Travel Diaries

Everyone talks about sacrifices you need to make in your younger years to succeed in life. All that you need to chase or give up to get where you want to. I have just turned 30, so maybe I am too young to be preaching this, but I already know what I am not ready to give up in life. I am not talking about jobs, money, yada yada.. I am talking about the small things that are a part of my daily life that I will not give up for bigger goals. Because I don’t want to lose what makes me happy today, trying to accomplish something that “might” make me happy in the future. Starting my 30s, here is some stuff I started (or stopped) doing that helped me, and I hope it can help you too.

1. Switch off the tech

We live in a crazy world. 20 years back, you only knew what your neighbour or classmate was up to. Now you know what literally every person in the world who has access to social media is doing. The amount of pressure this creates on your mind is the crazy part. If you decide to stay low over the summer, you might need to throw away your phone first so you don’t die of FOMO. On a daily basis, this plays a lot on your mind. We end up participating in a lot more social events(real or virtual) than we need because we feel pressured. So heres a suggestion – try locking your phone up at 9 pm. Too early, right? But if you usually have dinner with family or even a roommate, then switch it off before dinner time. After dinner, do stuff that signals to your body to wind down even mediocre stuff like dishes, cleaning down the kitchen counters. Do your night skincare routine if you have one. Dim the lights and try reading something light or listening to come relaxing music. Read a story to your kids or snuggle with your pet. Try anything other than reaching out for your phone. It will be super hard, but it’s worth trying. I am sure you will hit the bed in a more relaxed state of mind and help you look at each day more positively than before. This small change might even help you better achieve your long-term goals by keeping you in a better space mentally over the long run.

2. Develop an active hobby

This need not be something fancy or hard. After all, it’s not going on your resume. It just needs to be something you can do whenever you have downtime that is active in nature. So listening to music doesn’t count, but playing an instrument does. Watching movies doesn’t, but doing your own blog/podcast, hell yes! You will always need something in your life that drives your sense of productivity that is not linked to a salary. Whenever there is a monetary incentive attached to something, then it becomes work, and work comes with stress. What you need to look for is something productive that de stresses you. Set goals for your hobby so you feel good as you accomplish those goals. Don’t make it crazy competitive; just simple stuff like learning how to play a tune you like or knitting a headband before the year ends. Small stuff that helps you feel good when you achieve it. And because you’re doing something you enjoy, the journey is a reward in itself. If you’re not sure what hobby you would like, try your hand at a bunch of random stuff. Another idea would be to look back at your childhood to find something you enjoyed as a kid but lost as you grew up. Take up a sport you enjoyed at school or craft projects or try your hand at something completely new, like cooking or gardening. You will eventually find something that sticks with you and then just keep building on it.

3. Get Fit

There are endless memes about people in their 30s and lower back pain. Well, it’s no surprise if you have a desk job. And when we come home, we again tend to sit down for hours because we are tired from work. Ultimately, we struggle to fall asleep because our bodies are not as tired as our minds. And this vicious cycle never ends. Getting fit can mean different things to different people. You don’t need to go to a gym and get ripped. Just pick whatever you like. Maybe go for longer and longer walks with your dog every day. Or cycle around your neighbourhood. Or give those free yoga/workout videos a try. Or put on some music and dance your heart out in your living room. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Life is complicated enough for most of us anyway. Let’s choose something simple. Start 2x week. And see how it goes. The main benefit, according to me – great sleep. Make sure to tire your body enough that no amount of mental ramblings will keep you up at night. Even if you can’t follow some crazy diet or nutrition plan, this will help you feel better both mentally and physically. And that lower back pain? Trust me, it will eventually go away. The stronger your body gets, the less any kind of pain will plague you. The more energy you will have when you wake up. So go for that midnight walk or swim or play a sport with your buddies. Just try to stick with it for at least a few weeks to experience the benefits, and I am sure there will be no looking back.

4. Do more quiet nights

If you’re a bit anti-social like me, you will love this one. As many social commitments or errands you might have, keep one night of your weekend dedicated to quiet time. It can be whatever you like. Just some music and wine or a netflix and chill session. Maybe you finish that book that’s been staring at you for months from your nightstand. Just reduce the pace of your life to 0.5x for one night every week or at least every fortnight. Trust me, you will start loving it. If you want to actually feel recharged after a weekend, you need to do something of this sort. I try to do a whole day, sometimes the whole weekend. And I have no guilt. Just make sure you have planned something nice for yourself. Order your favourite food, watch your favourite series, just give in to your guilty pleasures for one night. If you live with your family (partner/ kids/ pets), make this an individual thing. Try to get the home to yourself or go out and spend some time in your own company doing what you like. You can spend your whole day at a beach or a cafe or even a library. It’s the best way to recharge.

5. Cut Off People

Ok, this sounds harsh, but honestly, most of us need to review our social circle. There are almost always a couple of people who are now part of it because of whatever reason, and now we have to put up with them. Well, you shouldn’t have to. Don’t pick up a call from a person who just makes you feel bad about your life. I don’t care who it is. Don’t go for dinner with friends if it includes that one person who always makes remarks to tease/taunt you. Never spend time with people because you are obliged to. If that person doesn’t make you feel loved or cared for, doesn’t make you laugh or inspire you, then why are you even there? You would better off at home watching a netflix comedy special. Seriously. Think about it!