As a woman in her mid-twenties, there are a few habits that I have adopted (over time) in order to set up a healthy foundation for the rest of my life, most notably my thirties (which are still 4/5 years away but the last 4/5 years seem to have gone by in a flash). It's so easy, as a twenty-something, to believe you're invincible, that you've got all the time in the world to think about life goals and milestones. Don't get me wrong, I'm not wishing life away, nor am I rushing into things, I'm merely setting myself up in preparation for those things to start happening.
Health is something I'm paying more attention to now, both physically and mentally. Mentally so I can better deal with difficult situations life throws my way, and physically so that I can carry on enjoying activities with family and friends. Health is also important for when one has children, and so I'd like to keep my body balanced in preparation for that as well (which won't be for quite some time, but if I keep on top of things now, then my body will be ready when the time comes).
Looking after finances is also important in your twenties. I know it's barely worth thinking about now, but saving for retirement is something worth thinking about now. You may have a great work pension, but it often won't be enough to sustain you come retirement age. State pension won't be released to you until retirement age either, and even then, it won't be enough to live on. You want to live a happy, comfortable life when it comes to retiring from work, and saving money for when that time comes is a very good move. You could even save £50 a month until you're 60 odd, and even that could add up to a decent amount.
Anyway, those were just two of reasons why healthy habits need to be adopted right now. Here are some other habits I've been adopting in preparation for the aforementioned. Let me know if you've adopted any of these yourselves, or if you've adopted completely different ones. I'd be interested to see what you guys have to say :)
1. Take to regular exercise
If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I used lockdown to start looking after my physical health, but even though it's (kinda) over, I've still been sticking to a regular routine. Running has become part of my lifestyle now, which is something I never thought I'd do prior to all of this. I was perfectly happy hitting the gym three/four times a week for an or so and attending Fight Klub every Wednesday evening.
I almost had an epiphany whilst in lockdown, making me realise that exercise is a very important factor when it comes to looking after yourself physically and mentally. Setting realistic goals for yourself is a really good way to get you motivated. You could even try exercising with friends or members of your family to make the overall experience more fun.
2. Cook at home more often
Even just having a weekly plan in terms of meals can be beneficial for the mind. It will give you something to look forward to as well as help you to budget your weekly food shops. If we don't have a plan in mind for dinner all week, it could result in more visits to the supermarket (which will cost you both time and money in petrol) but you could even end up wasting food if you aren't sure what to do with it.
Think of some dishes that make your mouth water and you'll always look forward to cooking and eating every night. This is also healthier as you'll be avoiding ready meals (which contain a lot of salt) and takeaways. We often aren't 100% sure what goes into the fast food we eat, so it's always best to make something yourself.
Home cooking doesn't mean that you have to spend hours searching the shelves for fancy ingredients or spend an age slaving over the stove. A simple veggie curry or stir fry could take half an hour at the most to cook and eat, making for a super simple, healthy yet filling dinner. If you're wanting a more hearty meal, then your slow cooker will become your best friend.
You could leave meat etc stewing in there all day on a low heat and have dinner ready for the time you get home after a long day at work. If you don't have a slow cooker already, definitely invest in one, you won't be disappointed :) I've left a few links below containing all of my quick and easy dinner ideas, should you be interested!
3. Get a decent amount of quality sleep
I have often talked about the importance of sleep (and getting a peaceful night) on here, and why is that? Because it can have a massive impact on our physical and mental health. Getting enough sleep can be linked to weight loss or maintenance and having a more positive outlook on life. Not only that, but you'll feel more alert and therefore more capable of carrying out everyday tasks, whether that be replying coherently to an email or driving to the shops.
It's not just the amount of sleep you get, but the quality, too. Things you can do to ensure a great night's sleep include:
*Avoiding caffeine before bed
*Not looking at your phone before falling asleep
*Ensure the room is as dark and quiet as possible
*Try to keep the bedroom slightly cooler than other rooms in the house
I've written a few sleep-related blog posts on here, including how to be a morning/productive morning person, so I'll leave links to those below for you!
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know if you've got any other healthy habits by leaving them in the comments section below. I will see you again really soon with a brand new article for you!
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