80 Great Pieces Of Life Advice From People Over 40 Who Want To Make Younger Folks’ Lives Easier And Better

Throughout life, we naturally pick up small pieces of wisdom to put into our arsenals of experiences. From more practical tips like "eat mindfully" and "exercise every day" to corny but deeply universal truths — "stay true to yourself". We always keep an eye out for ways to improve the quality of our lives. Eventually, looking back on the decisions we’ve made, most of us uncover valuable lessons about how to make life more joyful and less problematic.

Unfortunately, far too often, the learning comes too late to prevent painful mistakes and wasted time and effort. Though we don’t have a time machine to take us back and help our past selves, we can at least offer these little pieces of advice to anyone willing to listen. So two months ago, Reddit user morningperzon did precisely that when they asked folks over 40 if they had any pertinent words of wisdom to pass down to people in their 20s.

The comments were immediately flooded with tips and habits from the older generation to give twentysomethings perspective on what's truly important. We at Bored Panda have gathered some of the most enlightening responses from the thread, so we hope you enjoy and get inspired. Be sure to upvote the replies that resonate with you, and share your insightful advice in the comment section below!

#1

Take care of your body. Exercise to maintain a healthy weight and good cardiovascular health. As you get older, it's much harder to maintain these.

Image credits: Thomasgraham76

#2

Ghost your s**tty friends. They are as much of a liability to your health and future as any other malicious factors in your life right now.

And if you have to ask if they're a s**tty friend, they are a s**tty friend. Ghost them. Now.

Image credits: MisterAmmosart

#3

Pay less attention to what people say, and more attention to what they do.

Image credits: Cherryfritterfrieda

#4

Get to know your parents as people. Ask them all about their early lives and about their parents and other relatives. Write these things down if you can.

Before you know it, they will be gone, either physically or mentally and there will be so many things you want to know.

Image credits: zazzlekdazzle

#5

Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. A long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists.

Image credits: wienermcfartface

#6

Save. If your job offers a 401k, take advantage of that. If not, open a savings account and put something in it every pay. Even if you can only afford to put in 5 bucks, it still adds up.

Image credits: frumperbell

#7

It's never too late to start a new career. Do what you love!

Image credits: monja2009

#8

Don’t rush to get married. You’re still figuring out who you are. Date, live together, whatever. Just don’t get married before 30.

Image credits: geegeeallin

#9

Brush your teeth.

Image credits: Dazzling-Adeptness11

#10

Stretch. Start stretching. Do yoga. Keep stretching. Never get out of the habit. You don't have to be in the best shape to be happy, but stretching makes everything feel better, keeps it feeling good, and means that when you inevitably hurt yourself at some point in the future it's easier to recover.
You may feel invincible now. Every person in their 20s does. And then you hit 30. And you start noticing things like it hurts when you jump down the last two stairs instead of walking down them, or when you wake up, or just, from existing. In my 40s now, and I'm still doing just fine, and find my daily yoga practice matters more than any other exercise I've ever done.

Image credits: JoshG1981

#11

Do it.

Whatever it is . Take a trip. Start a band. Move to a new city. Do it now when you aren't as tied to place by obligations.

Image credits: spiked_macaroon

#12

Life is short, enjoy! You may have a day or 50 years left, no one knows. Don't put things off for "your golden years".

Image credits: jenfish06

#13

Travel, use your vacation time, make memories.

Image credits: IrishSFnative

#14

Your joints are the first thing to wear out--take care of them.

Image credits: manwithavandotcom

#15

Work hard, but also have fun. That huge paycheck probably isn't worth it, unless you're super materialistic. Having a brand new tesla or a luxury condo is fun for a month, having good friends and balanced life is fun for a lifetime.

Image credits: PoorMansTonyStark

#16

Go to the doctor and to the dentist regularly

Image credits: olderthanbefore

#17

Stop obsessing that you need to

A) Be in a relationship
B) Knocked up/Parenting
C) Home Owning vs Renting

in order to "prove" to society your life has entered some larger adult phase.

You are 20. You may think you have it all figured out, and you certainly come with an in-built, unflinching optimism that life will go exactly as you wish as most of you haven't been thoroughly kicked in the face long enough yet by life to lose that rosy impression. However, you are 20. What you want today may not even be possible or relevant in 5 years let alone 20. You still have a lot of growing up to do and you will change.

