There are a number of things you can do for yourself as an adult that will make your life easier, better, healthier, make older you grateful for doing them, but are unfortunately boring, so you end up finding reasons to not do any of them. Everything else comes first, they end up de-prioritized, and when you see you are now 70 and so much could have been different if you changed your habits some years ago. But it was boring.
Learn cooking basics – no one is asking you to become a chef, just how to use the items inside a kitchen. Maybe invest in a countertop cooking item like an air fryer, instant pot or rice cooker. Then use two hours of your week to prepare food modules – protein, rice, potatoes, vegetables.
Have a salad in the fridge. This way it will take you 5 minutes to build yourself a new homemade plate every day during the week, that you know how it was cooked, with healthy ingredients and you also learned an essential adult skill – cooking.
Move your body often. I’m not telling you to become a crossfitter or ultramarathon runner. But moving your body to the point that it increases your heart rate for 30 minutes a few times a week is scientifically proven to prevent many diseases. If you want to go further, resistance training a few times a week will prevent muscle loss as you age, which is associated with a number of terrible things including cognitive impairment. Preventative exercise.
Adjacent, stretch yourself often. You don’t need a stretching routine. Are you reading this now? Stretch your arms, or get off your chair and try touching your toes. This type of stretching habit during the day. Think about cats – stretching is just part of how they live. Stretching yourself often also helps with aches and pains. And feels good!
Preventative medical care is good for you. Go to the doctor, to the dentist, to any kind of medical professional you have access to for a check up. And listen to their advice. Do the tests. Did they tell you to floss? Do it – yes it’s boring, but we’re talking about boring things that add up. Did you do those physiotherapy exercises? I know, also boring. But they work.
Do not use LLMs for anything medical for the love of all things, ever. I know, it’s “just there” – it’s bad for you and it’s going to give you bad advice, and you may die. Go to a professional. See the previous bullet. It’s boring but it’s important.
People with ovaries: if you have perimenopause symptoms, DO NOT IGNORE THEM. If your doctor ignores them, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR. HRT can prevent a vast number of issues – cancer, cardiovascular disease and even dementia. Advocating for yourself is boring, but it can save your life.
Sleep at regular hours, and cut stimulants/caffeinated beverages (yes that includes coke/pepsi) 10 hours before bedtime because of caffeine half-life, it will impact the quality of your sleep, so while you’ll still be able to fall asleep, you’ll wake up feeling tired.
Reconsider your alcohol consumption – there’s more and more research about how alcohol is bad for you. I’m not going to be the one telling you to stop drinking (because I do drink, and that would be hypocritical of me) but *how much* and *how often* you drink should be an informed decision you make. I drink very little these days as it affects my sleep, and my sports performance. So I usually choose not to.
Find a hobby. Ideally, a hobby that has a social component – so that you can meet people outside of work. Internet scrolling is not a hobby – it will make you lonely, angry and socially isolated. Knitting clubs, reading clubs, drum circles, SOMETHING will be your jam and it won’t be the internet doomscrolling. “But I’m not good at anything” – that’s the point of a hobby, or it would be your job. I am a terrible ballerina, that’s why it’s my hobby. I love it. I’ve danced my entire life. I’m glad I’ve never had to make a career out of it. Find your equivalent of my ballet.
Read a book – not an audiobook. Go back to looking at words, full sentences, and read them. Does that make your brain tired? Can’t read past one page? Try again tomorrow. Keep trying until you’re finished with that book. Then try another. Reading is an exercise, and you probably have lost the attention span needed to read long pages. Most people have. You just have to train it again. Start with a short, easy book and go from there, maybe something with a few short stories, and then move on to something longer. Happy reading!
There are certainly more boring things you can do to make your old self happier but these are at the top of my head now. I can’t be an influencer because I can’t sell the idea of going to the dentist or sleeping every day at the same time as a life hack, but these things will work. One year from now your life will start to change, five years, wow, noticeable, and in ten years? Unbelievable! How do I know? Maybe that’s why I am writing this.
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