Hey Pandas, If You Could Turn Back Time To Any Moment Of Your Life To Stop Something, What Would It Be?

If Cher’s song just started playing in your head, welcome, you’re among friends. Most of us have at least one moment that makes us think, “If I could turn back time, I’d definitely do that differently.” Maybe you’d unsend a text, not get into a car, speak up when you stayed silent, or walk away from someone who didn’t deserve a front-row seat in your life.

This “turn back time” fantasy isn’t just a dramatic movie plot. Psychologists even have a name for it: counterfactual thinkingthose “what if” and “if only” daydreams where we mentally rewrite the past. In small doses, it can help us learn and grow. In heavy doses, it can trap us in regret.

So, Hey Pandas, let’s lean into the question: if you could rewind to any moment to stop something from happening, what would it be? And more importantlywhat can that answer teach you about how you want to live now?

Why We All Secretly Want To Turn Back Time

Even the most “no regrets” people usually have at least a few tiny regrets… or a whole highlight reel. Psychologists describe counterfactual thinking as the human habit of imagining how things could have gone differently (“If only I had left five minutes earlier,” “If only I’d stayed in school,” “If only I hadn’t made that joke at the work party”).

There are two main flavors:

• Upward counterfactuals: Imagining how things could have turned out better (“If I hadn’t broken up with them, maybe we’d still be together”). These often fuel regret but can also motivate change.
• Downward counterfactuals: Imagining how things could have been worse (“If I hadn’t gone to the doctor, they might not have found that early”). These can create gratitude and relief.

Research suggests that counterfactual thinking can serve a purpose: it helps us learn from mistakes, plan better in the future, and feel more in control of our lives. But there’s a catchif you replay the same scene over and over without turning it into action or self-compassion, it can increase anxiety and depression.

In other words, your brain is trying to run a “life update,” but if it crashes on the loading screen, you’re just stuck staring at the spinning wheel.

The Most Common “I’d Go Back And Stop…” Moments

Scroll through Bored Panda comments, Reddit threads, and advice forums, and certain themes pop up again and again when people are asked about their biggest regrets or moments they’d change.

1. The Relationship You Stayed In (Or Never Started)

Many people say they’d go back and stop themselves from staying too long in a toxic relationshipromantic, family, or friendship. The regret isn’t usually about loving someone; it’s about ignoring red flags, accepting bad treatment, or shrinking themselves to keep the peace.

On the flip side, some people regret the relationship they didn’t start: not telling someone how they felt, ghosting instead of communicating, or ending something out of fear. If you’d turn back time to fix a relationship decision, that may say a lot about the kind of connection you want nowmore honest, kinder, and more aligned with your values.

2. The Words You Wish You Could Unsay

One of the most common regrets people share online is a moment when they said something cruel, sarcastic, or dismissive in anger… and never got to take it back. Maybe it was the last conversation with a loved one. Maybe it was something said to a child, a parent, a partner, or a friend. Those sentences replay like a voice memo you can’t delete.

Regret here often isn’t just about what was said, but about what wasn’t said: the apology, the “I’m proud of you,” or the “I love you” that never followed.

3. The Risk You Didn’t Take

In their 20s and 30s, people often regret not traveling, not trying for a dream job, or not saying yes to an opportunity because they were scared, broke, or too worried about what others would think. Later in life, those missed chances loom larger than most of the failures they did experience.

Interestingly, research suggests that over the long term, people tend to regret inactions (what they didn’t do) more than actions (what they did, even if it went badly). That’s the painful power of “what if.”

4. The Health Warning You Ignored

Another frequent “turn back time” wish involves health: ignoring symptoms, skipping screenings, or engaging in risky behaviors that led to serious consequences. Stories of people who wish they’d quit smoking earlier, cut back on drinking, or gone to the doctor sooner are all over support forums and comment sections.

These regrets usually carry a strong lesson: you can’t change what happened, but you can be fiercely protective of your present and future health.

5. The Money Moves That Went Sideways

From impulse-buying a car they couldn’t afford to ignoring debt until it exploded, financial regrets are another big category. People wish they’d started saving earlier, learned basic personal finance, or said no to that one “too good to be true” investment.

While you can’t undo a bad loan or magically refill an empty savings account from 10 years ago, you can use that regret as a starting point for financial literacy and small, consistent changes.

