What should I be doing by the time I’m 20? Growing up isn’t all fun and games, so self care is an important investment in the future of a twenty-something. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – so here are 10 self care routines that we should be doing in our twenties!
1. Shae – Love yourself
It may be insulting, but Justin Bieber is right. How can you go about loving someone else if you don’t love yourself? A phrase I hear and know all too well is “I want a boyfriend.” When it really should be like, “I want to do what I love and am driven to do.” From there a guy will come along that admires that quality about you, and chances are his momma will love that about you too.
2. C – Journaling
Whether this is a daily routine or the occasional burst of scribbling down a few phrases on scraps of paper, the process of releasing a thought into writing can help release stress and allow us to sort through the complexities that we deal with in this stage of life. Just like the storage on our phones fills up until we download it elsewhere, us humans need a healthy outlet to store and organize the mental and emotional aspects of our crazy lives. But my advice is to allow journaling to be a freeing practice, not a forced chore.
3. Shae – Pay attention to what you put in your body
If you have a sit down job, which many adult jobs nowadays are, you might not notice, but your body is going to change. For example I recently discovered hips that hadn’t necessarily existed last year. Some things happen naturally, but you can definitely slow down the process by cutting out junk foods. I personally have so much trouble with this! So, about every month I’ll do a 2-day reset and only eat fruits and veggies and veggie based protein for 48 hours and it resets my mind to healthier eating avenues.
Also, liver damage is a thing! It’s easy to forget when you’re stuck in the moment when you’re out drinking with friends, but your 80 year old self and wallet will thank you for slowing down.
4. C – Moisturizing.
Every morning and every night – and not just your face! My favorite night cream is Drink Up by Origins. It smells amazing and restores my skin beautifully!
5. C – Exfoliating
Again, not just your face! Dry brushing or sea salt scrubbing almost every day are two of my favorite full body exfoliating routines. Exfoliating improves our body’s natural ability to detox and helps boost immunity- and who has time to be sick in their 20s? Not me. We did a blog post on some DIY scrubs you’ll love.
6. Shae – Start taking care of your skin
My mentality from high school through college was to get a little sunburnt every time I tanned because I loved how the tan would look, almost like a burnt sienna color. My friends, that makes for sun spotted, leathery skin. I also got burnt so bad one time that now, a part of my back will not tan, and looks all splotchy when I do get some sun. I recommend always using an SPF 30 when you’re out doing activities and if you are looking for a tan, I’d use an SPF 10 or 15 sun tanning oil. Here’s the one I love.
I would also invest in a cute baseball cap. I still don’t wear sunscreen on my face because I haven’t found one that doesn’t clog my pores, but I found that a hat actually does the trick! Here’s the one I’m currently sporting.
7. C – Nail Care
You don’t have to go to the salon to get a manicure or pedicure, but keeping your nails maintained goes a long way in terms of presentation. Related: you’ll get all the benefits of reflexology if you’re getting hand and foot massages on a regular basis! Better sleep, lower stress, pretty nails – are you convinced yet?
8. Shae – Get an internship or two.
When I went into college I thought I was going to be an accountant and then I got a marketing internship at a record label and realized the marketing department was much more my personality than accounts receivable. If I hadn’t experience that I could have been stuck in a job that wasn’t right for me. Also because I had an internship (really I had 4 before I graduated) I landed a job right out of college instantly!
9. C – Give yourself room to grow
Our 20s is a defining decade. Careers, relationships, life events and family are all forming and as we grow into our grown up roles, it’s important to remember that we are still growing creatures! So experimenting with new hobbies, hair dos and personal style is imperative to this stage of life. Actually, every stage of life! Don’t be afraid of routine or change – because they will both be huge keys to life in your 20s.
10. C – Find wise relationships
Sure, we love our hot mess friends and peers, but now is the time to seek out the people who are going to act as a guide or mentor. You probably don’t need friends who are going to feed you drinks on a weekday or let you make stupid decisions – we need friends who will sit you down and say, “hey, if you make this certain choice, here are the good or bad consequences you’re going to face.” & if you don’t have that friend yet, comment with your life questions below! We give pretty good advice, so follow along for more!
xx always,
