I am officially an adult and to commemorate that, I will be listing off 18 of the best life lessons I have learned thus far.
Go on walks. Not only is walking one of the best easy workouts you can do, but it is also extremely therapeutic. Going for a walk right at sunrise when you are stressed is one of the best things in the world. Everything is quiet and serene, it feels like life is on pause and the only worry you have it the step right in front of you.
Don’t become reliant on caffeine. Am I reliant on caffeine? Yes, but that is besides the point. Becoming dependent on anything really (to an extent) is not healthy. Drink all the caffeine you want, but just be cautious on gauging how well you’re doing without, or you might end up with a withdrawal headache from less than 24 hours of consuming a cold brew.
Buy that piece of clothing. If you’re ever shopping and you find a clothing item that you absolutely love but are scared that people won’t like it or that you think it makes you look weird, buy it. If you love it and you feel confident in it, I promise you, nothing else matters. In fact, for me, one of the ways I have been able to grow my self confidence is wearing clothes I thought I was too afraid to wear.
Invest in jewelry. I recently starting wearing rings, but for the longest time I have been a very strong advocate for bracelets. Wearing even one piece of jewelry makes you feel so much more put together than you actually are and it can turn any outfit into a 5 star piece. (This is also a great way to support small businesses ;)
Follow your passions. This is going to be one of the most cliché things on this list but it is also the most essential. Take time to do what you love, whether it be art or sports or science or whatever. If you love it do it, and waste no time in getting started. I created this blog years before I even started posting to it, solely because I was too afraid to and now it is the best thing I have. Just do what you love and embrace it (and if you don’t have something you’re totally passionate about, don’t stress and feel forced to find something).
Get a skincare routine. Or at least learn about your skin. No matter who you are or what your skin is like, I highly HIGHLY recommend creating a skin care routine. This will save your life in the long run and it gets fun after a while.
Take social media breaks. As someone who has been on social media since she was 12, I suggest taking breaks from social media every once in awhile. Not to sound like a mom, but social media can, to an extent, affect your mental health and self image. I know that it has for me, and by taking just a day to myself without social media, I have been able to work on rebuilding my own self esteem and security in myself.
Say no. If you are a people pleaser, or someone who is always scared to say no to things, learning to say “no” is one of the best things. There have been many times where I have bit off more than I can chew solely because I said “yes” to everything. My dad has reminded me of this every time I feel overwhelmed and stuck in a hole that I dug myself into and it has been a very important piece of advice.
Follow the news. Keeping up with the world and understanding what’s going on around you is pretty important. Even if that just means you scroll down the “news” section of Twitter, stay up to date with what is happening. This can help you to make better decisions and form your own ideas and opinions.
Get good handwriting. Or practice calligraphy. You don’t need perfect handwriting for day to day things (I definitely do not have pretty handwriting), but by at least knowing how to make your handwriting look pretty is something I recommend. Birthday cards, thank you cards, really any card, just got a lot nicer. You can save so much money just by learning how to do calligraphy or just nice lettering in general.
Take care of your hands. This can be as simple as using hand lotion or as elaborate as giving yourself a manicure once a month. I tend to have abnormally dry skin so that could be why I take extra precaution to take care of my hands, but either way I recommend it. Especially if you use your hands a lot, taking care of them can help you feel better even just a little.
Learn to edit and take photos. So this may be the photographer in me, but learning how to take your own pictures and edit them can save you SO MUCH money and it can be pretty useful when you are feeling yourself and just want to have a photoshoot. By all means I am not the greatest photographer, however, I would consider myself pretty good, to the point where I feel confident enough to take my own senior pictures (saving money). The best way to learn is just understand the basics of lighting and composition then go from there.
Stop hating the number 13, it is not that bad.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day. I love Valentine’s Day and I’ve only had a Valentine once. I think it is a highly underrated holiday that is marketed too heavily towards couples. My favorite February 14ths have been with my two best friends eating cake and just “hanging out”. Celebrate it, no matter how you do it, just do it.
Stop caring about what other people think. I lied when I said that number 5 was the most cliche, this is the most cliche. BUT it is still very essential knowledge. However it is important that you understand what this really means, I always took this as not caring about anything or everyone, when in reality it just means be yourself. Don’t worry if someone doesn’t like you or what you’re into, because as long as you’re being a good person what you do doesn’t matter to anyone but you. So don’t worry about judgement from others.
Part 2 to number 15. While you shouldn't worry about judgement, you also shouldn’t judge people either. I am 100% guilty of this. I judge people all the time and it is not good. You shouldn’t compare yourself to other people or hate on other people. Just like your actions (to an extent) don’t matter to them, their actions shouldn’t matter to you.
I am starting to realize that 18 things is actually a lot of things so I guess it is fitting to remind you to always plan. You never want to end up in a situation where you have bitten off way more than you can chew and you can’t seem to find the time to do anything. This goes hand in hand with number 8. Learning how to better manage your time and plan out your day is such a good life lesson.
Finally we are at number 18, I originally knew exactly what I was going to put here, but I’ve decided to save it for another entry (hint: it is my senior quote). So instead I am simply going to say don’t grow up too fast. Also cliche, but don’t feel pressure to grow up, to become “mature”. Enjoy the moments as they come and savor each minute.
Thank you for taking time to read over my “oh so wise” advice. I am aware that just because I have been 18 for less than 24 hours doesn’t make me an expert on adulthood, but everyone has at least one life lesson to share so I might as well take the time to share some of mine.