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11 Healthy Habits To Adopt in Your 20s

When it comes to our health, we should always take care of it, regardless of age. However, life throws hardships at us, making it difficult for us to prioritize ourselves over our surrounding issues. The most crucial time to adopt healthy habits is in your 20’s. Adopting these protect you from serious health problems like obesity and diabetes. Healthy habits such as healthy eating and regular physical activity may also help you manage your weight and have more energy. Sooner than later, starting these healthier habits will begin to feel like part of your daily routine and not a chore.

Figuring out which healthy habits to adopt in your 20s varies from person to person. It depends on how you incorporate them into your daily routine and how often you practice these healthy habits. To help you out, I’ve compiled a list of 11 healthy habits to about in your 20s.

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Healthy Habits You Should Have In Your 20s

Do a Social Media Detox

Have you ever scrolled on Facebook for hours and felt crappy? I have. That’s why it’s important to do a social media detox. Detoxing from social media is one of the most important health habits we have in our 20s besides going to the doctor. Taking a break from social media has proven to help people deal with stress, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Detoxing from social media allows us to take time to rid ourselves of online negativity. It’s also a great way to find time to refocus on yourself and nd reconnect with the things that really make you happy.

Go to Bed Earlier

Getting a good night’s rest helps with setting the tone for your body to relax. Doctors at the sleep foundation recommend that young adults get anywhere between seven to nine hours of rest every night. However, that is not as easy as it looks. Many of us are students, parents, or work late hours, which prevents us from getting adequate rest. This means we must new ways to rest up during the day or limit what we do so that we are going to sleep when we’re supposed to. By taking the time to go to bed earlier, we leave time in the morning to eat breakfast and not snooze the alarm.

Exercise Regularly

Nobody wants to be a 300lb donut, but it happens when we don’t take care of our physical bodies. It’s important to exercise regularly, especially when you’re young. Exercising in your 20s reduces your chances of catching major illnesses such as heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. For young adults who suffer from anxiety and depression, exercising is also a great way to remedy mental illnesses and boost self-esteem. Exercising also lowers all-cause mortality.

To learn more about the importance of exercise check out the article physical self-care

Always Practice Mindfulness

Our emotions are everywhere when we are in our 20s, and this is why mindfulness is important. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that focuses on being aware of what you’re sensing and feeling at that moment. Mindfulness helps regulate emotions, relieve stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties, and treat mental illnesses. It’s important to practice mindfulness in your 20s because it helps you understand what and why you’re feeling and healthily work through them.

Check in with PCP Once a Year

PCP stands for primary care physician, and you wouldn’t believe how many young people don’t visit their doctor at least once a year. While most people in their 20s are generally healthy, many of them don’t visit their PCP. Sure, going to the hospital or urgent care helps when you’re in an emergency, but you benefit more from a long-term relationship with a PCP. A PCP is a doctor who knows all your medical history and helps you understand yourself as future complications occur. It’s important to get an annual checkup and get any questions answered about your taking medications.

Learn How to Enjoy Being Alone

Sometimes we alone need to be left alone, and the pandemic forced us to do just that. Spending time with yourself has the same healthy habits as socializing with friends, yet it is often not spoken about. Sometimes we need to take time off to be alone to think about who we want to, what we strive for, and where we see ourselves in the future. Being alone teaches independence and helps with increasing time management. Many believe that time spent alone often results in increased happiness, less stress, and better life satisfaction.

Cook at Home

Stop ordering food out. It increases your daily calorie intake and increases your weight. By cooking at home, you control how many calories you intake and how much you eat. Like exercising regularly, it’s important to eat healthy because it affects your mood and physicality. Healthy eating leads to an overall healthier lifestyle and decreases your chances of developing obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure later in life. Your back, hips, waistline, bank account, and butt will be grateful later.

Get Tested For STD’s Often

If you’re sexually active, you should protect yourself and others by getting tested for STDs and other sexual diseases. STD’s can be passed on from one person to the next during oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. Condom use is always advised, 100%of the time, and getting tested for STDs regularly.

There are many people with STD’s who don’t experience symptoms or don’t realize that they have an STD, which means they can easily infect their partners. Most STD’s are curable with the right medication, so it’s important to discuss concerns regarding your sexual history with your doctor.

Limit Drinking and Smoking

We all know drinking and smoking are bad for our liver and lungs. Yet, when we are in our 20s, we want to party until we drop. We need to limit how much we drink and smoke before we turn thirty. Alcoholism and smoking increase mortality and accident rates for people in their 20s. Not only do they harm your liver and lungs now, but they heavily contribute to future heart failure.

Drink Water

Drinking water keeps you hydrated and helps the body to clear out toxins throughout the day and night. There are many health benefits to drinking water, including improved heart health, weight loss, and even clearer skin. If you’re looking for healthy habits to include in your daily routines, drinking water must be one of them. It’s also one of the easiest forms of self-care you can practice.

Why Are Healthy Habits Important?

There you have it–the eleven healthy habits you can adopt in your 20s. These healthy habits are important because they regulate the body and mind. Adopting these healthy habits is more important in our 20s than in any other age group because it affects how our bodies and minds function for the rest of our lives. By implementing a healthy lifestyle in your 20s, you can lower your risk of death and diseases in the future.