5 comforting things to tell your younger self

The other day I came across a bunch of photos from my younger days. It was truly an experience filled with a vast range of emotions. Excitement. Anger. Disgust. Pride.  There are so many things that I would say to that young overweight kid, so I thought that I’d share some of those with you today. Here are 5 comforting things to tell your younger self. 

You have time 

I thought that we’d start with the biggest piece of advice. When we’re younger we’re always in a rush. It seems like there is never enough time to do anything. We’re driven by a burning desire to be ‘successful’ and married by 30. As someone who just passed their mid-20s, I now know how deluded that thought was.

The honest truth is that we have so much time ahead of us when we’re young. Even now at the age of 25, there is a high chance that I’ll get to live another 3 full lifetimes. So, to my younger self, take your time. There is so much of it left. 

Useful article:

Time Anxiety

You are enough 

Growing up, I was always hesitant to pull the trigger on taking action. Whether it was with making new friends or starting a new project, I truly believed that I had to be perfect.

I can honestly say that I was afraid of putting myself out there and not being enough/failing. It’s still something that I battle with to this day. Fortunately, after speaking with so many readers, I’ve come to realize that I’m not the only one who grew up this way. 

So, if this applies to you, tell your younger self that they are enough. They have always been enough and they always will be enough. Personally, this single message is all I would have wanted to hear growing up. 

Stop taking things personally 

If there’s one thing that I’ve learnt in the past few years, it’s that the way people treat you reflects how they see themselves. People who aren’t happy with where they are in life will never treat you properly regardless of how good your intentions are. 

I had a bad habit of hanging on to people so that I could ‘save’ them, but would also get resentful of how they treated me. One of the things I’d tell my younger self is that sometimes letting go can be the kindest thing to do for both of you.

Useful articles:

How to Stop Taking Things Personally

5 Brutally Honest Ways To Be Kind To Yourself

Change for no one but yourself 

I’ve gone through many transformations in life. Some physical. Others mental. When I was younger, a big part of the reason I changed was so that I could fit into the mould that others had set for me. I constantly told myself that I needed to be X, for others to like me. However, at the end of it all, I realised that no matter how much I changed, I still didn’t like myself. 

It took many years of testing and self discovery for me to realize that it’s okay to want to change. However, the motivation for change must be internal. Change for no one but yourself. 

Useful article:

3 Quick Questions To Find Your Why

Give yourself a break 

The final thing I’d tell my younger self, and it’s an important one is to give yourself a break. I’ve spoken to so many perfectionists over the past months, and one thing that we all have in common is that we’re extremely harsh on ourselves.  

When things go right, we don’t take a second to congratulate ourselves. Instead, we go straight into thinking about how to get better. As I mentioned earlier, this inherently isn’t a bad mentality to have. However, it’s a slippery slope down the path of never being satisfied in life.

So my final piece of advice to my younger self is to breathe. Simply take in the present moment as is. Forget about all the worries of tomorrow and allow yourself to be content with where you are now.

Useful article:

10 Mental Health Check-In Questions To Keep You Fresh

Conclusion 

What do you think? What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance? Let me know in the comments below, I’m curious.