Twenties just hits differently. And, more specifically, post-21 era.
Hopefully you're over that awkward teen phase filled with friendship dramas and questionable outfits, and you're desperate to focus on what it is that you want for yourself – am I right?
Perhaps half of your friends have found their life partners and are planning their big day 💍, while the other half are solo-tripping and brunching somewhere in the city.
Wherever you are in life right now, your early twenties can still be the most liberating time – so let me share with you some things I've been doing in a bid to care less and live more. ❤️
- Solo Dinners
- Learning my Faith
- Focussing on Savings!
- Side Hustles + Making Money
- Finding Real Friends
- Getting Curious and Gaining Experience
- Upgrading Hygiene Habits
- Waking up Early in the Day
- Make Your Health a Priority
🍜 1. Taking Myself Out for Dinner
The advantage I have here is that I'm someone who just loves their own company anyways – so sign me up for solo dinner any day!
But if you struggle with idea of being seen on your own, why not try taking yourself to a quieter local cafe for a coffee to ease yourself into it?
Here's why I think solo dining is great:
- It gives you the chance to treat yourself to a nice meal even if your friends or family aren't available that night
- You don't limit your enjoyment because of other people's schedules
- Gives you a chance to step away from the noise of everything
- You'll have some serious time to think anything out that might be on your mind
- It helps your ability to make decisions
- Allows you to embrace silence (which is not always a bad thing!)
- You get to try new things that you might not with someone else
Over time you'll find yourself un-phased by the social norm of 'only eating with friends' (who even made that a thing anyways?). It also makes you less conscious of what others think of you in general.
📚 2. Learning My Faith
Getting to know your faith has no age. It's a spiritual journey that is constantly evolving.
But, recently I've been putting more time into it as I'm nearing my mid-twenties.
Before I know it, I'll be (God-Willing) married, having children, and occupied with the matters of life, and that focussed 'alone' time will naturally decrease.
While you have this time on my own, getting to know your faith and increasing your knowledge is a great use of time.
Another reason I'm big on understanding your faith before having kids is so that you have this rich knowledge to pass on to them, , as well as implement in other areas of your life as you grow older.
Think of it It's like building the foundations that you want your life to be upon.
💰3. Start Saving! Pls.
I've heard way too many people in their thirties confess that they wish they saved their money earlier.
Whether it's just having a stash of cash for rainy days or building a slid emergency fund – you never know when you're going to need it.
Your 35 year old self will thank you in the future. Trust me.
This leads nicely into our next point...
4. Side Hustle + Make Money
Although our early to mid twenties is a time where we all make mistakes or not-so-great financial decisions, this is also the best time to establish money habits that will follow you throughout your life.
Start with a figure in your head that you tell yourself you want to be making every month.
Now think of every possible way you can achieve that.
Perhaps you need to pick up a side hustle or two alongside your day job that will help you increase your income and have more money to play with.
At one point, I knew my day job wasn't going to allow me to live at the financial level I wanted to be at, so I turned to my love of writing and started freelancing on the side to make up the difference.
If you're not satisfied with where you are financially, there's nowhere that says you have to stay in that position.
Levelling up financially and creating a comfortable life for yourself is a desirable goal to aim for!
Here's a book that really changed my money psychology 👇
5. ❤️ Find Someone You Can Really Confide In During Hardships
Now more than ever, we hear so much about mental health and the importance of looking after it (which is incredible). But could you honestly say you have someone in your life you can confide in and get solid advice from?
This could be a good friend of yours, a spouse, a therapist, or even a teacher. Just someone who will listen and advise you on certain matters.
Even the Seerah teaches us the importance of companionship.
While we may be on our 'early-twenties journey of self-discovery', everyone needs someone they can confide in and feel good around.
Having close ties, confidantes, and people who we trust is one of the beauties of life so, if you haven't already, create a personal network around you that are there through the good and the bad.
👀 6. Get Curious + Gain Experience
They say questions are creative acts of intelligence – and I couldn't agree more.
Being inquisitive and curious about the world around you is such a highly admirable trait that everyone should carry.
The thing about your early to mid twenties is that there's less judgement. There's less of a pressure to 'have it together' so I say, take advantage of that.
Something I love doing as my way of 'geeking out' is connecting with people in the writing and editorial industry and trying to build a network of people who can help me leverage my career!
My advice to you?
- Send that cold email. Heck – send a follow-up email if they don't get back to you!
- Attend events and circles that you know will benefit and inspire you.
- Spend your time researching your industry.
- Be BOLD.
Curiosity can really lead you places if you choose to believe.
🦷 7. Take Your Hygiene Habits Up a Notch
Still skipping flossing?
So are most people, but that's for another day.
Getting to know your body, your smells, and your overall hygiene habits is really key and something that will pay off in the future.
- Drinking Water is a Game Changer! – When it comes to smell, oral hygiene, skin health and your general insides, drinking 2 litres of water can make a big difference.
- Refresh Your Towels and Pillowcases – Get into a habit of changing over towels and pillowcases regularly to prevent bacteria accumulating on your skin and causing outbreaks.
- Look After your Smile – your twenties should be filled with happy moments so you'll want a smile to be proud of. Book in a dental check up, floss regularly, and get that tongue scraper!
- Clean Your Room Regularly – As they say, tidy room = tidy mind and honestly, there's no doubt in that. The moment I made it a habit to clean my room and workspace, the more refreshed I felt on the inside – game changer if you ask me!
☀️ 8. Waking Up Earlier Every Day
Trust me, I've always been someone that loves to stay in bed and just wake up late but that was before I tasted the sweetness of waking up early!
The power of early mornings is NO joke.
The amount you can get done before 11am if you choose to start your day at sunrise is phenomenal.
Not only does it do wonders for your mental health by giving you the time to hit some small wins, you also feel better for having some downtime in the evening because you've ticked off a ton of tasks.
Knowing just how hard it is to get out of bed in the mornings, here's a few tips I like to use myself:
- The Countdown method – count down from 5 and tell yourself that as soon as you hit one, you'll take that big leap out of bed.
- Tell yourself that the first step is to open the curtains, don't think about anything else as this can overwhelm you and make you stay in bed!
- Sleep earlier the night before so you feel way more refreshed when tackling that early morning.
9. Make Your Health a Major Priority!
Whether it's getting to know which foods work for your body and which ones don't, or whether it's signing up to your local gym – focus on feeling confident in your own skin.
Like many of us, I ended up suffering from pretty bad bloating because I wasn't taking the time to understand the diet my body needs.
There's a ton of stuff we put into our bodies which is really affecting us and can lead to major complications down the line.
If you've been feeling sluggish lately, I'd recommend getting in touch with your doctor, getting a blood test done and figure out what foods, supplements and activities are best for you!
It's time to start taking care of the beautiful body you've been blessed with. ❤️
Your 'post-21 era' is such a significant time because it's the moment you start to realise what's really important in life. From diet and skincare, to breaking barriers and creating your career path, this is can such a transformational period if you choose it to be.
Here's to forming amazing habits that will serve us for a lifetime.✨
Got any cool tips, recommendations, or life-changing habits that you want the community to know about? Drop them in the comments below, we'd love to hear from you! 👇
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