What advice would you give to your teenage self?
I am not particularly interested in WordPress prompts and I actually have a “What Grinds My Gears” post ready to publish for today. But today’s WordPress prompt caught my attention. It asked, “What advice would you give to your teenage self?” The truth is this is a topic I already wanted to write a post about. So my other post will be saved for next week. Today, instead I will share some advice to my teenage self that I would give her.
Advice to My Teenage Self
Here is the main advice to my teenage self:
Stop
The very first advice I would give to my teenage self is to stop. I would tell myself to stop doing too much. Don’t sacrifice your mental and physical health for grades, popularity of anything. These things you’re crying and freaking out about right now are so insanely insignificant. It may seem like the end of the world but it’s really not even worth your time and energy.
Set Boundaries
The next thing I would say is, please set boundaries. With everyone. I have always been a bit of a pushover and a people pleaser. Setting boundaries is still really hard for me but I’m better at it. As a teenager, I was awful at boundaries. I would do things for people simply because they asked. And people would sometimes take advantage and use me because of this. I wish I had only spent my energy on those that deserved it. So, I would tell myself to set strong boundaries and save my time and energy for those people that deserved it. I think not having boundaries also made my depression and anxiety much worse. Like they were at their worst when I was a teenager.
Make Good Decisions
I made too many stupid decisions when I was a teenager. I’m sure most people can relate to that, lol. Teenagers are stupid most of the time. It is what it is. With the hormones, the physical and mental changes etc it’s hard to navigate your teen years. And I know that teenagers are actually very smart/intelligent especially these days. But it’s also insanely easy to make dumb decisions as a teenager that may ruin your life. So yes, younger Pooj, please make better decisions.
Cherish These Years
Lastly, I would say, cherish these years. Nothing is ever the same when you grow up. Your teenage years may seem like they’ll last forever. You may feel like you’ll always be this person. But you won’t and they certainly won’t. You grow up and you change. It is what it is. You’ll have less time for hobbies, friends, family and even your blog. So cherish this time. Make memories, do what you love and be happy instead of sulking in your room all day.
Conclusion And A Question For You
I have a very complicated relationship with my teenage self. A lot of it comes from who I was and who I am now. If you knew me as a high schooler you may not even recognise the person I’ve become now. A part of me feels like I sold out. I’m no longer the rebel with very specific causes. I’ve succumbed to many social norms I despised.
But at the same time I’m finally truly myself in so many ways. I think my teenage self would be so proud of this blog, of my writing endeavours and my eyebrows which are finally starting to grow back after I accidentally shaved them twice. Yes, that can happen…
Anyway, this was the advice I would give my teenage self. And now I have one question for you. What advice would you give your teenage self? Let me know in the comments below because I would absolutely love to hear your advice! Or simply stop by and say hi!
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