6. The Tiny Everyday Moments

Some of the heaviest regrets aren’t dramatic at all. They’re small moments: saying “I’m too busy” when a kid wanted to play, scrolling on your phone instead of being present with someone, or not taking that one photo you now wish you had.

These are reminders that the “biggest” moments of our lives don’t always feel big at the time. We only see their size in the rearview mirror.

When “What If” Thinking Helps (And When It Doesn’t)

Counterfactual thinking isn’t automatically bad. In fact, researchers argue that it can be useful when it helps us identify what we’d like to do differently in the future and motivates us to act.

For example:

• “If I’d studied more consistently, I might have passed that exam” can lead to better habits next time.
• “If I’d spoken up earlier, that situation might not have escalated” can inspire you to advocate more strongly going forward.

The trouble starts when your “what if” thinking turns into emotional quicksand:

• You replay the same scenario constantly but never convert it into action.
• Your inner voice is harsh, shaming, and unforgiving.
• You feel paralyzed, hopeless, or stuck in the past.

Studies have found that excessive counterfactual thinking is linked to increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, especially when it’s focused on blaming yourself rather than learning.

So the goal isn’t to erase the question “What would I change?” It’s to use that question as a doorway to growth instead of a prison cell.

How To Revisit The Past Without Getting Stuck There

If this Hey Pandas question instantly pulled up a scene in your mindmaybe a sharp onehere are some gentle ways to work with that moment instead of letting it run the show.

1. Name The Moment Honestly

Write down exactly what you’d go back and stop: “I’d stop myself from saying X,” “I’d stop myself from getting in that car,” “I’d stop myself from ignoring that email,” “I’d stop myself from going back to that relationship.” The clarity itself can be powerful.

Psychologists note that clearly identifying the event helps your brain move from vague, overwhelming guilt to something more concrete that you can process and learn from.

2. Let Yourself Feel The Feelings (Yes, Even The Messy Ones)

Regret brings a grab bag of emotions: sadness, shame, anger, disappointment, grief. Trying to “positive vibes” your way around them usually just makes them louder. Mental health experts emphasize that acknowledging those emotionswithout judgmentis an important part of healing.

You might cry, journal, talk to a friend, or even share your story anonymously online. Sometimes just hearing, “Hey, me too,” can be incredibly grounding.

3. Ask: What Is This Regret Trying To Teach Me?

Once you’ve identified the moment and allowed the emotion, ask a curious question: “What value of mine was violated here?” Maybe it’s kindness, loyalty, honesty, safety, or courage.

Research on counterfactuals suggests that when we connect regret to future-oriented learning, we’re more likely to change our behavior and less likely to stay stuck in self-blame.

4. Take One Small Corrective Action In The Present

You can’t go back and stop what happenedbut you can do something now that’s aligned with the lesson.

• If you regret not apologizing: consider reaching out, if it’s safe and appropriate.
• If you regret ignoring your health: book that appointment or screening today.
• If you regret not taking opportunities: take one small risk you’ve been avoiding.
• If you regret staying silent: speak up in a smaller, safer situation as practice.

Experts in behavioral change emphasize that small, consistent actions build a sense of agency and help transform regret into motivation.

5. Practice Self-Compassion (It’s Not Letting Yourself Off The Hook)

Self-compassion often gets misunderstood as being “soft” or making excuses. In reality, research from self-compassion experts shows that people who respond to their mistakes with kindnessnot crueltyare actually more likely to take responsibility and make amends.

Try talking to yourself the way you would talk to a close friend who made the same mistake. Something like:

• “You really wish you could change this. That makes sense.”
• “You didn’t have the information or skills you have now.”
• “You’re allowed to learn and do better going forward.”

This isn’t about pretending nothing bad happened. It’s about creating enough emotional safety to face what did happenand to grow from it.

6. Have “Coffee” With Your Younger Self

A popular reflection exercise, described by mental health writers, is imagining you’re sitting down for coffee with a younger version of yourself at the moment you’d like to change. You imagine what you’d say to them: warnings, comfort, encouragement, or boundaries.

Instead of just screaming, “Don’t do it!” try:

• “Here’s what you don’t know yet.”
• “Here’s how strong you actually are.”
• “I forgive you for not seeing the whole picture.”

That conversation can’t change the past, but it can change how you feel about the person you used to be.

