t’s never too late to start new habits, but it’s not uncommon to wish you’d started them when you were way younger. Recently, I asked the adults of the BuzzFeed Community to share a habit or routine they do now that they wish they’d started sooner, and I’m taking some mental notes:
1.”Constantly waking up at the same time every day. It sounded so hard and pointless in my 20s, but it really does give you better sleep, and I’m now used to being awake at a certain time. I enjoy my weekends more because I have more energy and extra time to enjoy the mornings.”
2.”I wish that I’d developed the habit of standing up for myself. I was taught to ‘keep my peace’ instead. If I’d known about boundaries and taking care of myself, maybe I wouldn’t have endured so much (or any) trauma and abuse. The effects on my family still linger.”
—Sherry, 63, Georgia
3.”Advocate for yourself regarding healthcare! It took moving halfway across the country and having to find new doctors to find out I have fibromyalgia and an autoimmune form of arthritis. For years, I had no idea I could push back against the frankly dangerous advice my old doctors had given me, and that I could change my doctors whenever I wanted. I have a great team now that listens to my concerns and actually talks to me about options and the risks involved to help me make an educated decision for myself.”
4.”I used to focus all my energy on finding men and finding ‘the one.’ I wish I’d spent that time taking care of myself, developing hobbies, and paying attention to fitness instead of just trying to be thin for men. Every time a relationship failed, it made me hate working out, because it felt like it had all been for nothing. Now, I have no patience and no energy for putting in all that work to attract the male gaze. I’m single, and I love it. Turns out, the thing I wanted the most was what destroyed me.”
5.”I wish I’d taken school more seriously when I was younger. I messed around a lot and didn’t take the time to learn how to study or, well, learn. I went back to school when I was nearly 40 because I wanted to do more with my life, and it was really hard for me to adapt. Thanks to school, though, I learned how to retain information better, do my own research, and be confident in my skills and knowledge. Once I applied myself, I found that I actually like being in an academic setting. I just wish I’d realized it sooner.”
6.”Better diet. My grandmother raised me, and if I didn’t want to try something new, she’d make me whatever I wanted. I never learned how to eat nutritiously or cook, so I live on quick meals. My idea of cooking is tipping the delivery driver, and fast food is moderately part of my diet.”
