Being in your early 20s is a tricky time. We are fresh out of college, juggling between life and a first-time job, with little to no experience of what the real, unsheltered world is actually like. The mid 20s is another confusing period – your jobs, relationships and finances, all land somewhere in between; you are on your way but not quite there yet. Late 20s pass in a whisker, solidifying bonds that you would hope last a lifetime, both in your bank account and at the altar. But what all the three phases of this decade have in common is the need to develop healthy habits that would last a lifetime. Let us discuss a few healthy habits that we must start maintaining when we are in our 20s, so that we reap the benefits of them for years to come.
Eating healthy, not less
There is a huge misconception among people about what a healthy diet is. Most of us think eating less food is the key to being healthy, but it could not be further away from the truth. Food is the fuel of our body; it keeps us running. Depriving the body of food, keeping it hungry might give you a satisfaction of seeing the weighing scale move negatively for the time being, but the dark circles, hair fall, pigmentation and withering digestive health is surely not worth that momentary pleasure. Eat healthy instead of skipping meals. Reduce one roti from your dinner plate but make sure to add an extra bowl of sabzi instead.
Cut down on your plastic (mis)use
I am only saying cut down because altogether eliminating plastic, which is omnipresent, is a tall task. But we can start phasing it out by doing small things. Carry your own little pouch of cutlery to eat at places that serve plastic cutlery like forks, spoon and straw. Carry a glass or metal bottle with you instead of buying a single-use plastic bottle and tossing it away like that one bottle would not take decades to decompose and contribute to the increasing non-biodegradable wastes we already have piling up. And if you ask what is in it for you besides the practice helping sustainable development, well, plastic has Bispohenol A which is associated with cancer, infertility and diabetes. So, the next time you buy bottled water, think of your carbon footprint and buy a reusable metal bottle instead!
Control your intake of processed food
Your 20s may seem like the time of your lives and surviving on instant noodles and a can of soda may seem normal and often desirable. But packed and processed food will affect your heart's health and your bones for the worse. Eating whole grains and green vegetables might sound like a boring option right now, but your body will thank you for years to come. So, make it a habit to have nutritious food and an exception to have processed food, not the other way around!
Maintain a healthy sleeping cycle
As much as those Instagram posts on your feed tell you how insomniac people are more creative, romanticizing a health condition to justify your messed up sleeping schedule is not okay. Get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep along with a healthy diet to reap benefits for decades to come. We are all functioning at our maximum capacity in our 20s and at times, over exerting our bodies. A proper sleeping schedule will help our bodies recharge and rejuvenate. So, please don’t wake up Sid, sleep and get the rest that you need!
How we decide to live our 20s makes or breaks it for us. Choose the healthier alternatives, not begrudgingly, but willingly and make them a part of your lifestyle. Afterall, you get to live this phase of our life only ones – live it fully, just not at the cost of a healthy and fulfilling life later on.