What I Wish I Knew At Age 16

Hey 16 year old, If you can't look people in the eyes in social situations, look between their eyebrows, their nose or their mouth. Somehow it makes others have the impression that you're giving them eye contact if you're too nervous.

Hey 16 year old, It's not a replacement for professional therapy, but what helped me that doesn't involve thick books on mental health, is to look for mental health web comics online, as in anxiety comics, depression comics, and so on.

Hey 16 year old, If you want help in all kinds of relationships, know the signs and differences between aggressiveness, passive aggressiveness and assertiveness. Read a book from the library about it, or at least look it up online.

Hey 16 year old, If you're stuck on something and it helps, look up the deep famous quotes of your favorite TV shows and movies, then use that to inspire you in life.

Hey 16 year old, Know that people who constantly call you or everyone else they see who is beneath them ugly are the ugliest people. Doesn't matter if they're conventionally attractive, they're the ugly ones.

Hey 16 year old, If you feel like others say that you're too sensitive all the time, look up the term HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), and it will help a lot. Trust me. At least google it before jumping to conclusions about the term.

Hey 16 year old, What hurts is not what people say, but the fact that you repeat the same words to yourself, even if your critics aren't physically present to you. What hurts the most is how criticism is emotionally present, not just physically.

Hey 16 year old, If you're afraid of something, just start small when it comes to your fear. If a picture of your fear or even imagining it scares you, do that. If just saying hello to people makes you nervous, practice that first. Baby steps.

Hey 16 year old, Do not speak to other people when you're in an uncontrollably angry or resentful mood. Wait until you've calmed down enough, or ask them to give you more time to think about it first. If not, you'll regret it.

Hey 16 year old, If you want some help calming down, try some mindfulness meditation apps, try some guided meditation websites or just looking up guided meditations on YouTube.

Hey 16 year old, Learn to see the perspective of people who anger you. This is not to say that you have to agree with them or think they're good people deep down. This is so you can respond in the calmest assertive way possible, and not by creating more drama.

Hey 16 year old, If you think you're a bad person, know that bad people don't worry if they're a bad person. They don't get guilty. A monster would not even have a conscience. A bad person wouldn't question their perception of themselves at all.

Hey 16 year old, The small ways you do good makes a difference. Often positivity and kindness happens in a chain reaction. One act of kindness can inspire another to be kind, which inspires the next person in the chain to be kind, and so on. You never know.

Hey 16 year old, You don't have to make every decision fast, especially when others pressure you to make a decision fast. Often most of the time, when others pressure you to make it fast, they want you to choose what they want for you.

Hey 16 year old, If you don't say sorry enough, say sorry. Though if you say sorry too much of the time, learn to say thank you instead of sorry. For example, instead of saying, "I'm sorry I'm late," say, "Thank you for waiting for me."

Hey 16 year old, Sometimes what people think of as weaknesses are actually strengths. For example, if parents see your artistic pursuits as "impractical and lazy," that might mean you're actually creative or original. If you're "disobedient," then you're a rebel.

Hey 16 year old, Do not choose a future career based on what looks easiest, but what would you stick to even if it is hard. What are you willing to work for even if it is difficult? Every career is hard in some way, so keep this in mind.

Hey 16 year old, If things seem confusing, learn to sit back, pause and observe. Think a bit more like a detective. What details can you notice around you with all your 5 senses? What nuance is in this situation? How would you describe the situation like an observer?

Hey 16 year old, If you're worried about something, think about the worst case scenario that could happen. Even if it happened, is there nothing you can do about it? Ask, if it happened, what can you still do about it? It doesn't mean you become helpless.

Hey 16 year old, Sometimes you can't wait until you feel like you have no fear at all to act. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Bravery is not the absence of fear, but acting despite the fear.

Hey 16 year old, When it comes to talent, know that there are likely people who envy you as much as there are people you envy in life. There are things you have and can do, that others lack, just as much as there are things others have that you lack.

Hey 16 year old, Pay attention to the things that make you happy, excited or passionate, and do more of that in your life. It doesn't have to necessarily be something popular or something most people like, as long as you enjoy it. Be unique.

Hey 16 year old, If you want to lose weight or gain muscle, consider asking a professional or at least listening to professional content online, instead of following random health trends on social media. Don't be so naïve to trust anything you read online.

Hey 16 year old, It's good to have extra curricular activates, but know that too many at a time is not good for your health or sanity. It's not worth it to sacrifice your happiness for endless work. If not now, it's a lesson you have to learn as an adult.

Hey 16 year old, In high school, mean people can be the unpopular ones just as much as the popular ones, and popular ones can be just as nice as some unpopular ones. Unlike what teen movies portray, your status in High School doesn't predict character.

Hey 16 year old, Doing something is better than doing nothing at all. Can't eat completely healthy meals all the time? Just eat one vegetable each day as a side dish. Can't take a run outside for 30 minutes? Just take a run for 5 minutes. At least try.

Hey 16 year old, Learn to recognize the small wins. It's easier to be motivated for what you want to do if you focus on the small steps accomplished along the way, rather than just the big gains. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Hey 16 year old, Romantic movies and TV shows tend to be highly unrealistic and teach bad dating advice. If you're looking for love, just know that the answer is definitely not going to be from whatever you've watched or even read in novels. (Read bad reviews!)

Hey 16 year old, In conflicts in life, it's not always the one who is shouting the loudest and angriest that is right. Though at the same time, sometimes people are manipulated to become very emotional to look wrong when it was planned this way.

Hey 16 year old, If you're stressed, remember to lean into the power of music, and find the type of music that makes your heart sing. It's okay to keep some favorites, but be open to new genres and types of music too.