Summary
- Think about aging as a road with many milestones.
- Do preventive mind and body maintenance.
- Make time for people who matter.
Most people in their 20s and 30s are not as worried about getting older as people are in their middle or senior years. Life in this phase is about becoming your own person, pursuing an education, establishing a career, possibly getting married, starting a family, and juggling work/life demands.
Investment plans in this stage of life will reap returns and a happy life in later years, both in your finances as well as in your health. Viewing getting older in a good light and taking certain actions now can bring big rewards later.
Here are tips to invest in happier and healthier older years, as well as to have a good outlook and a higher quality of life in your 20s and 30s.
Think about aging as a road with many milestones
By the time a person reaches the 20s or 30s, the developmental process of growing up is fully entrenched. During this time of life, think about all that you have learned from earlier life events. You know more about yourself, the kind of life partner you want, the type of work you enjoy. Look at milestones like turning 21 or 30 as a time to think about what you have learned. If you point out any mistakes, make an improvement plan. If you have not been as focused on eating right or getting the right amount of exercise, come up with a long-term goal or two and then break them down into short-term, more doable steps.
The way you think about aging makes a difference. Instead of longing for time that has passed when you did not have as many responsibilities, have an attitude of gratitude. Make a list of what you have learned or accomplished and what you are looking forward to next.
Do preventive mind and body care
Get regular physical, dental, and vision exams. Adopt healthy habits like using sunscreen, practicing safe sex, taking a multivitamin, and knowing your numbers for blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Now is the prime time to focus on prevention, and to admit that you are worth the investment.
Get plenty of exercise, healthy food, and sleep
It can be challenging to find time to focus on your health because this phase of life can be busy with long work hours and family demands. The only plan that works is to prioritize your health: Make working out, eating right, and getting plenty of sleep happen.
Plan and keep your time to work out just as you would a business meeting or your child’s soccer game. Plan healthy meals and stock your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with healthy foods. When eating out, order smarter. Set boundaries and slip into bed when you need to so that you get the right amount of sleep.
The benefits of getting regular exercise, healthy meals, and sufficient sleep are many—you will lower the chance of obesity, feel more alert and lively, have more patience and be less grouchy, get sick less often, and possibly live longer.
Make time for people who matter
Make sure you spend time with family and friends. To age well, we need connections with people. The ground work of love relationships, friendships, and parent-child bonding is quality time.
Weigh your choices
Women in their late 30s may feel the pressure of their “biological clock” and wonder whether to have children. Both men and women may think about more flexible work choices while raising a family.
When making these choices, think about not only your situation now, but also the impact five, 10, or 20 years down the road. There is no “one size fits all” strategy to choices about marriage, children, and career; there are tradeoffs with all decisions. Weigh the pros and cons and do what works best for you.
Set realistic expectations
If you have a tendency to compare yourself to others, stop! If you feel driven to “keep up with the Jones’” or you think you can do it all, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and a “pressure cooker” existence. Unrealistic expectations can cause you to be vulnerable to tiredness, sadness and worry. Setting realistic expectations, learning to prioritize and say “no” helps you take care of yourself, your relationships and your job.
“All or nothing” thinking needs to be adjusted. If you did not get a promotion or recognition you wanted, keep trying. If you do not have an hour to work out during the workday, but you can take a 20-minute break to walk, do it. Develop an adaptive coping style, and stay hopeful.
Making healthy choices today and focusing on the positive aspects of getting older, such as gaining knowledge and experience, can be a good investment for the future.
Predictors for a healthy life
Psychiatrist George Vaillant, MD, Director of the Harvard Study on Aging, names the following as the best predictors of whether you will move successfully through middle age and into later years:
- Avoid cigarettes.
- Practice good coping skills.
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Work out regularly.
- Maintain strong social relationships.
- Pursue education.
All of these are possible in your 20s and 30s. There is no better time than now to focus on healthy choices and a healthy frame of mind that not only increases your odds of more “golden years,” but also helps you live life to the fullest.
