1. Accept the fact that no one knows what the heck is going on
Does anyone really know how to adult? What even is adulting? I have no clue…I don’t know why you even trust me enough to read this!
2. Prioritize sleep, nutrition, exercise, and self care
- Sleep helps you feel, think, and perform better. The better you feel, think, and perform, the happier you are.
- The better you eat, the better you feel, both in the present and in the long term with prevention of disease.
- When you take care of your body through exercise, you can do everything you want to in daily life, you have a reserve so you can tolerate additional stressors when things may not go quite as planned, and again, prevention of disease and illness.
- Self-care is important for mental health so you can perform long term without becoming burnt out.
3. Learn how to listen to your body
The better you can listen to your body, the better you can take care of it, the better you feel. Consider writing down how you feel before, during, and after eating certain foods to start to get an idea of how your body reacts to your current diet. Experiment with different diets and combine what works best for your individual body and genome. Experiment with how much sleep you need to optimally function, then consistently schedule enough time for rest. Listen to your body to know if it is time for a rest day or it’s time to get off your butt to prevent back or neck pain.
4. Communicate to others what you need and respect their requests for what they need
- After fighting (and hating each other) the majority of our childhood, I am happy to call my sister my best friend after we sat down and had a great conversation a few years ago!
No one can read your mind…sorry. Explain what you need, don’t judge others for what they need. If everyone communicated respectfully…well, mind blown. Relationships = so much easier…but again, refer to #1 cause literally no experience with that here.
Learn how to take criticism without being offended or taking it personally. This way you can correct it and move on.
5. Learn what makes you happy…then do it regardless of what others may think
*Unless it will cause harm to others…then you’re just a terrible person*
Find your passion and pursue it. Experiment until you find it, then live and breathe it. You have found your calling.
6. Be kind, try to understand other’s perspectives in every situation
Just don’t be a butt. Butts are mean. Butts are selfish. Butts just want to see how many times you can say butt in a “how to adult” blog. Butt, someone may be having a bad day, be kind. Butt, someone may be cramped for time, be kind. Butt, someone might be super stressed, be kind. Butt, the list goes on.
7. Make a to do list and prioritize it
*Check at least the most important thing off each day*
Dude, I don’t care what’s on your to do list. If you need to put get enough freaking sleep on it, do it, if you need to put breathe on there, do it, if you need to put don’t be a butt on it, do it!
8. Make a budget and try to stick to it
Don’t spend more than you have, but then again, refer to #1 because this chick has way too many student loans to admit #helpme. But actually, I made a budget template I use that I can email you if you’re interested; just let me know through the contact form below.
9. Know your values so you know when to say no…and actually say no.
If you’re sitting there, like man, I’m a butt, I have no clue what my values are. Good news for you, I have a suggestion, but again refer to #1. Find a random list of values online and go through them. Rank each value on a 0 to 10 scale, 0 being “no pain”, 10 being “worst pain imaginable”…sorry PT brain… let’s try this again, 0 being “I could care less” and 10 being “I want to live this way 100% of the time.” This is also a great discussion to have with someone else, or a great activity to waste time on a long car ride.
10. Never grow up…be a kid, play, find joy in the simple things
Learn to find what you love, like making people read “butts” in a how to adult blog, or making best stupid decisions like having a salmon ladder less than 10 feet from your bed because that’s what you really want and you can save money in the long term, having your bed literally 4 feet high so you have room for a home gym and aren’t willing to spend more money on the apartment, or buying a sports car for your first car and getting a stupid grin on your face every time you drive around a curve or really use the supercharger to get up to speed. Climb on things, be upside down, go to a park and swing on swings… I don’t care, just listen to your inner kid and let them shine at least once a day!
Bonus: use a turn signal, say hi when you walk past someone on the street, get outside every day, but always, refer back to #1.
As always, I love to hear from you, so feel free to comment below, email, or contact me on instagram! Let me know what other things you have found or helpful suggestions you’ve received with how to adult!
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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
