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| Not being able to predict the future is one of my top gripes about being alive. All day long, I’m forced to make decisions based on my best guess of what’s likely to happen. And as a result, my little brain spends most hours of most days running the numbers, over and over again. |
| Knowing the future may not be possible, but we can learn from people. In fact, I find this is one of the best ways to gain perspective on my own life and the decisions I’m faced with. So I asked around the Healthline office to see what my colleagues would tell their younger selves if they could. Read what they said below. |
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You live and you learn,
Ginger Wojcik
Newsletter Editor, Healthline
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Written by Ginger Wojcik
April 23, 2025 • 4 min read |
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| What would you tell your younger self if you could? |
“Enjoy being young, take risks, try new things. You are so much more than your anxiety and depression. Your struggles are what make you stronger, more resilient, and empathetic toward others.” — Kristen Hom, 32, photo editor
“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Few things are truly as important as they seem to you right now. Try to relax and have more fun. You only get to be this age once.” — Jill Campbell, copy editor
“Start stretching now. You don’t feel like you need to, but it’ll be so much easier if you aren’t starting from zero when you suddenly do need to.” — Kelly Morrell, managing editor
“You don’t have to maintain relationships with everyone you meet. While it’s sad to watch your friendships change, it’s also very natural. Also, it’s OK if your friends can’t fill every bucket that you’d want from them. You can have friends that support different needs without the groups overlapping.” — Kenny Thapoung, 33, managing editor
“The way you present yourself through your actions and words (and the way you speak to yourself) matter so much more than how you believe the world perceives your physical appearance.” — Siobhan Deremer, 41, editorial director
“Try not to stress over every little thing, especially the things you can’t control. Even if something doesn’t make sense when you’re going through it, you’ll see that everything came together in the ‘right’ way in time.” — Morgan Mandriota, 32, editor
“Your body is beautiful. [...] You don’t have to try to be like others in how you present yourself. It’s not gonna work anyway. Try out confidence and get off the wall, flower! Don’t rush into the first option presented to ya, girlie. And it’s perfectly normal to change your mind.” — Kristen Currin-Sheehan, 42, editor
“Friends can outgrow each other, or you just change, and that’s OK! It’s never too late to make new best friends.” — Sarah Choi, 22, associate editor
“Seek your OWN approval! No one else’s opinion matters more than your own. I see you, I hear you, I love you.” — Ren Dias, 32, editor
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