In life, no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to prevent it, things will always go wrong. It's Murphy's Law. Disaster has a tendency to show up uninvited. Throughout my life, I have been keeping in my journal, a list of valuable lessons I have learned, along with some good habits to maintain. Since I have been adding pieces of advice to this list for around 14 years, it is a very long list. I have curated what are--in my opinion--the best nuggets of advice I can share.
1. Drink water.
You're probably rolling your eyes right now, but I'm serious. I learned this the hard way. Not drinking enough water will have negative effects on almost every part of your body. Staying hydrated (meaning eight 8-ounce glasses a way) will help you with headaches, acne, weight loss, dizziness, and more.
2. Never get burned by the same flame twice.
Getting into slightly deeper advice, never make the same mistake twice. Don't allow yourself to be hurt for the same reason, by the same people, twice. Never let someone who betrayed you, back into your life in the same way.
3. Worrying is the absolute worst thing you can do.
I feel super strongly about this: worrying can and will destroy you. Sometimes, we can't help it, our minds run away and fill with negative thoughts. We stay up all night, consumed with hypothetical, highly unlikely scenarios of what could go wrong. It's human nature to worry and stress, but the key to maintaining your mental health is knowing how to stop worrying and turn it off. Take a step back, get some fresh air, take a hot shower, do something. Don't let worrying take over.
4. Don't let things pile up.
Right up there with #3. letting things pile up is pretty awful for your sanity. One of the worst feelings in the world is knowing you have so much to do, with no time or motivation to do it. Tackling tasks as soon as they fall in your lap will result in a more organized, less stressed, overall happier, you.
5. Low expectations= pleasant surprises.
Go into all things with low expectations, and you'll rarely be disappointed. Oftentimes, something is hyped up so much, or we have such high hopes, that we end up being disappointed when it's not what we expected. If you don't have high hopes to begin with, the outcome is always better than what you anticipated! It may be slightly pessimistic, but in my opinion, it's a great philosophy.
6. It's okay to "wing it" sometimes.
They say, "we plan, God laughs." You can try as hard as you want to map out every aspect of your day, your week, your life. It will never go the way you planned. So why not be spontaneous? Wing it sometimes!
7. Do things for others, no matter how big or small.
This one's pretty self explanatory: making someone else happy is one of the most gratifying feelings we can experience. Not to mention, good karma for you!
8. Take your makeup off every night.
Just trust me on this one. No one wants acne of premature wrinkles!
9. Music, movies and television can fix more than you think.
I can't even tell you how many times I have felt sadness coming on, and have combatted it with some Netflix or Spotify. Sometimes, all you need is your comfy bed, a hot cup of (you fill in the blank), and a good movie.
10. If you don't understand someone else's side, step into their shoes and rethink it.
Yes, I know it's a cliche piece of advice, but it really is a good one. Being able to see someone else's side/ understand where they are coming from, is a great trait. It makes you a more understanding, empathetic, and overall better person.
