Welcome to How to Improve Your Life as a Teenager!
Before we get started, I would like to credit Alpha Marino’s YouTube video “10 Teen Tips to KICKA** In Life – How to be Crazy Successful & Happy” on the behalf of the topics that are discussed in this article.
If you are interested in watching it, the video is below:
How To Improve Your Life As A Teenager
It is quite a dilemma to ask yourself how you want to live your life when you don’t even have a clue where you want it to go.
Faced with numerous questions like, “what type of career are you interested in?” or “what type of job do you think is perfect for you?”
We are bombarded by these types of questions, and yet, barely any of us have a clear, certain answer.
As a teenager, I know of little to none other teenagers (in real life) who would openly reflect on life meaning.
Most of the teenagers that I talk to in both public high school and college, would have no clue or attain very little knowledge on the subject.
I would typically get the response of “not interested.” I mean, what normal teenager would be?
I would assume that they could care less, for that matter.
Now imagine, what if someone were to ask you how you would want to improve your life? Would you know?
Before we dive into the topics, I want to say: that no matter what, it is okay to be unsure or lost. Just hear me out.
Here are my tips to improve your life as a teenager and how to be a better person as a teenager:
1. Stop Complaining
Overall, it does not do you good to complain way too much. Stop yourself, and breathe. Instead of complaining, appreciate life.
Complaining will not get you far. Not only does it support a fixed mindset, but it also stops and limits you to take action.
Also, not to mention how annoying it could get to other people when you just complain a lot.
By complaining, you are feeding yourself negative thoughts. Stop it at all costs!
2. Develop a Thick Skin
The reality is that life is not going to be fair to you. There are certainly going to be people who take advantage of you and criticize you. Sometimes, you’ll get those days where life just pushes you around.
But remember this, the quality of your life depends ultimately on how you would approach these situations.
And recognize that it’s okay because we should expect that. Most of the time, things will not go our way, and it is better to come to terms with that.
Do not let them get to you… because only then you would lose, you would doubt, and this becomes an ongoing cycle of uncertainty and inaction.
Show them who’s the boss. Do not give them a shadow of a doubt because only then they will get selfish, and use that to their advantage- to overthrow you.
Consider your thoughts as muscles, the more you nurture and work them out, the more powerful you’ll become.
Developing a thick skin is expanding mental toughness. By building resiliency, you go through difficult times, recovering over and over until you get used to it, only leaving you to become stronger.
3. Resist Catching up with the Joneses
Don’t worry about not going into the latest trends. Most likely, those trends will die out. No matter how awesome it seems at the moment, know the difference between your wants and needs.
Resist temptation, and believe that it’s okay if you don’t get your wants. In this case, don’t ever let your social environment pressure you into a standard that you need something when you really don’t.
It only creates the obsession of “catching up with the Joneses.”
Personally, recently I had done this to myself. Being a young, ambitious 16-year-old, once my friends started driving, I was envious and wanted to try too. Next thing I know, I crashed my dad’s car. Thus, leaving me with physical injury and financial debt (to my parents).
The lesson here is: to be wary about following the crowd because you might fall into some heavily armed traps. It sure can be dangerous!
4. Embrace that Failing is Normal
“Understand that you will fail from time to time,” said Alpha Marino.
From the Asian culture of today, I grew up believing that failure is not an option. Failure meant that you cannot get anything less than perfect.
As I grew older, the more ridiculous and unrealistic that became. No one or no circumstance is perfect. Life is not a test that you need a good grade on.
Do not push yourself to the position where your life depends on your failures. Because in reality, we all mess up.
Failures are just there as a reminder for you to change your approach.
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
Henry Ford
5. Enforce Health & Avoid Bad Habits
Again, like catching up with the Joneses, avoid following the crowd. Instead of drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking, having sex, and being like any other teenager, build your health.
Have the discipline to choose sleep rather than to party and get wasted. Look for the better long term solutions, not the temporary pleasures.
6. Invest in Better Relationships
First, Yourself
Learn to heal before you initiate to build other relationships. Knowing how to love yourself first will prepare you to love other people.
Family
Rekindle family ties. Cherish your family connections, especially when you’re in the midst of transitioning to adulthood. As soon as you leave the nest, you might miss them.
Start by giving a simple compliment or maybe even a sincere apology to a parent, sibling, or another relative. This shows a lot of respect and maturity on your end. Not only will it improve the conditions of the household, but it would feel wonderful for the soul.
Friends & Partners
Sometimes, as much as we hate to admit, but we often neglect our friends or partners. Use the same tip as family, rekindle your ties. The more you’re there for them, the more they’ll have your back when you need it.
The deeper the connection, the more likely your relationships will go long-term.
Strangers
No matter the indifference spread love, not hate. You will meet people from all sorts of different walks of life. You don’t know their story, so treat everyone kindly whether you disagree with them or not. Love your enemies. But whatever you do, don’t spread negativity.
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:39
7. Choose Kindness Over Being Right
Humans fight, and that’s normal. We all come to disagreements sometimes, and maybe we lash out or have the urge to leave.
However, it is your choice to choose whether or not you wish to prove a point or keep something significant.
You have to be willing to fix things, don’t give up too easily on people.
8. Respect Yourself
As our schedules become super occupied and difficult to balance due to the great number of responsibilities we begin to pick up, we forget to take care of ourselves.
Sleep
Get adequate sleep! I often see sleep-deprived teens everywhere in high school. I know some friends who even skip sleep for an assignment, myself included. Imagine the risks though. You are more likely to get into a car accident! Also, your immune system weakens, making you more vulnerable to infections!
Feed Yourself
Maybe it’s because of the workload we have for school or other outside activities, however, we often forget to feed ourselves. The solution is pretty simple and logical: eat! But in all seriousness, some people do forget!
Work Towards Your Goals
Have the self-respect to strive for your goals in life. Do not settle for mediocre or what your friends told you is a good career. You have the freedom to choose what to do with your life, it’s your life! Work hard towards those goals, for it shows that you respect you.
Stress
Stressing out is no bueno (not good). Try to get stress out of your system at all times, for it can be detrimental.
“Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.”
WebMD
The Takeaway
There are yet multiple different ways to improve your life as a teenager. The most important advice is to take massive action. In the article, we’ve covered the following tips:
- Stop complaining
- Develop a thick skin
- Resist catching up with the Joneses
- Embrace that failing is normal
- Enforce health and avoid bad habits
- Invest in better relationships
- Choose kindness over being right
- Respect yourself
If you’re interested in other content like this, check out our success category! Also, be sure to check out: Boundaries, Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life.
If you’re still here, thanks for reading! I would like to know your thoughts on either this article or this topic. I am nowhere near perfect and I am more than happy for constructive criticism and comments. Feel free to reach out through this blog’s contact page if you have any questions for me.
