If you could talk to your 16 year old self what would you say?

[Trivester]

I’d tell her that one day she will be relieved that she didn’t marry Johnny Depp (she won’t believe me)

I should give her better career advice, but I’ve still no idea what that should be.

I’m pretty sure that she’d be too appalled at the state of her 45 year old self to take any advice anyway.

Stick up for yourself more

Go do the nursing degree

Learn to say no

Stop listening to your father. He knows jack-shit about what you actually want.

Believe in yourself more. Study hard, revise for your O levels and get into 6th form.

Never settle for second best. Never be second best.

Tell your mum she needs to go to the doctor with that headache. Insist on it. Take her there yourself if you have to. Frogmarch her into the doctors surgery. Just make sure she gets there and gets the treatment she needs.

You’re not fat
You’re cool as fuck
Be more confident
Don’t like prick face treat you like shit

DON'T do it!!!

@SedentaryCat I’m sorry about your mum

Get your financial sh-t together and start saving money now.

Study something at uni that you enjoy, rather than what you think is a sensible choice.

Don't let your lack of self-confidence stop you from doing anything.

Get tested for ADHD sooner.

Eat more healthily.

But overall, keep being your amazing, independent, curious and creative self!

Don't drink alcohol

Do the law degree. You would have been really good at it.

Don't be with someone who doesn't like you seeing your friends, be with someone who supports you and loves you for being you - took me another couple of years to realise this.

Try and budget better, you can still have fun without spending your entire monthly wage every month.

Gosh, interesting reading these posts, some people are being super harsh to their 16 year old selves.

16 year olds are so inexperienced and naive. I would just tell myself it's OK, this will pass, and give myself a hug :)

I would tell myself what boundaries are and that it is good and right to have them. (After growing up being called difficult and criticised by my mother any time I had a boundary or feelings that didn't suit her.) Also that I'm not responsible for everyone or their reactions.

Don't encourage that 'friendship' ; it will lead to a bad decision 😔

If you want to do art do it as a night class. Find an accountancy apprenticeship for the daytime. You'll ace it & work will be the thing that gives you confidence and makes you feel like a grownup.

Learn to drive, it's harder when you're older.

Spend more time with your brother, you won't have him as long as you think.

I would tell her to get out of the house (ask for help and they will believe you) find a way to live away from them and you might be able to save the next 20 years - have a career, your own home and self esteem (oh and good mental health).

You're not lazy and shit at life, you have ASD and ADHD and someday everything will make sense

Go to University. Take the student loan. Ignore what shit your parents say. Get out of living with parents/relying on them asap. Don’t go to Uni to do some irrelevant maths/science degree as you won’t earn money. Do something that you can earn a good hourly rate/live anywhere/be your own boss. Physiotherapy/clinical psychologist/radiography/counselling…
Don’t marry a man who won’t have a joint bank account. Keep your own friends as a priority. Do not invest time in a guys friends as you will lose them when you split. Put yourself first at all times until you have kids. If you don’t have kids by late 20s go get tested. Date lots and be picky. Go to the gym lots. Keep up team sports. Keep lots of separate individual friends who don’t all know each other. Don’t get tied into a boring/low level paid job dominated by middle aged men in your 20s. Go live somewhere random and interesting like Bristol/Brighton/Edinburgh. Most blokes are tedious. Have lots of hobbies. Learn to drive asap.

You are actually very very pretty but find some decent skincare.

Get some help to improve your self-esteem because low self-esteem will lead to poor decisions.

Travel.

What looks like a close family may actually be unhealthily enmeshed.

Trust in your own choices and don't sweat the future.

Thank you @Trivester

She's still with us, but she had a massive stroke and almost died. She was in hospital for 6 months then rehabilitation. She's changed a lot and I miss who she was. Lucky she's still here though.

I was going to say “put down the self-help books and get tested for adhd” but I don’t think it would have been picked up back then even if I knew what it was. I’d have been laughed at.

It will get so much better. Stay humble and remember you don't ever have to show off and act cool. You are cool.

Lots of stuff, but she wouldn't listen. Go out with lots of boys, don't get married at 23 to your first proper boyfriend, take more interest in your job/career, you are much smarter and prettier and more worthy than you believe. Take good care of your body, especially your knees, listen to the dr's advice, do the exercises.

Train to be a psychologist. Have kids with that American dude.Never stop writing.

Funny @deadringer I'd tell mine to definitely marry the first love at 23!

Travel at every opportunity
Start good exercise habits
Learn to code
Start investing whatever you can afford