How often do you search for wellness tips, only to be overwhelmed by a plethora of articles? Sometimes there’s just too much out there on “the next best” health and wellness products. It makes any effort to be your best self depressing.
From holistic wellness to making a self care vision board to body positivity, what are the most important takeaways for your health.
I suffered from terrible depression and bulimia for most of my 20s. I tried everything and worked my ass off to get better. Now, at 32, I’m in the groove of a proper healthy lifestyle. It’s taken time, effort and patience, but I’m living fully.
This is not a post for a quick fix. There’s no such thing. This is about how to establish good health and wellbeing. Not every point on this post may work for you, but I certainly hope something can help you take the next step forward.
This post is all about Health and Wellness | 5 Lessons I Learnt In My 20s
1. Sleep Will Save You
Boy oh boy. Do I wish I’d taken sleep more seriously when I was in my late teens/early 20s!
Let me be clear: there’s nothing wrong with late nights and having a crazy one till 4am. But sleep during the week (at the very least!) is a non-negotiable for me.
When you find yourself spiraling, ask yourself if you’ve had enough rest lately. If you haven’t, why not try a simple night routine to help relax you before bed? Investing in a routine before sleeping can make the actual sleep a lot more high quality. I know this from personal experience!
If you suffer from insomnia (I did for many years), the best advice I can give you is this: don’t look at your clock and accept that you’re awake. Get out your bed and read, do yoga, read, watch TV (I know this is supposed to be bad but I find it helps sometimes). Eventually, you will get tired enough and your body will sleep when it needs to.
2. Exercise Clears The Mind
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stressed out and realized I just needed to go to the gym or a run to take the edge off.
Of course, exercise will not solve your problems. But it does make them seem a heck of a lot easier to handle.
I personally love group exercises. Not only do I get that rush of endorphins, but I feel like I’m part of a little community as I’m exercising. There’s nothing like engaging in a short mission with other people.
I also recommend “buddying up” with someone for certain types of exercises. Maybe you take a walk with your neighbor once a week? Try it! I do hot yoga with a friend every Friday morning and it’s a big motivator when I’m not in the mood.
3. Human Connection is Everything
I can’t tell you how much the pandemic taught me about the need for human connection. I’m sure you agree, right?!
Get outside, find YOUR PEOPLE.
If you work alone, remotely, or don’t feel fulfilled by the lack of or kind of human connection you have in your life, I promise that it’s worth investing time in. People are all we have, and life is just a series of social fabrics. You might come upon a new fabric more often than you expect, but that is NORMAL!
4. Drink Water. Then Drink More.
First thing I do in the morning? Drink a full glass (8oz) of water before I eat breakfast.
While I’m not a medical professional and this blog shouldn’t be used as a substitute for medical advice, I cannot emphasize enough how much drink water throughout the day helps me.
If I’m feel fatigued, stressed or just low energy, I find drinking some water before doing anything else helps me.
5. Therapy Can Help You
If there’s one thing I wish I’d done sooner in my life, it’s go to therapy.
I know there are endless conversations and comments online about the cost and availability of therapy. But hear me out.
When I moved to the US, I had the worst health insurance. It was so bad that I prayed constantly I wouldn’t need it because it didn’t even cover therapy.
So, I searched hard online to find a therapist (I was super depressed during my first two years in the US) and I found a great option: a newly qualified therapist at Columbia University who, through a university program, charged me on a sliding scale. This meant that I was charged literally five dollars a session because that’s what I could afford. There are many therapy services out there like this — but you need to spend some time finding them.
6. Go For a Physical
Ah yes, the dreaded physical. It sucks, we dread it, but boy are we glad when it’s done.
Remember, it’s a privilege to access a physical.
Don’t miss out on your annual one — and don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions.
7. You Are What You Eat
What did you eat today? Did your body love it or are you paying for it this evening?
Let me be clear, I don’t think there is anything wrong with enjoying some wine or a cupcake. Heck, eating a tub of ice cream once in a while is hardly a crime.
But our eating habits do affect us physically as well as mentally. So, throw away any shame or guilt, and simply reflect on what you generally eat: what are doing for your body that it loves? Can you improve your nutrition?
8. Routine Placates Anxiety
I’m currently in a tougher spot professionally. I have a lot of projects “coming together”, but it’s very anxiety-inducing. What’s the remedy?
In my experience, routine. Specifically, a morning routine and night routine.
Routines give us purpose and welcome distraction. Keep it simple and see how your mental and physical health improve after just a few days.
9. Skin Care is Not a Luxury
I used to think all I really had to do was take my make up off and I’d be good to go…
Your skin is everything! It deserves some love. Make sure, for starters, you’re using products that are clean and right for your skin. Then, make sure you’ve got some make up (if you use make up) that isn’t irritating your skin either.
Then, figure out a simple morning and night time skin routine. Personally, I use Aveeno oil (on my face) and Aveeno body lotion for everything but my face 🙂
10. Work Isn’t Everything — But You Need to Work Hard
I wish I’d realized in my 20s that my professional accomplishments didn’t define me. Yes, they meant and still mean something to me. But they don’t make me a good or bad person.
That being said, you need to work hard if you want to enjoy a fulfilling career and financial security.
Structure your time, work when you’re most efficient, and eliminate distractions. And when it’s time for the weekend, log off.
11. Figure Out Your Purpose
I definitely spent a lot of my 20s trying to figure out what I was “meant for” in this world. In hindsight, this (almost) obsession was probably detrimental to my overall health.
However, I think finding your purpose, amongst other semi spiritual searches, was a necessary evil I had to go through in my 20s.
While it got me down at times because I just couldn’t stop thinking about it, I feel like this near decade long reflection really helped me form a myriad of careers today. The best lesson I learnt though was that our purpose is nuanced and tends to evolve depending on the environment we choose to live in.
12. Money Matters
No easy way to say this one… having money matters.
In my 20s, my finances were absolutely awful. I was broke. Of course, most people in their 20s are broke, but as an immigrant in America on a work visa that didn’t let me work more than 20 hours a week, I was constantly panicked about money.
Now that I’m in my early 30s, I can tell you one thing: having money doesn’t make you better than anyone else, but when you have it, it’ll open up a lot of doors and make you a hell of a lot happier.
13. Tell The Truth
Be honest. Tell the truth. As Jordan Peterson says, to tell the truth is surely the greatest adventure. (Okay, maybe he’s paraphrasing someone else, but I agree with him!)
There is nothing more freeing and productive than telling the truth. There is also nothing scarier.
But if I learnt anything in my 20s, it is just that: when we lean into what we are afraid of, we are normally set free in the process.
This post was all about Health and Wellness | 5 Lessons I Learnt In My 20s.
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