Part of being an adult means knowing how and why to better yourself. When we're children, we gain so much knowledge and experience in a relatively short amount of time. We go from being unable to feed ourselves to walking, speaking, and understanding complex concepts such as math and science. As we age, we can feel less motivated to better ourselves and immense dissatisfaction as a result. Here are five tips for becoming your best adult self.
You might not realize how vitally important sleep is. If you're feeling groggy every morning, a cup of coffee might give you energy. However, it doesn't get to the bottom of the problems that come with sleep deprivation. A lack of sleep can make you irritable, anxious, and make it difficult to think straight. You might think that you can do well with minimal sleep, but you're only kidding yourself. People need about eight hours of sleep a night at least to function properly. Give yourself a regular bedtime and adhere to it.
Everyone appreciates alone time. Constant isolation is a problem, though. If you're introverted, it's totally normal to appreciate solitude. This should be balanced through socializing. You should be spending time with friends and family as much as possible. It shouldn't be a passive experience either. You need to be actively involved in conversations. Ask questions that are relevant to their interests and share things about yourself.
Whether you're training for the Olympics, a half-marathon, or just for yourself, exercise is crucial. You should be working out in some way on a daily basis. You can start slowly, with some general aerobics. As you get used to this, you can gradually increase difficulty. You should also be tracking your progress. Things you couldn't do before can soon come with ease through repeated practice. Your body will look and feel better. Plus, you'll have the long-term mental health benefits of decreased stress and anxiety.
You might think that all your learning stopped when you graduated from school. Such a thought process is woefully misguided. If you want to improve yourself as a person, you need to be willing to expand your mind. It doesn't have to be a matter of poring over textbooks. You can learn in all kinds of ways, from reading involving nonfiction books to watching documentaries. Another way to learn is through who you associate with. Take the time to meet and learn from people of different cultures or backgrounds. You can both learn from one another. Be sure to listen to what they have to say. It's likely that they'll open your mind to all kinds of new concepts. The world is much bigger than just you or your culture, and you need to embrace this.
You need to have a clear understanding of your money and where it's going in order to be a proper-functioning adult. You might be doing well for yourself and have minimal debts, but it's likely that you could be more responsible with your money. Give yourself a detailed budget that you adhere to. Make sure you know how much to put aside for things like bills. You should also do all you can to avoid overspending. For instance, you should drive carefully to avoid paying a higher insurance quote.
We hope this has given you a great idea of how to become your best adult self. None of these methods can be used in a vacuum. Instead, you need to use them all in conjunction with one another. Don't expect too much of yourself too fast. You're only human and you shouldn't be a perfectionist. Instead, you should appreciate how much you're able to better yourself, one day at a time. When you look back at who you were before, you'll be immensely grateful that you took initiative when you did.
Jeremy is a tech and business writer from Simi Valley, CA. He's worked for Adobe, Google, and himself. He lives for success stories and hopes to be one someday.