What I Wish I Knew At Age 20

Here's everything everyone wish they knew at the age of 20. 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 20 year old, My age is 20 for that

Hey 20 year old, Always be happy

Hey 20 year old, You are beautiful as you are

Hey 20 year old, Practice "mindful check-ins" (look it up if you want) regularly throughout the day. Take time to center and be aware of what your body, your heart and mind is all feeling and thinking. Ask yourself, "How are you, really?" and answer honestly.

Hey 20 year old, If you have problems with anything in life and you're too insecure for it, you have to start reading books on confidence. Without confidence, nothing you practice will really last. Look up books on confidence or books on self esteem online please.

Hey 20 year old, If you want to become a mature adult, look into shadow work just by looking up "how to do shadow work." Your shadow, in psychology, means facing your flaws. That is, through being aware of your own flaws, is how you can grow.

Hey 20 year old, If you like Reddit, look up self improvement subreddits like /r/Decidingtobebetter, /r/Lifeprotips, /r/YouShouldKnow, /r/Zenhabits, /r/Meditation, /r/Loseit, /r/Changemyview, /r/Stoicism, /r/Nofap, /r/Lifehacks and more.

Hey 20 year old, Go to the YouTube channel Dad, how do I? for some fatherly advice for both guys and girls on fixing stuff, baking/cooking stuff, or just advice on life in general. A YouTube channel by a dad who never got to have his own dad, so he became one to you.

Hey 20 year old, As you leave for adulthood, know that it's normal for some people in your life to leave, while others stay. Sometimes some paths in adulthood still intertwine. Others get busy with their own lives, but you can always find new people, new connections.

Hey 20 year old, If you want to learn to be tough and safe on the streets, look up "street smart tips," or "street smart advice," so you can avoid danger, considering all the crazy stuff on the news nowadays to what's happening to these victims.

Hey 20 year old, If you're looking to date as a man, know that what women want is a sensitive guy in touch with his own emotions, his humor and spontaneity. That's why women want the brooding moody creative man. Not the manly jerk with no emotions.

Hey 20 year old, If you have trouble loving yourself, look up Dr. Kristen Neff's website, and especially her self compassion exercises. If you're not convinced of the need for it, look up "psychological benefits of self compassion," for the verified research on it.

Hey 20 year old, If breathing meditation helps you, then other types of meditations that are less well known can help too, such as walking meditation, body scan meditation, mantra meditation, noting meditation, and loving kindness meditation are the basics.

Hey 20 year old, If you want some shorter mindfulness meditation exercises if you're lacking time, look up "meditation techniques list," "meditation activities list," "meditation exercises," or you can even just do a 5-10 minute meditation. Even 2-3 minutes help.

Hey 20 year old, If you want, it's possible to try some "TV exercises" (look it up) where you can physically exercise while watching TV. A similar practice are desk exercises or office exercises, which whether you're in an office or not, is useful next to a table.

Hey 20 year old, If you want to try different physical exercises at home, you can look for different exercise videos on YouTube, such as yoga, dancing, strength exercises, stretching, tai chi and qigong (like Yoga, but from the Chinese), or even martial arts.

Hey 20 year old, One essential grown up advice? All types of fruits, vegetables and other healthy food can be more easily eaten if you find recipes that make these ingredients more delicious. Sometimes it's not the food, but how you cook it that matters.

Hey 20 year old, Adulthood is a time where you examine how much you're lying to yourself or denying to yourself certain things. Take time to carefully observe your own mind in reflection. Just watch your thoughts. Notice if you're trying to run away from anything.

Hey 20 year old, If you want a better world, first envision what a better world would look like. Don't just say you don't want this in the world, but you don't offer a replacement for all the wrong. What would the specific details look like? Why did you choose that?

Hey 20 year old, Take time to examine the different influences different groups you're part of influence you. Even if it's 99% good, there is going to be 1% bad for you to examine. What type of good and bad habits are you picking up from them? Why?

Hey 20 year old, Post a reminder of your goals for you everyday, in your room where you wake up for you to see. If you want, you can add pictures or even draw your own as a vision board. Put up other things that provide inspiration to you too.

Hey 20 year old, If you need help organizing your life, look up how to make a mind map, the different uses of the mind maps, the benefits of mind maps, mind map apps, mind map websites, and mind map books. It organizes EVERYTHING in your life.

Hey 20 year old, If you have trouble speaking in front of the audience, or even speaking at all in social situations, video yourself alone trying to speak and use that to gain feedback to how you speak. Look up "public speaking tips," or "communication skills."

Hey 20 year old, Learning how to speak is part of gaining success in life, even in careers where you're mostly alone. Brush up on your grammar by searching "grammar tips," "common mistakes with grammar," and "high school/college/university vocabulary word list."

Hey 20 year old, If you want some ideas on how to make money on the side, look up phrases like "100 ways to make money," "100 ways to make money online," "100 ways to save money," "money making apps/websites," "coupon finder apps/chrome extensions," and so on.

Hey 20 year old, If you want some simple ways to help people when you're worried about the world these days, look up "list of acts of kindness ideas," "acts of kindness organizations," "acts of kindness websites," and so on. Doing something active will help worries.

Hey 20 year old, You can also volunteer online if you want to help without going outside of the house. Look up "ways to volunteer online," "how to help your community online," "how to volunteer at home," "volunteering apps/websites/forums," and so on.

Hey 20 year old, Whatever career path you choose, look for things to read on the topic. Such as articles, blogs, newspapers, scientific papers, essays, non-fiction books on the subject or from a biography/autobiography/memoir of someone in that career. Research.

Hey 20 year old, If you want help releasing stress, I recommend finding a place where you can be alone, or perhaps a loud enough place where no one can hear you, and just scream out all of your stress. Shout everything that stresses you out at the top of your lungs.

Hey 20 year old, If you're stuck on what to do to calm down at this age, look up "calming hobbies," "relaxing hobbies," or "hobbies for stress," like gardening, cooking/baking, puzzles, reading, collecting, fishing, running, biking, DIY, woodworking and so on.