When I turned 20 this past year, I had a little bit of an existential, almost-quarter-life crisis. I was no longer a teenager, and to be honest, the thought of being an almost-real adult scared me. It was just bringing me one step closer to becoming an actual human being that's expected to contribute to society in a meaningful and measurable way. And let me tell you, I was not ready for that, and I'm probably still not, but I've learned that that's OK. It's OK to not have every little detail of your 10-year plan figured out yet. Your 20's are a time for learning and finding yourself, and since turning 20, I've learned a lot of important life lessons -- never be embarrassed to ask for help, invest in a wardrobe of business-casual clothing, learn how to manage a budget, etc... All of those things are so great and very important, but what about the little things? The daily events that we 20-somethings face in our day-to-day lives -- those are important, too! So, I've compiled a list of 20 little (yet, still crucial!) things I've learned since turning 20:
1. Take your vitamins.
As young adults, we all know that we are not getting nearly enough sleep or eating nearly enough vegetables, and for me, just taking my daily multivitamin or a little extra vitamin C when I'm feeling sick makes a world of difference.
2. Never check social media when you're:
Sad, drunk, in class, at work, or you're supposed to be sleeping. Enough said.
3. Saving just a dollar a day makes a big difference.
This is going to sound cliche, but saving at least one dollar a day makes a big difference. That's an extra $365 at the end of the year, which could go toward a lot of things, like groceries or student loans. And if that isn't convincing enough, imagine all the boxes of Franzia $365 could get you!
4. Don’t wait a month to do your laundry.
Trust me, I know it’s tempting – you’re busy, you live in sweats anyway… I know all the excuses. But, also trust me when I say if you throw your laundry in at the end of the week, you’re going to feel a lot better when you need that cute shirt for Friday night and don’t have to throw a temper tantrum and tear the rest of your wardrobe apart looking for a different (but not as cute) outfit.
5. Listen to your favorite song at least once a day.
Get your groove on for three minutes a day, especially for the busy 20-something. Blast it through your headphones, forget everything, and just jam out. And if you don’t think you could listen to your favorite song that often, I highly recommend anything from Selena Gomez’ latest album.
6. Taking care of your cat/plants is important and actually teaches real-life lessons about responsibility or something.
I’ve hear it’s important to learn how to look after something, especially as a young adult, so I highly recommend getting a plant or a cat, or both. It’s also important feed them and take care of them (and no, watering your windowsill cactus with a Lime-A-Rita at 2 a.m. does not count).
7. Nights in are very important.
Taking breaks from studying, or even going out, I have found is crucial to my sanity. I can only stare at books (or dirty basement floors lit up by black lights) for so long before I go crazy. Having movie nights with my roommates makes me feel so much more refreshed after a long week, but don’t worry, I’m not saying these nights in still can’t involve wine.
8. Don’t forget to thank God for “blessing” you with your single status when you say your prayers at night.
You’re 20. And if you’re single, thank God for allowing you to focus on yourself and allowing you time to learn to take care of yourself and your cats/plants first before taking care of another human, too. I swear I’m not bitter.
9. Try to be polite when you meet people.
I know this sounds like a given, but for those of us with chronic resting bitch face, also known as “RBF,” regardless of what comes out of our mouths, we can still come off as rude. Make the extra effort to shake hands and at least an attempt at a smile. Networking is crucial during this period of life, and you never know who you might meet.
10. Actually wear your contacts/glasses when you’re supposed to.
Coming from the blindest of betches herself, this is very important. There are so many cute glasses, and contacts have become relatively inexpensive, so there’s really no excuse. Do your body and your eyes a favor and wear them.
11. Travel… to the grocery store because living off toast and Ramen for weeks on end is literally disgusting.
I know this from experience because not only am I extremely lazy, but those are honestly the only two things I can cook and kind of not mess up.
12. Read.
Not someone’s Facebook status, not the back of a cereal box, but something with substance. I often find myself reading my textbook, but that’s OK. As long as you’re stimulating your mind and not melting it with excessive pictures of pizza and puppies on the ‘Gram.
13. It’s OK to fail at those weird, “healthy” juice-binge diet cleanse things.
Those are all just fads and trends, anyway, so don’t worry if you can’t drink meals three times a day for a week. That’s just not normal. Eat what makes you look and feel good and stay active, and you should be just fine.
14. Sometimes it helps to not excessively organize your life into lists.
Don’t get me wrong: I love my Lilly Pulitzer planner as much as the next basic girl, but there’s really no need to color code your grocery list, let alone the next 15 years of your life. There are many other ways to keep your life in order without a million different notepads and highlighters. It helps to just live sometimes.
15. Personal days are important.
I’m really serious about this one. If you have been in overdrive for the past week, take a day off. It’s not going to kill you, but all that extra stress might. It’s important to not only take care of your physical health, but also your mental health. Personal days can be a quick fix to feeling better after being in a period of mental turmoil.
16. BuzzFeed quizzes are super fun, but they don’t define you.
While they might be super entertaining at 2 a.m. when you need a break from your all-nighter, they aren’t real. So, no, you are not a piece of brie cheese that is destined to marry Chase Crawford and move to Santorini.
17. Set alarms.
For your 8 a.m., your dinner in the oven, and even your naps. Especially your naps, because 20 minutes can turn into two hours real quick.
18. Make your own rules.
This one is pretty much up for interpretation, but to give you an idea, some of my personal rule include it being OK to eat pizza three days straight, not shave your legs for a week, and binge-watch Netflix in the bathtub while simultaneously stuffing your face with ice cream.
19. Don’t Google it.
At least, not at first. Call/text/email someone before you turn to the Internet – your mom, your professor, your doctor – literally anyone. I swear the Internet only tells you three things: you’re dying, you’re pregnant (which I can only imagine is especially alarming for men), or you’re wrong. And all that ever does for anyone is spike anxiety, so for the last time, don't Google it.
20. Embrace your regrets.
You live and you learn, especially in your 20's. There’s a lot of living and a ton of learning, so take all of your experiences, the good and especially the bad, and gain something from it.
