Your 20s can be some of the most memorable and liveliest years of your life. It’s a time of exploration and figuring out who you really are while testing your limits – welcome to the early stages of adulting.
It’s also the perfect time to create a few healthy habits to set the foundation for a prosperous and happy life ahead of you. And don’t worry – none of them involve putting a full stop on late night outings with friends. By practicing these simple tips, you can start living a healthy and balanced life.
1. Learn to Cook Nutritious Meals
We get it – it’s easier ordering a quick and nice meal off of Door Dash or Uber Eats than cooking a meal at home. But trust us when we say that cooking your own meals has tons of benefits.
For one, fast food restaurants pump a lot of fat, salt, and other ingredients we’re unaware of into their dishes. If you cook your own food, you’ll innately become more conscious of how much salt or sugar you put into your meals. Cooking your own food gives you a chance to create healthier and wholesome recipes. Finally, you save major money. Especially when it comes to nutritious and healthy meals, buying your own ingredients and whipping up a dish yourself is way cheaper – it’s a double win. There are tons of nutritious and delicious recipes online that you can try out. Over time, you’ll develop a catalog of your favorite classic dishes.
It’s also important to mention that there is nothing wrong with the occasional trip to McDonalds or a nice slice of pizza. You don’t need to deprive yourself completely of these treats. In fact, we encourage you to find a balance in your diet between nutritional foods and the occasional cheat meal.
2. Create a Self-Care Routine
There’s no better time than now to develop a self-care routine. Maybe you’re in school. Perhaps you’ve ventured off into the workforce. Heck, it’s possible you’re doing both at the same time. However, if you don’t take the time to care for yourself, you’ll inevitably spiral into burnout and stress.
Making it a habit to carve out a portion of your day or week to do a self-care routine will ensure you refresh and rejuvenate your body and mind. It’s a time dedicated to your well-being so do what you love. Whether it’s journaling, taking a nice bubble bath or singing your heart out to some good music, pamper yourself – you deserve it.
3. Find an Exercise Routine You Enjoy
Working out can and should be enjoyable – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Working out doesn’t always involve pumping iron at the gym or running on the elliptical. If those activates don’t appeal to you, there’s an abundance of exercises you can do to get your heart racing and mind relaxed. Pole dancing, yoga, a walk with your dog – the choice is up to you. Just make sure you follow the general suggestion of getting two and half hours of moderate activity in a week.
If you’re looking for extra motivation, consider purchasing a cute pair of activewear leggings and tops. Looking and feeling good in your workout apparel can do wonders for your confidence levels during a workout.
4. Visit Your Doctor
Visiting the doctor for a general check-up isn’t something that pops up in people’s minds that often. However, it’s important to go in for regular check-ups as a safety measure. You don’t have to go every week or month. A quarterly or yearly visit will suffice. It never hurts to check for any early signs of health issues – better to be safe than sorry.
5. Take Time Away from Devices
Putting your phone away for an hour seems impossible for most of us. But it’s one of the best health habits you can start now.
When you take time away from your devices you become more present in your reality. Not what your friends are doing on Instagram, not the drama that is happening on Tik Tok. Taking a step away from all the noise and notifications from our devices decreases our FOMO and allows us to enjoy the present moment. What can you do instead? Take a walk, talk to your family or roommate, finish your assignment, pick up that new hobby – there’s so much you can do. Being young and in your 20s is an exciting time. It also gives you the chance to create lifelong healthy habits that set a strong foundation for a happy life. Introducing healthy routines now will only make your life easier as you enter your later years. So have fun, explore the world in front of you and start these healthy habits – future you will be thankful.
Featured photo: Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