#18

VERY few companies out there will ever give a s**t about you. You should never feel any loyalty to them.

#19

I'm 81 and I really can't distill it down to one thing so here goes:

- Be yourself. Stop trying to live up to others' expectations and do your own thing.

- Get moving! Whether it's bike riding or walking or a gym membership. Just move.

- Eat healthy! Yes, those fast food fries and burgers are easy - but - you will pay for that some time in the future. Start eating healthy so it becomes a habit.

- Be kind to people. If everyone did this, imagine what a world we would live in!

- Become politically active. Support honest, progressive candidates in whatever way you can. And VOTE! F*****g VOTE!

Hugs from Gma.

#20

Don’t worry about not getting to certain “milestones” by a particular age (like 25 or 30 or whatever). Everyone’s circumstances are different. If life gets in the way of your goals, just keep at it (and take a pause if you need) until you achieve them.

Image credits: Juan_Calavera

#21

Don't be afraid to do things by yourself. Go to that show, see the movie, take a day trip. Don't miss out on opportunities because no one will go with you.

#22

Improve your posture now

Image credits: You_Maki_me_vomit

#23

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh—never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Image credits: wienermcfartface

#24

Get. A. Pre-nup.

Image credits: James0100

#25

Enjoy the days of your youth without going overboard. There is nothing wrong with having a good time, yet if you are always waking up wondering what happened last night, why you can't remember how you spent so much money or you always have a hangover; you should tone it down a bit.

#26

Don't put yourself in ridiculous amounts of debt trying to portray a certain image. You'll spend your entire life trying to get out of the hole you dug or you'll have to declare bankruptcy.

Set aside enough money to cover 3-6 months of expenses for emergencies just like now. Moreover, save now for your retirement years. It doesn't require much and if you have it taken directly from your paycheck you won't be inclined to not pay yourself first.

Image credits: Thomasgraham76

#27

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

#28

If you have a good relationship with your parents, try and see them. It’s frightening how quickly the years pass and suddenly they’re gone. Alzheimer’s also can hit unexpectedly and it’s amazing how much I wish for just a few more hours.

#29

Having kids is a wonderful experience. While I personally think it's the best thing I've ever done it's certainly not for everyone and you will give up a lot of your personal life, hobbies, time alone and everything that you once did for yourself.

Image credits: ThorSaw

#30

Ask him/her/them out. Worst case you get a "No".

Image credits: Rdr1051

#31

If you're addicted to nicotine, stop. If not, don't ever start.

#32

Don't give a f**k what people think of you. Just be authentic.

#33

It is better to regret something you did than something you did not do.
Don't be a d**k tho.

#34

So much of modern life revolves around social media now. Shut It Off...Frequently. Eat meals, style your hair, go for vacations you never post about. Let calls to voicemail and texts unread. 98% of those items can wait or don't require your response at all. It's depressing to witness a group of friends sitting together in a restaurant and all opting to be on their phones rather than present for each other. You miss a lot of life time staring at your screens.

#35

Don’t get fat. Losing weight is a brutal fight. It’s mentally draining.

#36

You don't need to excel, average can be extremely fullfilling.

Aspire to be happy with little achievements.

Failures can open many unexpected windows.

#37

Making friends is increasingly awkward as you get older but push through it because other people are wonderful and worth it.

#38

Starting over isn’t the worst thing. You’ll also be really surprised how your life will turn out in 20 years. Like unrecognizable.

As a teenager I spent most of my time babysitting my sisters. I tried to kill myself. I spent several months in a psychiatric facility. 7 years later I graduated college with an MBA. Getting a job offer right out of college and marrying my (now) ex husband soon after that.

At 43 I realized my life was boring. I made great money. Enough to retired early. And start freelancing. I also realized I was a lesbian. So I got a divorce. Started dating this girl. And became her MommyDom.

If you were to ask me at any point in my life if I’d see myself where I actually ended up a couple years later I would’ve called you crazy. I thought my life was over in the psych facility. I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with the man I married.

