What I Wish I Knew At Age 16

Here's everything everyone wish they knew at the age of 16. The number next to it indicates the age the author wrote it at.

Hey 16 year old, If you've never got to experience having a good mom or dad, or even have one of those at all, look up the subreddits /r/dadforaminute or /r/momforaminute, to have some substitute moms/dads around to ask advice from.

Hey 16 year old, If you like Reddit and you want some content to cheer you up, look up /r/Upliftingnews, /r/Humansbeingbros, /r/Mademesmile, /r/Wholesomememes, /r/aww, /r/eyebleach, /r/awwducational, /r/animalsbeingbros, /r/photoshop battles and more.

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?

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, 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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 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'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, 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, 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, Always be prepared to leave your employer because they are prepared to leave you. Most employers, especially if you have a low ranking job, will quickly be happy to replace you if you're gone. Some people even die, and employers don't care.

Hey 16 year old, It is important to know when to stop arguing with people, and simply let them be wrong. You don't have to waste your energy every time.

Hey 16 year old, if you're looking for a job, mention it to everybody that you come in contact with. You never know whose sister's neighbor's uncle is hiring.

Hey 16 year old, You may not like being in pictures or taking them, but you will hate that you have no photos of some time period when you’re older. Take pictures even if it is out of your comfort zone occasionally, for your future self.

Hey 16 year old, Unless it harms other people, make it a rule for yourself to NEVER insult how another person finds joy or expresses joy, such as the way people, smile, laugh or their interests and hobbies.

Hey 16 year old, if you're unable to fall asleep at night instead of closing your eyes do the opposite. Keep your eyes wide open. You'll feel drowsy and will automatically close your eyes. If your mind starts racing again open your eyes again.