15 Important Life Lessons To Learn Before You Are 30

The wonderful thing about life is that it will continue to teach you lessons that will help you to live more happily and healthily. Some of these lessons are learned with age, but I wish that I had known them when I was much younger, so I could have applied them much sooner! There are many life lessons that we will not learn until we are in those particular situations.

Here are 15 important life lessons that are worth knowing:

1. You Should Not Hold On To Toxic Relationships

No matter who it is, if the relationship is toxic and harming your mental health, then the best decision is to cut the negativity from your life. People in your life who are toxic can make you feel consumed and suffocated by a negative mindset about yourself and/or life. These people can lead you to doubt your abilities and will show you no support.

2. Writing Is A Powerful Activity

Writing is really therapeutic and can promote positive mental health. Journaling, writing affirmations, or even just a few sentences each day, can make such a positive difference to your physical and mental health.

Writing can help to reduce anxiety and depression, reduce stress and tension, lower blood pressure and can help to improve memory and much more besides. If you struggle to write in a journal, try using journaling prompts to get started.

3. Self-Care Is Vital

Self-care and making yourself a priority is vital to living a happier and healthier life. It is about taking care of your body and your min. it can be small acts of kindness to yourself and making yourself happy. Self-care activities can include: eating healthy foods, having a pamper session, having your nails done, saying no when you want to, having a bath and many more.

4. Your Mental Health Is Just As Important As Your Physical Health

Mental health problems can be just as serious as physical health problems. It is important that you include positive habits that can help your mental health. Checking in with yourself is key.

Positive mental health habits can be: journaling, meditation, breathing exercises, mindful walking, mindful eating to name but a few.

5. Invest In Good Shoes and Mattress

You spend the majority of your life either on your feet or in your bed! So, investing in decent footwear that properly supports you will definitely benefit your physical health. Having a good mattress means a good night’s sleep and having your body correctly and sufficiently supported during the night is crucial. Poor sleep can have many negative impacts on your health, whether physical or mental (or both), or if you suffer from chronic pain.

6. Change Your Skincare Products With Every Decade

As you get older, your skin changes and the products that worked for you in your 20s may no longer work in your 30s. It is important that you learn what your skin type is and what your skin will need as you age. This could be the reason that your skin may not be as healthy or as youthful as it used to be.

7. Attend Your Smear Test

Smear tests, or as they are now known – cervical screenings – are something that are not spoken about very much when you are younger, but they are hugely important. You will usually get a letter from your GP around or before your 25th birthday. However, if you feel that you need to be checked before this time, talk to your doctor. They can be scary, but my smear tests caught abnormal changes early, which meant that I did not end up with serious health issues. Your health is so important, make it a priority and don’t take any unnecessary risks.

8. Cherish The Time With Your Loved Ones

Life can be short and time really is precious. Appreciating the quality time with your loved ones cannot only make you happy, but allows you to make cherished memories of you living in the moment. Show your loved ones how much they mean to you every day.

9. Show Gratitude

Gratitude is a strong and powerful action that when practised can promote good mental health and mindfulness.

Gratitude journaling is a great way to positively highlight what you have to appreciate; this activity is associated with greater happiness. Benefits of practising gratitude can be: reduced stress, improved physical and mental health, greater happiness, better relationships… the list goes on!

This doesn’t need to be a big activity. When you wake up, you can say out loud, what you are grateful for as part of your morning routine, which you will find extremely beneficial over time.

10. Asking For Help Is NOT A Sign Of Weakness

This took me a while to learn and even now, I can slip into the ‘I must do it all myself’ mindset. However, we are only human and we cannot do everything all of the time. There will be times when we need to ask for help and actually being self-aware can help reduce the workload (whatever that might be) can have huge benefits on your mental health.

11. Live In The Moment

‘Being present’, or ‘living mindfully’, means that you are fully focused and engaged in the here and now. You are also not distracted or mentally absent from the situation. Being present allows you to appreciate your time and the time you are spending with others or for completing an activity.

When you completely focus on what is around you, you are paying attention to your senses; that’s when you will be gaining from mindful living. You are appreciating who and what is around you. Mindful living can boost your memory, increase your focus, improves your emotional health and much more. The best of all is when learning how you can be present will bring you purpose and re-ignite your passion for life.

12 Your Health Is Your Valuable Asset

If you do not have your health, then you do not have anything else. It is as simple as that. So, running yourself into the ground for work, or not listening to your body, can be really damaging for your health.

Make your health a priority; if you feel too poorly to attend work for example, then listen to your body because the only person truly concerned about your health is YOU.

13. You Should Be Aware Of And Reduce Your Impact On The Environment

Global warming and the environment are at a critical stage; we all need to do our part to live more sustainably. I think that the earlier children and teenagers are taught about this, the better.

There are so many small changes that you can make to reduce your impact on the environment. You can: use reusable bags, recycle, use eco-friendly products and eat less meat… just a few to start with!

14. Never Be Afraid To Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Comfort zones are safe, but as lovely as they are, you will not grow if you stay there. In order to challenge yourself, you need to push out from your comfort zone. Making a discomfort list is a great place to start.

Coming out of your comfort zone regularly can create better focus; increase your creativity, drive and passion. Practising this can aid you in response to unexpected life stresses.

15. Always Be Kind

Kindness does not only help others, it also makes you feel good. Putting positivity out into the universe is so important.

You really never know what another person is truly going through and that small act of kindness could be the only interaction or positive thing to happen to them that day. Kindness is infectious; the next time someone does something kind for you, pay it forward!

These are 15 life lessons that you should know… even better if from an early age, so that you can practise mindful living and live life to the fullest.

What is the one life lesson that you live by? I’d love to hear in the comments.