's also a free alternative to Wolfram Alpha called fxSolver for solving Math and Engineering problems.

Hey 16 year old, If you want a distraction for stress, "I'm Feeling Lucky" on Google Earth is an awesome feature that helps users to travel to random locations on our planet and learn new things about new attractions in different countries.

Hey 16 year old, Always google a company name + scam before buying anything from them, to check if there is any news out there mentioning if a company is full of scams.

Hey 16 year old, You are not a professionally trained therapist and that the burden of helping someone who is suicidal is not on you. If a friend is suicidal, call for professional help because you can support them, but not cure them.

Hey 16 year old, Two less talked about symptoms of ADHD are poor mood regulation and rejection sensitivity, which means poor emotional control and extreme anxiety around rejection more than the norm.

Hey 16 year old, Many processed foods that are advertised as 'Low Fat' have a lot of added sugar to make them taste better, so read the nutritional labels!

Hey 16 year old, When anxiety causing thoughts arise, start mentally describing objects or actions you see in your vicinity, as if you were narrating a story. This will distract your brain from spiraling down that dreaded black hole.

Hey 16 year old, You'd be surprised how much practical life advice you can find on Wikipedia. There are Wikipedia pages for love, relationships, friendship, adolescence, puberty, emotions and more.

Hey 16 year old, If you want to start lifting, you're going to feel weaker than you actually are for a couple weeks because your brain is lazier than your muscles and doesn't want to change.

Hey 16 year old, If you struggle with negative thoughts, learn to "reframe your negative thoughts." (Look up this phrase online.) How would a more optimistic person see the same situation?

Hey 16 year old, In hard times, learn to appreciate the small pleasures of life, and count the little things you have over what you lost. It won't fix everything, but it will keep you moving forward.

Hey 16 year old, If people always come to you to listen to your problems, know it's because they just want to be listened to. You don't have to offer a solution to their problems, or advice. It's OK.

Hey 16 year old, Contrary to societal expectations, mental health and happiness increases with age according to scientific studies. If you feel horrible these days, know things get better as you get older.

Hey 16 year old, Not everyone wants to party during specific holidays or even their birthdays. It's okay to have a chill quiet celebration, of whatever the day is celebrating. It's fine. Don't force parties.

Hey 16 year old, People aren't necessarily not interested in talking to you if they lack eye contact. It could mean social anxiety, autism, cultural differences, other anxiety disorders, and more.

Hey 16 year old, Quiet people aren't necessarily being arrogant or convinced they are better than other people, sometimes they're just shy and looking awkward makes them look bad.

Hey 16 year old, People who haven't been in contact with you for a long time aren't necessarily trying to hurt you. Many people are just depressed, and they've lost contact with their friends.

Hey 16 year old, If you always tend to disagree, learn to find things you have in common with a person before disagreeing. Some debates matter, if someone is immoral, but not all debates matter.

Hey 16 year old, Learn to think long-term. Ask, "How would this decision affect me 5 years from now?", "10 years from now?" "20 years from now?" You will know what will matter and what does not.

Hey 16 year old, Whatever social issues you like to talk about on the internet, study the history of that social issue, from older times to more recent times. Frequent visits to Wikipedia is recommended.

Hey 16 year old, Try to keep your things private even from your close ones .

Hey 16 year old, Here's a simple visualization to add to deep breathing exercises (look up "how to do deep breathing," for more details.) Breathe in peace, and breathe out frustration or sadness. Breathe in the color pink, breathe out red or blue (anger/sadness).

Hey 16 year old, Here's a simple visualization to add to deep breathing exercises (look up "how to do deep breathing," for more details.) Slowly breathe in love, and breathe out stress. Add any colors if it helps. For example, breathe in white and breathe out black.

Hey 16 year old, If you have trouble getting motivated for something, whether it's trying to win as an athlete or passing with flying colors, look p "inspirational videos," "motivational videos," and "inspirational speeches," or "motivational speeches" on YouTube.

Hey 16 year old, How much you would be if you had to define your worth through money? If you say it's anything but priceless, then you're going to need to receive some kind of worth. Even if you know, people can't be bought and sold, do you act that way?