Summary
- Think about aging as a road with many milestones.
- Do preventive mind and body maintenance.
- Make time for people who matter.
Most people in their 20s and 30s are not as worried about getting older as people are in their middle or senior years. Life in this phase is about becoming your own person, pursuing an education, establishing a career, possibly getting married, starting a family, and juggling work/life demands.
Investment plans in this stage of life will reap returns and a happy life in later years, both in your finances as well as in your health. Viewing getting older in a good light and taking certain actions now can bring big rewards later.
Here are tips to invest in happier and healthier older years, as well as to have a good outlook and a higher quality of life in your 20s and 30s.
Think about aging as a road with many milestones
By the time a person reaches the 20s or 30s, the developmental process of growing up is fully entrenched. During this time of life, think about all that you have learned from earlier life events. You know more about yourself, the kind of life partner you want, the type of work you enjoy. Look at milestones like turning 21 or 30 as a time to think about what you have learned. If you point out any mistakes, make an improvement plan. If you have not been as focused on eating right or getting the right amount of exercise, come up with a long-term goal or two and then break them down into short-term, more doable steps.
The way you think about aging makes a difference. Instead of longing for time that has passed when you did not have as many responsibilities, have an attitude of gratitude. Make a list of what you have learned or accomplished and what you are looking forward to next.
Do preventive mind and body care
Get regular physical, dental, and vision exams. Adopt healthy habits like using sunscreen, practicing safe sex, taking a multivitamin, and knowing your numbers for blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Now is the prime time to focus on prevention, and to admit that you are worth the investment.
Get plenty of exercise, healthy food, and sleep
It can be challenging to find time to focus on your health because this phase of life can be busy with long work hours and family demands. The only plan that works is to prioritize your health: Make working out, eating right, and getting plenty of sleep happen.
Plan and keep your time to work out just as you would a business meeting or your child’s soccer game. Plan healthy meals and stock your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with healthy foods. When eating out, order smarter. Set boundaries and slip into bed when you need to so that you get the right amount of sleep.
The benefits of getting regular exercise, healthy meals, and sufficient sleep are many—you will lower the chance of obesity, feel more alert and lively, have more patience and be less grouchy, get sick less often, and possibly live longer.
Make time for people who matter
Make sure you spend time with family and friends. To age well, we need connections with people. The ground work of love relationships, friendships, and parent-child bonding is quality time.
Weigh your choices
Women in their late 30s may feel the pressure of their “biological clock” and wonder whether to have children. Both men and women may think about more flexible work choices while raising a family.
When making these choices, think about not only your situation now, but also the impact five, 10, or 20 years down the road. There is no “one size fits all” strategy to choices about marriage, children, and career; there are tradeoffs with all decisions. Weigh the pros and cons and do what works best for you.
Set realistic expectations
If you have a tendency to compare yourself to others, stop! If you feel driven to “keep up with the Jones’” or you think you can do it all, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and a “pressure cooker” existence. Unrealistic expectations can cause you to be vulnerable to tiredness, sadness and worry. Setting realistic expectations, learning to prioritize and say “no” helps you take care of yourself, your relationships and your job.
“All or nothing” thinking needs to be adjusted. If you did not get a promotion or recognition you wanted, keep trying. If you do not have an hour to work out during the workday, but you can take a 20-minute break to walk, do it. Develop an adaptive coping style, and stay hopeful.
Making healthy choices today and focusing on the positive aspects of getting older, such as gaining knowledge and experience, can be a good investment for the future.
Predictors for a healthy life
Psychiatrist George Vaillant, MD, Director of the Harvard Study on Aging, names the following as the best predictors of whether you will move successfully through middle age and into later years:
- Avoid cigarettes.
- Practice good coping skills.
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Work out regularly.
- Maintain strong social relationships.
- Pursue education.
All of these are possible in your 20s and 30s. There is no better time than now to focus on healthy choices and a healthy frame of mind that not only increases your odds of more “golden years,” but also helps you live life to the fullest.
