7 Childhood Life Hacks That Make Adulting Suck Less

Feeling stuck in a grown-up rut? Check out this list of things you did super-well as a kid but probably not so good now.

1. You said whatever the heck you wanted.

And I bet you didn’t think twice about it! You told someone’s mom their house was a mess. You told your parents that the dinner they made was gross. Hell, you might have even told your teacher to go kick rocks. While these things are probably high on the inappropriate scale, the spirit behind it is what matters. How could you channel this spunky side of you in your adult world?

2. You didn’t try to do everything yourself.

Could you picture a kid stressing the F out over a laundry list of tasks to do? I can’t. When I was little. I used to ask for help all the time. Even when I COULD do things myself, if I didn’t feel like it, you bet your sweet butt I tried to outsource it. And I did it without batting an eyelash. Where could you ask for help? Drop that ego and let help in – you deserve it.

3. You ran off the fuel of your imagination.

Off in a dream world on any given afternoon, I bet that younger you came up with some pretty fantastic sh*t. You most likely created alternate realities where you could completely lose yourself for hours, tapping into the source of what makes you amazingly great. What happened to that place? Do you still take trips there? If not, you totes should. The imagination is where all amazing ideas and life changes begin.

4. You could care less about what you looked like.

Though you cringe at them now, the pictures of you as a kid in that hideous outfit and haircut didn’t bother you at all as a kid. You were probably so freakin’ pumped that you were in a yearbook next to all of your classmates and that kick-ass kindergarten teacher who always smelled like cookies and gave amazing hugs. You didn’t pick out how chunky you looked or how puffy your bangs were, because those things weren’t even a blip on your radar. Could you imagine trying to look at a completely candid pic of you today and not judge it? If your answer is no, try again.

5. You didn’t hide your feelings.

You straight up threw temper tantrums in the supermarket because your dad wouldn’t let you buy more than one pack of string cheese. You flipped out when you couldn’t go outside because it was raining. You cried your eyes out when Bambi’s mom died (and hell, I still do). Yeah, you probably looked ridiculous, but you didn’t care. You needed to get those feelings out because that’s what feelings need to do. This instinct is still an instinct even in your adult form. Why get embarrassed over feeling upset and showing it? Let yourself cry and watch how much better you feel.

6. You made everyone your friend.

Ever wonder why “don’t talk to strangers” is such a huge deal and a big message to share with kids? Because they do it ALL THE TIME. It’s their default setting. It’s not until we’re adults that we learn to just straight up ignore humanity as we shuffle through our daily lives. Human connections are the backbone of this great planet. Why not make some new friends today? Say hi to someone in line at the coffee shop today. The little kid in you is always looking for a pal.

7. You had dreams of big-ass proportions.

When you grew up, did you want to be an astronaut? Did you want to be Batman? Did you spend your time drawing pictures of you saving the world? Well, guess what? You can still save the world. In fact, the world is depending on you realizing that you were put here to do just that. Dream those big ass dreams, my friend. It will still come naturally to you if you let it.