#39

45 YO here. Did most of these myself and have a pretty good life right now:

* Eat right and exercise. You can get away with not doing it right now, but you'll regret it later.
* Live frugally, save money, and invest. Pay off debt if you have it. Don't overspend, especially on impulse, or trying to impress people.
* Make yourself marketable, a college degree is nice, but be ready to work and prove you can get the job done. Way too many useless bullshitters getting by on political games in the corporate world.
* Never give out personal loans
* If you do get married, marry a good person who wants to be a life partner. Life has its ups and downs and you'll need a true life partner for the bad times.
* People usually divorce for three reasons: Money, Sex, and Kids. Make sure you're on the same page before committing.

EDIT: typo

#40

Don't take it all so seriously, personally. Read Vonnegut. "We were put on this planet to fart around."

#41

Don't take advice or criticism as a personal attack. Most times the people who care about you have observed behavior in you which is off putting, doesn't reflect who you really are or could be or would make you a more rounded person

#42

Don't worry about the future or worry, but know that worrying Is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubble gum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind the kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

#43

What ever injuries you get while young and "indestructible" will hurt like hell later on

Image credits: 13id

#44

Don't stick with wrong people, friends/relationships out of habit or to honor the prior years spent with them. It's ok and normal to outgrow people. Don't waste time on people who no longer bring value to your life. 20s feel like you still have a lot of years left to screw up, but 20s pass in a blink. Train yourself to be self aware. Train yourself to say Nope without apology.

#45

Everyone you'll meet has been through some s**t. Try not to judge. Instead, try being empathetic. Curious. Kind.

Also, no one is ever ready for kids.

#46

Don't think that just because you've been with your partner for so many years you can't start over/you'll never meet anyone/no one will want you. Instead look at it as not wasting your time on someone who doesn't deserve it.

#47

Bend your knees when you’re lifting heavy stuff.

#48

Run your own race. Focus on what is working for you and go with it.

#49

you don’t need a significant other to be happy. enjoy your time alone. take it slow and go with the flow. set expectations low. and be grateful for what has happen in your life. reminiscence what you had done in your life. what you cam do to improve. don’t regret anything even if it’s something horrible. accept it and move on with life. learn anything you can. trust me you don’t want to be 40 and feel useless. lastly this is what a friend told me and it has been stuck with me ever since.

take care of yourself cause nobody else is better at taking care of yourself than you . no one else understands you more than you. soo do what makes you happy even if your friends and family thinks it’s weird. if it makes you feel happy do it. you can’t please everybody but you can please yourself

#50

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too, will get old and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

#51

Be nice to your siblings, they're your best link to your past And the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

#52

If you are planning to have kids, do so as soon as you are able to—financially that is. Do not wait. There is never a perfect time for that. If you wait for too long, you will be too tired to chase your kids and enjoy them fully.

#53

If you decide to get married (this shouldn't and isn't a thing for everyone BTW) make sure it's not just for love but to have a partner and a best friend. I'm so lucky I have a great wife.

#54

By the time you're twenty, your parents have f****d you up somehow. Get therapy. Identify how you're f****d up now and deal with it so you don't have to deal with the monster-sized version of it when you're in your 40s.

Image credits: anon

#55

Setting boundaries with people is a kind thing to do. For them and you. Some boundaries are obvious and should never be crossed, but many social boundaries can be hard to totally predict. And how other people react to you telling them your limits is a big test of whether or not you can trust them.

#56

Make your mistakes on someone else’s dime and then do it yourself for yourself.

A well defined problem is half the solution.

Be a Giver and marry a Giver and you will be happy til the day you die.

#57

I'm going to post this b/c I know someone young is struggling w/ addiction rn.

Don't waste your life. Don't wake up at 39 and let that s**t hit you like a ton of bricks that you've pissed away half of your life on drugs.

#58

Get established in a career. The older you get the more opportunities shrink.

#59

If it needs to go on credit and you don’t need it to stay alive (food, medicine, shelter etc) then you can wait until you’ve saved up for it.

#60

Choose adventures and experiences over material things

Choose kindness and connection

If you like sex, have a lot of it. If you like to party, party a lot. If you like to dance, dance as often as possible. But if you like to drink, be moderate about it to protect your liver

It's your body, feel free to touch it, use it, and advocate for it

#61

Have a work ethic. Show up, do what's told, go home. That does not mean let them walk over you. You don't need your phone. There is always something to do.

#62

Slow down. Actively listen to people in your life. This is a tough skill and I still struggle. It's particularly hard when you "don't know what you don't know". try not to think of the next thing you want to say. But listen, ask questions if you don't understand their concern/statement. People have some wisdom. Hardest part is how to hear it then decide if it's applicable/good for you.

