6 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger

With age comes wisdom, as the saying goes.

Here are the six life lessons I would share with my younger self:

1. Working out is important but so are recovery and sleep. All my health goals are tied to this trifecta. Your body needs time to repair muscles and regenerate cells. In fact, you are more likely to injure yourself when you have not had ample recovery time or a good night’s sleep. But most importantly, adequate sleep also supports your immune system. I figured that one out in college after the sleep-deprived semester I had tonsillitis and bronchitis at the same time. 

2. Learn to say “no.” Over-commitment and obligation are total buzz killers. Ask yourself if an activity is in alignment with your goals or if you derive joy from it? If not, say “no!” Life is too short to suffer through things. More importantly, if you say “yes” to everything, you won’t have enough time to do the things that you truly love or that bring you peace. In short, over-committing stresses you out. And always schedule extra time between commitments because running late causes stress too. 

 3. Don’t listen to the negative noise. Your inner critic can sometimes be a bit of a gremlin. Often your inner voice gets louder with social media. The truth is, you will always see people who have more than you – more work success, more material things... or their life just seems “more” in general. Stay in your lane and focus on doing your best. Put down your phone, and stop comparing yourself to others. 

 4. Self-care is not selfish. We have all heard this phrase: “Place your own oxygen mask on first before assisting others.” There is so much truth to this advice. I think the nature of my profession really blurred this for me in my youth. I would always bend over backwards to please and help others, often to my detriment. Now I know that I cannot bring others to health if I don’t address my own physical and emotional health first.  

5. You are what you eat. Most of the major illnesses in America are directly correlated with poor diet. We all know eating a twinkie doesn’t hurt while you’re eating it, but if you eat enough over the years, you could develop some sort of sugar-related issue or maybe even heart disease. The foundation and building blocks you set in your youth can lead to a longer, healthier life.   

  6. Be present. You can’t take back the past or predict the future. Again, life is short, and the moments are fleeting. Take control by learning to appreciate what’s right in front of you and stay present in the core memory-making moments.