I have a lot of tips I want to share with you. But these are my top five for those who need to hear it. I’ll also expand on them a lot more later on.
But for now, I just want to say that I’m meeting people who have just entered the “adult world.” And if this is you, I have five things I really want to share with you that I believe you should be open to experiencing.
- Work in Customer Service
Please, please, paaaallleeeaassseee go work at a restaurant, a grocery store, or anything involving customer service at least once.
I’ve seen time and time again how people mistreat customer service employees.
I worked at the food court at the mall and got a job later as a barista for a popular coffee shop. Customer often feel … hmmm, to put it nicely, comfortable to speak a certain way to the employees.
As someone who’s worked in customer service and has worked various side hustles that relied on tips, I’ve had many interactions with people who have completely forgotten how to treat another human being.
Working at a job that requires you to work in customer service teaches more than how to work at that job. You’re reminded how to provide hostility, patience, and understanding for the person who’s on the other side of the counter.
Remember that those are people, too. For you to truly understand that experience, I’m adding customer service to this list. - Live Alone
I loved living alone. And before I get into, I want to share a little anecdote as to why I emphasize that everyone should experience living alone in their twenties.
I grew up in a household where there were way too many people in my space. Never had my own room, and I never had my own bed. So immediately after turning 18, it was my mission to get myself a studio apartment. I did it!
After I got my place, I still remember the night I ordered a mattress, my very own queen sized mattress. It was all for me. It came in a box and the mattress itself was rolled very tightly in this giant plastic. As I opened it, I laid on it, and my body was slowly being lifted. I laid there and sobbed. I called my sister and she said I was a crybaby. But I have never been a happier crybaby than I did in that moment!
Having that “this is all mine” moment is an unforgettable feeling.
Regardless of my own personal experience, I have never met anyone who didn’t enjoy living alone. From forcing yourself to cook, clean, and do it again and again, you learn a lot about yourself.
A small warning: it can be lonely, and often times you have to work very hard to have it, but I have no regrets. I would do it again.
But for now, I’ll stick it out with my roommate.
When the opportunity arises, GO get that apartment! - Don’t Stop Moving
Exercise, as we know it, is important. I know it’s hard to find the time, but you NEED to keep your body moving. If you don’t know where to start, walk. Just walk. That’s it.
As I write this, my roommate and I are trying to get back in to working out again, and although she’s more dedicated than me, I still find time to go on morning walks. I could join her during her at-home workouts, but it’s often difficult to have our schedules aligned. Besides that, I also have a hard time motivating myself to keep moving, So I get it, even with someone else in the house putting in the work, I still have trouble working out.
However, when I find myself spending days wondering why my mental health is as bad as it is, it’s my body reminding me that it needs to move. This is where I get up and walk. Walk around the neighborhood, the park, to the grocery store, whatever it is, do what you can to take advantage to keep your body going.
Over time, you’ll realize that it was benefiting more than just your physical health. Walking in nature regulates your nervous system. It reminds you that there other people out there experiencing life, too. It’s good for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. - Socialize
I’m an introvert, so this should tell you everything.
Even if you’re an extrovert, this message is for you, too!
I don’t like talking to people, but I also like it. That’s because I hate small talk. It’s so boring and meaningless. But that’s not an excuse to not socialize. You need to go out there and talk to people. It’s just as essential as exercising and reading books. It’s important to take care of yourself by engaging with others, too.
Join a group, call that friend, go out, say good morning/evening to a stranger, do it all! - Enjoy yourself
My favorite, and probably advice that I need to take myself.
I’ve made the drastic mistake of taking life too seriously. One of the best advice I’ve heard is that no one gets paid enough. Seriously, think about it. Unless you found a job that would never replace you in a heartbeat, you should not be taking that job so seriously. Even if you did find a job that would never replace you, doubt it, it shouldn’t be the thing that keeps you up at night.
Everyone says enjoy your youth, travel the world, blah blah blah. That’s just a bunch of bullshit I’ve heard from the older generation.
No!
Here’s what I have to say about it. When I say enjoy yourself, I mean just. Have. Fun.
You want that expensive ass coffee in the morning? Okay, and? Why should anyone have a problem with how you choose to spend your money? You want to go clubbing but are afraid to be vulnerable? Who fucking cares! Do you see how you worry about yourself? Everyone else in that room is doing the same thing. They’re not worrying about you, they’re thinking about whatever the hell they’re thinking about, but it sure as hell isn’t you! So do you! And this goes for anything else you want to do.
You screwed up at work? God forbid you act human.
Although some of these tips might be something you already know/learned, these are things I had to learn myself up until this point in my life. I don’t see myself ever mistreating an employee behind the register, but I know other people have forgotten what it’s like to work a job like that and be mistreated.
Some people forget that skin care is an essential part of our youth in which we don’t see the “effects” until later. That goes for reading, exercising, and meditating.
It’s also okay to isolate when you feel that you need it, but don’t let go of the world completely. You never know who you’re going to meet out there, and it’s not always bad. From personal experience, even after friendship and relationship breakups, I have never regretted any my past relationships.
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