Also life plans don't really work out. Most folk I know altered course. You don't have to go to school x, or have job z, or be married/have kids or whatever at age Y. You are not a failure. You are important and make sure to remember your worth. don't forget to be kind to yourself.

From a non 40+ year old but close enough.

#63

Live below your means; if you get a raise, spend like you didn't get it. Or better yet, put the money in a separate account (most places that pay via direct deposit will let you split it up).

#64

If you don't know *what* your passion is, your job is to find out what your passion is. Then work in that direction.

I'm 46. I was a touring musician for 15 years (up until I was 40), dirt broke, worked in bars when I was home - lived hand to mouth. Would do it again in a heartbeat. I'm a family guy now, with a normal job, but I'll never have a mid life crisis.

#65

You are the only you out there, and your life is going to be different from everyone elses.

Don't rush or push yourself to decide on your career, life partner, buying propery, or having a kid - or deciding definitively that you don't want or can't have any of these things.

People always feel like everyone around them are way ahead in all these things, but if eveyrone feels that way then no one is behind. That's because everyone does it at their own pace.

#66

You can always change your mind. Don't feel like you're locked into a decision because you're embarrassed that maybe you chose the wrong thing. Life is too long.

#67

Learn to move on from old s**t on your own with getting apologies or "closure" from those who have wronged you.

Now, moving on isn't the same foriving or forgetting, which you may do for the other people. This is what you do for yourself.

In the end, those shitty people have long moved on and are doing fine, while you are the one being punished by your actions and attitudes. It sucks, but it's the truth. Only you can help yourself.

Living well IS the best revenge.

#68

Things get better. Even if they don’t you learn to cope better. The first time going through something is always the worst

#69

Do your best to move on and repair the damage your parents did to you.

It's too easy to get stuck feeling like they did too much for you, didn't do enough, or what they did harmed you and just circling in your mind wishing it went differently.

They may have done it to you, but only you can undo it to yourself.

Don't expect apologies or closure. Sadly, as bad as many parents were, they were actually doing their best. Sometimes their best is still so bad, but they will likely get defensive and it will only deepen the pain.

#70

My advice is different for someone aged 20-24 than it is for someone aged 25-29. If you're aged 20-24 then even if your life is good you're likely going through the roughest patch of life you'll ever go through. You may not be able to see the light but it's there at the end of the tunnel. Just hunker down and put up the shields for a few more years and don't let stress or depression get you.

My advice once you hit 25 is, your brain is fully developed now and you want to get started fast on making money and finding the friends and partner that you're gonna want for the rest of your life. Now that college is presumably over, your ability to meet new people your own age group as easily as you did in school is greatly diminished. Quality over quantity when it comes to friends.

#71

You've reached that age where you can create a family that is not just blood relatives. And you can remove blood relatives from your family.

#72

Don't grow up completely. You can still feel like a kid when you're 53.

#73

I turn 55 tomorrow.

Retire early so you can still enjoy what life you have left.

#74

Accept that your opinions will change and you may be wrong.

#75

Vote younger people into office. You can only b***h about Boomers so much if you don't take action and get those old white Republicans out of office. Look at all they've done lately. F*****g vote!

#76

If you're going to join the military pick the Air Force or Navy so you'll get actual applicable skills to the real world and wont die.

#77

It’s OK for your job to be your job and not your passion.

#78

Listen to some of your parents' advices. Not all advices and not the most absurd ones.

But in general listen to them.

#79

Do all the s**t you really dont want to do. Go to school, work, save money, be responsible.

Crucify me if you wish but I've told my kids that this life in our current society is about doing s**t you don't want to do so you can do the s**t that makes you happy.

#80

Humans are, at heart, learning machines. If you find yourself bored, it's likely you've mastered (to the best of your current ability) your current interests. It's totally normal to cast about for the next fascinating thing, and to do a deep dive into it. We may be taught that a person ought to stick to one thing forever but, in truth, most of us will switch careers multiple times, switch partners, and drop hobbies. It's more important to be resilient and have good critical thinking, planning, and learning skills than it is to be blindly devoted to any one person, thing, or activity. The only exceptions being offspring and pets/animals. You are 100% responsible for taking care of those within your sphere of influence who have no power, themselves

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