There have been a million books written about how your 30’s are the new 20’s, what to do in your 20’s, and how to find yourself within your 20’s. Our society puts so much pressure on this short period within our lives, and as a result, we have this notion that we are supposed to have everything figured out by the end of the decade. As someone who recently began her 20’s, I can definitely say that it is the scariest time of my life thus far. Since embarking on my journey through adulthood I have learned so much and wanted to reflect on all of the lessons I have learned thus far. Here are 5 things that I have learned by age 20:
1) If you need to change your mind about a big decision, even up to the last minute, do it.
I could go on and on about how this tip is literally exactly what I needed when I began adulting. I would make a decision and feel obligated to follow through with it. I felt as though if I changed my mind my family, friends, and the unknown beings of the world would all judge me and be disappointed for my change of heart. The truth is, the only person that you are affecting by not making that leap of faith is you! As always I would advise you to do the most research you can from all perspectives before making the jump, but if you are sure and know that it is the best decision for you and where you want your life to go, do it!
2) Your house, bedroom, or random place of residence is your place of peace, make it your own.
Your space is your little corner of the world, so it’s important that it brings you some peace. Fill it with things you love, things that remind you of good times, or interests that you may have. Each time we leave our place we can be burdened with stress from work, school, friends, family, and the inevitable stressors from the world, try to create one small fold of peace within the chaos.
3) Get involved in politics or some social issue. The world is brighter with more educated minds.
In 2020 we definitely saw the expansion of this one. The world stopped and we had a chance to look around and see the issues surrounding us. Don’t let that same passion die. Try your best to incorporate the resolution of some sort of political or social issue into your monthly or yearly activities. Whether it be as simple as donating, or attending events, organizing events, and staying updated on current events regarding the issue of your choice; it is incredibly fulfilling to be a small part of the change the world needs.
4) Practice gratitude daily. Even when everything in your life seems to be going wrong there is always something to be grateful for.
This one was definitely tough for me to learn. Sometimes when everything in our lives seems to be going wrong it is easy to fall into the trap that we have nothing to be grateful for. This can in turn attract more problems to our lives and more negative feelings when plans don’t work out as planned. Practicing gratitude has been one of the most influential changes I have made in my life. When things don’t work out for me, I try to look for the good within the bad, like being grateful for my car, my bed, my house, and everything in between. Life comes and goes in waves of really good and really bad. The key to staying happy and mentally sane is to be able to find the good in the sometimes inevitable bad.
5) If you’re super social, take time to yourself. If you’re super introverted, spend time with friends.
I would consider myself to be an absolute and definite Introvert. I find my energy is best recharged when I am alone and have time to just be with my own thoughts. While this is great, it has caused me to push away good friendships and not pursue potential friendships. We all need our village of support, so if you are an introvert prioritize this. This could be done by scheduling time in your week to meet up with friends or sending a random text every now and then. If you are an extrovert, take some time alone to ground yourself. Sometimes we can get caught up so much in the lives of others that we forget about our own lives. Overall balance is key, too much or too little human interaction can do more harm than good, so find your personal balance and stick to it.