Asklemmy

Project yourself 20 years into the future. Imagine yourself saying this to present day you. Then act on that advice. Much of these suggestions can apply to anyone at almost any age.

Don't let others control your life. If someone is only making you hurt, cut them off clean.

This especially is for blood relations! Only scared old people say that shit about obeying your elders! If your family or immediate "friends" only use or abuse, get out fast!

There's always a place and tribe for you, don't let assholes dictate who you are or "should be".

It took 30 years and most of my physical health to learn that one! Injured spine, nerve damage, financial issues ... All from the group I grew up around being hideously toxic.

I've been free of them for about 5 years now and am finally healing, both physically where I can and mentally. Financially too, just slower.

I now have loving girlfriends, an amazing and healthy daughter, and I've been able to start reconnecting with the people that really clicked with me but were forced away by my family and their friends for being too different from them. I barely got a year and a half with my best friend I'd list touch with before he suddenly was diagnosed with and died from pancreatic cancer.

Don't waste your time on people who drain you with nothing to return! You and the people who improve you don't have the time and energy to spare!

Forgive others and yourself quickly. You're going to make a lot of mistakes and so are the people around you.

Get somekind of workout and stretching routine going on. It's much harder to build the habit later when you've got maybe a family going on and probably more work responsibilities.

Save money and keep in shape.

I'm 2 months from 36 so I want to weigh in, behind every great man, is a good partner. Don't waste your youth chasing flings and living it up, find your person, someone who will help you build yourself in a better person every step of the way. Not controlling but supportive, and do the same for them.

Compatibility is probably the most important quality to look for in a romantic partner.

Be prepared for age-related farsightedness! No changes if my aging body irritated me as much so far. I think mainly because of the abruptness of how that set in. It felt like an almost instant change, people showing me things on their phone and I couldn't read it anymore. Taking pictures of fineprint to zoom in etc.

Exfoliate, moisturizer, sunblock

Look after your back and neck. Floss. Drink more water. Find out if you have family inheritable disease risk and adjust accordingly.

But also, take advantage of some of your best years, and the freedom which comes with not being tied down.

Invest in yourself.

Increase your skills, weather it's university, an apprenticeship or on the job training. Your skills compound over time.

And as another poster said, take care of your teeth.

Forget one piece!

Put money into your 401k. Learn more about personal finance than video games. Lift heavy things with proper form and put them back down again a lot. Give all people respect and kindness even if they’re being snotty. Brush your god damn teeth.

Antidepressants can be life changing, for those who need them

(44) look, listen, you don't have to figure everything out right now. There will come a time in your late twenties and early thirties that you'll feel like you've missed the boat, that you're lagging behind, that it's too late to still start or switch... And then you'll get over it in your late 30s again. Finally realise that life doesn't end and in fact that there is a lot left after 40. And that's when they call it the midlife crisis, it's not a crisis. The crisis is in your late twenties and early thirties.