Being a 20-something-year-old can get stressful when you’re worrying about college classes and where you’ll be a year after graduation. We’re constantly pressuring ourselves to want to do it all with just 24 hours in a day. We forget to take care of ourselves and our health while we’re too busy keeping up with school, being involved in organizations, having social lives and stressing about what the future holds.
Now is the time to develop healthy habits in your life so they can become second-nature to you in the future! Here are some healthy habits that you should start (like yesterday):
1. Live an active style
Take care of your bones now. Take your vitamin D supplements and include a lot of calcium into your diet. Make sure to work those bones by weight training, running or just walking. All of this effort will pay off when you’re older and feeling strong rather than than needing a cane in your 50s. You’ll also boost your metabolism, sleep easier, and prevent diabetes.
2. Drink water
So simple, yet so many people forget to do so. I can’t function without a water bottle by my side, and you should definitely carry one around as well. Staying hydrated keeps you looking young. It might sound a little silly, but set reminders to for yourself so you don’t miss drinking your daily allotment of H20. You want to prevent kidney stones!
3. Try going to sleep early (or just get sleep in general)
Staying up late to cram might get you an A on your exam, but not an A on your health. It’s hard to go to bed a little earlier or to get a full night’s rest in college, especially when it’s midterms/finals season, but cutting back on sleep can lead to strokes and heart disease. Plus, it takes a toll on your skin. Start getting your body accustomed to a full night’s 7-8 hour rest.
4. Start cooking
Take control of what you’re eating and know what your body is ingesting. Buy organic foods, cut back on fatty foods and prepare your own meals. By doing so, you have control of portion sizes and you know what’s in your food. Your body will thank you for this sooner than later.
5. Look up
We spend a lot of time looking at our phones and staring at our computers all day that it’s not only damaging our eyes but is taking a toll on our mental health. How many times do we look at our phones and become frustrated at something we saw on social media, or become upset by something a friend said? We become so addicted to life behind our mobile devices that we begin missing out on real events and people around us. So leave technology behind for a little, maybe if it’s just for a day!
These are just a couple of tips to help start your journey into a healthy lifestyle, but there are so many more that will pay off in your life. Let these habits become something automatic in your life so you can live it to its fullest!
Photo credit: huffingtonpost.com