Turning Back Time, Bored Panda Style

Part of the magic of a Hey Pandas thread is the mix of deep, serious stories and oddly specific, hilarious ones. So when we ask, “If you could turn back time to stop something, what would it be?” the answers might range from:

• “I’d stop myself from saying something awful to my brother on the last day I saw him.”
• “I’d stop myself from lending money I knew I’d never get back.”
• “I’d stop myself from dyeing my hair with that $3 mystery bleach from the dollar store.”
• “I’d stop myself from eating gas-station sushi. Enough said.”

On Bored Panda, people often share their biggest regrets, weirdest choices, and proudest comebacks. The comments show something important: while we can’t undo the past, we can turn our stories into connection, compassion, and sometimes even dark humor.

So, Hey Pandas, when you answer this question, remember:

• Your regret doesn’t have to define you.
• Your story might help someone else feel less alone.
• Sometimes the moment you’d most like to erase becomes the starting point for a completely different life.

Extra: 5 “Turn Back Time” Stories And What They Taught

To go deeper, here are five composite “Panda-style” stories inspired by real patterns people share onlineblended and anonymizedbut full of very human lessons.

1. “I’d Stop Myself From Laughing It Off”

A college student felt a strange tightness in their chest every time they climbed stairs. They joked about it with friends“Guess I’m just allergic to cardio”and brushed it off even when a campus nurse suggested getting it checked. Years later, after a serious heart issue finally pushed them into the ER, they wished they’d taken the early warning seriously.

The lesson: if your body is whispering that something is wrong, listen before it has to start screaming. Present-day corrective action might be as simple as scheduling one appointment you’ve been avoiding.

2. “I’d Stop Myself From Hitting Send”

After a rough day, someone fired off a long, angry message to a friend, listing every resentment they’d been quietly carrying. Some of the points were valid. The delivery… wasn’t. The friendship never fully recovered.

Now, their “turn back time” fantasy is simple: they’d close the app, write the message in a private note, sleep on it, and talk the next day. Their present-day rule? Never send the text you wrote while shaking with anger. Draft first, send laterif it still feels honest and kind.

3. “I’d Stop Myself From Staying Just Because I Was Comfortable”

One Panda stayed in a draining job for a decade because it was “good on paper.” They ignored burnout, Sunday dread, and a quiet sense of dread every time their alarm went off. Their regret isn’t that they workedit’s that they didn’t believe they deserved something better sooner.

Looking back, they realized that their “comfort” was actually fear wearing a cozy sweater. Now, whenever they feel stuck, they ask, “If I could rewind, would I want to change this?” If the answer is yes, they treat that as a sign to start exploring other options now, not “someday.”

4. “I’d Stop Myself From Being Cruel To Myself”

Another person’s biggest regret wasn’t a single eventit was years of brutal self-talk. Every mistake was a catastrophe, every awkward moment a character flaw, every rejection “proof” they weren’t good enough. They wish they could go back and wrap their younger self in a giant blanket and say, “You’re allowed to be imperfect. You’re allowed to be in progress.”

Therapists note that self-compassion actually supports growth more than self-criticism does. So their present-day “turn back time” move is internal: when they notice that old harsh voice, they pause and deliberately replace it with something kinder.

5. “I’d Stop Myself From Assuming I Was Alone”

One more composite story: a person went through a major loss and isolated themselves, convinced no one would understand. They turned down invitations, didn’t answer messages, and spent months wishing things could go back to “before.” Their regret isn’t that they grievedit’s that they tried to do it entirely alone.

If they could turn back time, they’d let at least one person in. They’d accept a friend’s offer to listen, join an online support group, or at least tell someone, “I’m not okay.” Today, they remind others that you don’t get extra bonus points for doing life on “hard mode.” Reaching out is not weakness; it’s wisdom.

So, Hey Pandas… What Would You Change?

If you could turn back time to stop something, what moment flashes through your mind first? A conversation? A decision? A day you still replay in your head? That moment mattersnot because you can change it, but because it shines a spotlight on what you value most.

Maybe it tells you that kindness matters more to you than being right. That your health is non-negotiable. That relationships need honesty. That you want to be braver, softer, more present, or more protective of yourself.

You don’t need a time machine to honor that insight. You just need today.

So share your story if you’d like, read others’ answers, and remember: you are not the only person who wishes they could hit rewind. You’re just the one brave enough to talk about it.