Your Guide to Creating Healthy Habits Before You Hit 30
Your 20s and childhood are probably the years when you learn the most in life. It’s usually the time when you fly the nest and become independent, learn how to take care of yourself, and learn about the world around you.
This is probably also the time that you form most of the habits you’ll take into the rest of your adult life, like money management, setting boundaries, and building routines. Along with those should definitely be habits of a healthy nature, like daily movement and cooking lovely nutritious meals.
Creating these healthy habits is the perfect way to make sure that you’re strong, radiant, and a picture of health into your 30s and beyond.
The numbers don’t lie; a study by the National Institute on Aging found that adults who adopt healthy habits in their 20s — like regular exercise and proper nutrition — reduce their risk of chronic diseases by up to 60% later in life.
10 Healthy Habits to Develop Before You Turn 30
1. Prioritize good quality sleep
Making good sleep your number one priority is probably the easiest yet impactful healthy habit you can create. Having a consistent sleep schedule will help regulate your body’s sleep and wake cycle making it easier to fall asleep when you go to bed and having you wake up feeling like a spring chicken and ready to take on the day.
Getting a good night’s sleep makes you feel like a million bucks, gives you laser-sharp focus, and improves your decision making (so no more impulse spending!).
Those benefits are just short term though, long term: good sleep reduces your risk of getting heart disease, and neurological issues like dementia or Alzheimers.
Start your new sleep routine by setting a bedtime routine, limiting your scrolling before bed, and setting your alarm for the same time every day — yes, even on weekends!
2. Balance out your nutrition
I’m sure you’re no stranger to the fact that ultra-processed foods are a no-go for your everyday diet.
If you’re anything like me, you love a sweet treat, but indulging yourself with pastries or chocolate too often will only lead to cavities and weight gain. The dopamine you get from sweets is fleeting!
Get in the habit of cooking your own meals at home, with whole, fresh ingredients. That way you’ll know no nasties and artificial stuff are going into your body.
To make it even easier, you could try meal prepping on a Sunday to make sure you’ve got your meals ready and waiting, so there are no last minute takeaway orders or quick trips to the shops for ready meals.
3. Find an activity you love and do it every day
Regular exercise is another health habit, that will have you feeling fabulous in a number of ways. First and foremost it makes you feel strong! Your balance will improve as well as your strength and you’ll probably see some benefits in your mobility too!
Exercise and movement also pump you full of endorphins, so you’ll feel great most of the time while you’re getting movement in.
On top of that, it’s top tier for your heart health, brain health, respiratory health, muscle health and density, digestive health… The list really does go on!
What kind of movement am I talking about? Anything!
- Walking
- Hiking
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Tai Chi
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Skipping
- Dancing
- Martial arts
- Weightlifting
- Calisthenics
- Rock climbing
- Gardening
- Any kind of team sports
4. Practice presence and mindfulness
Life is busy and as a result, you’ll probably find your mind gets busy too, so incorporating a mindfulness practice will help bring you back down to earth and stop your mind running away with you!
You can bring yourself back to the present by journaling, meditating, or practicing breathing exercises.
By focusing on the present, you’ll detach from the overwhelming thoughts and calm your mind. Mindfulness reduces your stress hormones and brings a sense of calm — it will also clear your mind and train your brain to focus making it easier for you to make decisions and manage your to-do list.
5. Save, save, save!
Now I’m not saying to give up Netflix or your morning coffee but saving is something that will save your bacon in the future for sure. Whether it’s an emergency fund if something was ever to happen to your job, or some spare funds for when your car has to go to the garage. Putting money aside will never not be a good idea.
There’s lot of apps and tools out there to help you manage your money and budget as well if that will help you to get on track. But having a safety net will save you so much worry when life stressors rear their ugly heads!
6. Get your 8 glasses a day
I know 8 whole glasses of water a day sounds like the most boring thing you could do, but believe me when I say your skin in your 30s will be thanking you! Being hydrated is essential to so many bodily functions as it is, but an added benefit is that your skin will remain glowy and radiant if you keep yourself hydrated.
If you find it hard to remember to drink your water — there’s an app for that. You can track your water intake and even set reminders so you’ll get in your H2O.
7. Get yourself in the growth mindset
One of the things that will help you excel is your mindset. If you’re carrying around limiting and outdated beliefs, you won’t get to the place you so desire, so work on changing or strengthening your mindset and your beliefs around love, careers, money and goals to ensure you’re focused on where you want to get to, and you don’t embody negative or limiting beliefs.
Try these books to help you rewire your thoughts:
- “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol S. Dweck
- “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth
- “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
8. Find a hobby you love
Carving out time to engage in a hobby you truly love can bring balance and joy to your days. Whether it’s something creative, physical, or entirely unique, finding a hobby provides a sense of purpose and a way to unwind.
Hobbies have an incredible ability to transport you to a world where time flies, and stress melts away. They’re also an opportunity to learn new skills, meet like-minded people, and add an extra layer of fulfillment to your life.
What could that hobby be? Anything that makes your heart sing! Maybe it’s painting, baking, gardening, photography, knitting, playing an instrument, or even solving puzzles.
Not sure where to start? Think about what you’ve always wanted to try but never made time for. For inspiration, check out these hobbies for women in their 30s.
9. Nurture your relationships
None of us can get through life without our people. Whether that’s your parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, friends… Even colleagues! We all need good supportive people in our lives, so you’d do well to start embracing the relationships you have and spending proper time on them so you can enjoy a sense of community through your 30s and beyond.
And be intentional about the time you’re spending with them too! Go on a picnic or a walk, take them a bunch of flowers or their favourite snack or go help them cook dinner, whatever feels meaningful and helps you show appreciation is a win!
10. Find joy in the little things
This goes hand in hand with being mindful.
But finding joy in the little things like how your coffee smells in the morning, or how the sun shines through your window, helps you create an appreciation for everything that is around you and it helps you not let time pass you by.
Having a gratitude practice is great for this, as it’ll help you notice the small things around you — often the things we take for granted!
Celebrate your daily wins, no matter how small or even keep a gratitude journal!
Make Your Future Self Proud
Getting into the swing of being proactive rather than reactive is something that future you will be absolutely ecstatic about!
Doing the work to create healthy habits now, makes for an easier future when it comes to just about anything.
It will help you manage stress, potential health conditions, and surprise bills!
It’ll also create a more balanced life overall for now and your future self. And your quality of life as you get into your 40s, 50s, and 60s will be great because you’ve already been cultivating healthy habits for decades prior!
