Opinion: 13 Things People Regret Not Doing When They Were Teenagers

As a child heads into their teen years, they're making their way to the age of independence. They've lived under their parents’ rules for so long, and slowly, they're beginning to experience more freedom. Some teens happily embrace their newfound freedom and run with it, whereas others may be too timid to branch out, which often results in them feeling regretful later in life. Here are 13 things people regret from their teen years.

Young woman covering her face with her hands while she's trying to pay bills and manage her moneyPhoto byImage Credit: Kues via Shutterstock.

Studying too Much

When you are a teen, studying is good. However, taking it to the extreme where you constantly choose learning over life experiences and fun is not good. There needs to be some balance, or you will grow up to regret not having some fun.

Asking Out a Crush

Teenagers are hyper-aware of people judging them, often worrying what parents, friends, or family will think. Sometimes, it discourages them from making particular decisions – like asking out the person they have a crush on – since they are too worried about being embarrassed.

Being Rebellious

Teens are known for going through rebellious stages. Some teens play it safe and listen to precisely what their parents say. Being rebellious doesn’t have to be dangerous; it can be as simple as skipping a class.

Doing Extracurricular Activities

Many teens grow up regretting not doing more extracurriculars outside of school or their church. Yes, those activities are important. However, joining a club or a team inside your community is a nice change of pace and allows teens to network and make new connections outside of their everyday circle.

Being More Serious

On the other end of the spectrum, some teens grow up regretting not taking their studies seriously enough. As an adult, they can’t get a decent job because they didn’t take the right classes or chose not to study hard enough.

Finding Your Style

Part of being a teenager is experimenting and figuring out your likes and dislikes. Some adults look back and regret not being more adventurous with their 'look' and experimenting with different styles or haircuts.

Being Social

Many teens are very self-conscious, which can often hold them back socially. Looking back as an adult, they may regret being so shy and not making the effort to get to know more people.

Loving Yourself

Being a teen is rough, especially with the impossibly high beauty standards set by social media. Looking back, many adults find they were too hard on themselves and wish they could have found a way to love themselves.

Figuring it Out

Some adults look back to their teen years and regret not admitting their sexual orientation to themselves earlier. They feel they wasted so much time worrying what people would think of them if they came out.

Waiting Time

Many people regret wasting time on failed relationships as a teen. They tried so hard to make relationships work that they knew weren’t healthy for them, which created additional hardships in their lives.

Choosing a Career Path

It's completely normal for teens not to know where they want to be in the future. The pressures of choosing a career path and not knowing much about their desired industry can lead to making uninformed decisions they regret down the road.

Saving Money

As a teen, many are just getting their first jobs, and it can be so tempting to want to take the money you have earned and spend it on a fun time with friends. As adults, many look back and wish they'd made better choices with their money.

Going to Therapy

Many adults are working to become better versions of themselves and have found therapy to be beneficial, making them wish they'd tried working through their issues with a therapist as a teenager.

This article first appeared on Cents + Purpose.

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