Turning 22 isn’t just an important milestone because I can finally relate to Taylor Swift’s song, but it’s also proving to be a really significant year in a person’s life. Most of us are graduating college or university, preparing to take our next steps into adulthood, and becoming more aware of the realities of being a young adult. I won’t sugar coat it and say that getting here was easy or in any way smooth sailing, but I will say that struggling on the path here has equipped me with some lessons I think are worth sharing. Here are 5 pieces of advice I think are worth telling people other than just my little sister.
Make a Notion and put some time and effort towards making it look nice.
It wasn’t until quarantine that I discovered Notion and my life truly hasn’t been the same since. While I have always been big on organization and lists, Notion took it to the next level by allowing me to carefully organize every aspect of my life from school and work all the way to the personal. I can’t express how satisfying it is to have one place where I can store everything from class readings, work deadlines, lists of my favourite movies, and even journal entries.
I will admit that Notion was a bit confusing to navigate at first but after watching several YouTube videos explaining how to set up your pages and make everything look nice, I was very satisfied with the outcomes. The best part was I could decorate my pages to fit my personality. For me, that mean different shades of green, sanrio stickers, and aesthetic collages adorning each section of my Notion. With such a pretty looking area to organize everything in my life, I have become much more organized and marginally less stressed when it comes to having to figure out what I need to do each day/week. It not only made being a student easier, but it even pushed me to fill my personal Notion pages with things like wish lists, journaling, and even my daily water intake.
Regular excerise / a daily walk really does wonders for your mental health.
This one was SO difficult to settle on and make a habit. I’ve always seen posts on social media about how doctors recommend a daily 10-15 minute walk or even just some fresh air to reduce stress and improve your mood, but I never paid any proper attention to them. It wasn’t until university when I found myself experiencing stress levels I had never been faced with before that I decided to start going on regular walks and semi-regular gym visits. The results were so quick I was taken aback. Within a week I felt lighter, was experiencing less headaches, and was even becoming less moody and short-tempered. Stress is such a big part of being a human being that it’s bizarre to think that a little physical activity could combat it, but take it from me—it SO does.
Invest in some good headphones.
There’s really not much to elaborate on with this one but after years of using random headphones I found on Amazon I finally cracked and purchased some popular (but expensive) bluetooth headphones and haven’t looked back since. Music is such a big part of my life that I realized a good means to listen to it was worth the investment. Now, I use my headphones everywhere and love them. On the bus, walking to my destinations, while I work out, during grocery runs… basically all the time. Whether it’s headphones, AirPods, or just a really good pair of wired earbuds, an investment is worth it. If you shop smart, it’ll last you a while. My headphones, an incredible pair I cannot recommend enough, are the SONY WH-1000XM4. They work perfectly, last long, and are super cute.
Romance comes and goes: your degree, youth, and freedom aren’t forever.
Growing up, I had such a hopelessly romantic view of my future as a young adult. I dreamed of falling in love in high school, going to university together and getting married after we graduated and living happily ever after. Not to be a cynic but these dreams came crashing down layer by layer the older I became and the closer I got to graduating. I realized that there was no rush; that being a hopeless romantic also meant I believed in fate and as such, should also believe that whoever I was meant to be with would find me and my life would work out no matter what.
We’re so young. Even nearing 22, I still feel so young. Like an infant. I have no idea what real life is like and I’m definitely not ready to be an adult, let alone an adult in love. This time is for my degree, youth and freedom. Romance comes and goes. You’ll have time to meet and date for years, and when the time is right, you’ll settle down—if that’s in your plan. Until then, focus on your future and enjoy being young. Enjoy being dumb sometimes and partying with your friends and being a naive university student because soon you’ll be working and living the life of a real adult, and you’ll find yourself missing these days.
It’s okay if you’ve deviated from the plan you had in high school.
One of the most important lessons I have come to learn is that you are not supposed to have your life figured out by the time you graduate. In high school, I was so adamant on having every step of my future outlined from schooling to work to marriage to kids. I was sure that if I had it all planned out that my life would just naturally follow that outline and it would be smooth sailing. I couldn’t have been more wrong. No one knows where they will be in the future, and most people are figuring things out as they go. The most freeing thing I did was let go of my idealistic plans for my future and just take things one day at a time. It took so much weight off my shoulders and I found myself enjoying things in the moment.
I hope these lessons spoke to you and made you think about your life even a little. They have been of great significance to me and helped guide me through my life so far. With these lessons in my back pocket, I am ready to turn 22. I may not be completely unstressed and worry-free, but I know it’ll be a good year with many more to come!