Summary
- Think about aging as a road with many milestones.
- Do preventive mind and body maintenance.
- Make time for people who matter.
Most people in their 20s and 30s are not as worried about getting older as people are in their middle or senior years. Life in this phase is about becoming your own person, pursuing an education, establishing a career, possibly getting married, starting a family, and juggling work/life demands.
Investment plans in this stage of life will reap returns and a happy life in later years, both in your finances as well as in your health. Viewing getting older in a good light and taking certain actions now can bring big rewards later.
Here are tips to invest in happier and healthier older years, as well as to have a good outlook and a higher quality of life in your 20s and 30s.
Think about aging as a road with many milestones
By the time a person reaches the 20s or 30s, the developmental process of growing up is fully entrenched. During this time of life, think about all that you have learned from earlier life events. You know more about yourself, the kind of life partner you want, the type of work you enjoy. Look at milestones like turning 21 or 30 as a time to think about what you have learned. If you point out any mistakes, make an improvement plan. If you have not been as focused on eating right or getting the right amount of exercise, come up with a long-term goal or two and then break them down into short-term, more doable steps.
The way you think about aging makes a difference. Instead of longing for time that has passed when you did not have as many responsibilities, have an attitude of gratitude. Make a list of what you have learned or accomplished and what you are looking forward to next.
Do preventive mind and body care
Get regular physical, dental, and vision exams. Adopt healthy habits like using sunscreen, practicing safe sex, taking a multivitamin, and knowing your numbers for blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Now is the prime time to focus on prevention, and to admit that you are worth the investment.
Get plenty of exercise, healthy food, and sleep
It can be challenging to find time to focus on your health because this phase of life can be busy with long work hours and family demands. The only plan that works is to prioritize your health: Make working out, eating right, and getting plenty of sleep happen.
Plan and keep your time to work out just as you would a business meeting or your child’s soccer game. Plan healthy meals and stock your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with healthy foods. When eating out, order smarter. Set boundaries and slip into bed when you need to so that you get the right amount of sleep.
The benefits of getting regular exercise, healthy meals, and sufficient sleep are many—you will lower the chance of obesity, feel more alert and lively, have more patience and be less grouchy, get sick less often, and possibly live longer.
Make time for people who matter
Make sure you spend time with family and friends. To age well, we need connections with people. The ground work of love relationships, friendships, and parent-child bonding is quality time.
Weigh your choices
Women in their late 30s may feel the pressure of their “biological clock” and wonder whether to have children. Both men and women may think about more flexible work choices while raising a family.
When making these choices, think about not only your situation now, but also the impact five, 10, or 20 years down the road. There is no “one size fits all” strategy to choices about marriage, children, and career; there are tradeoffs with all decisions. Weigh the pros and cons and do what works best for you.
Set realistic expectations
If you have a tendency to compare yourself to others, stop! If you feel driven to “keep up with the Jones’” or you think you can do it all, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and a “pressure cooker” existence. Unrealistic expectations can cause you to be vulnerable to tiredness, sadness and worry. Setting realistic expectations, learning to prioritize and say “no” helps you take care of yourself, your relationships and your job.
“All or nothing” thinking needs to be adjusted. If you did not get a promotion or recognition you wanted, keep trying. If you do not have an hour to work out during the workday, but you can take a 20-minute break to walk, do it. Develop an adaptive coping style, and stay hopeful.
Making healthy choices today and focusing on the positive aspects of getting older, such as gaining knowledge and experience, can be a good investment for the future.
Predictors for a healthy life
Psychiatrist George Vaillant, MD, Director of the Harvard Study on Aging, names the following as the best predictors of whether you will move successfully through middle age and into later years:
- Avoid cigarettes.
- Practice good coping skills.
- Keep a healthy weight.
- Work out regularly.
- Maintain strong social relationships.
- Pursue education.
All of these are possible in your 20s and 30s. There is no better time than now to focus on healthy choices and a healthy frame of mind that not only increases your odds of more “golden years,” but also helps you live life to the fullest.