It’s official, as of July 29, 2021, I am 25 years old. If you’re wondering how I celebrated the big two-five, the biggest highlight of my weekend is ordering a Drumstick blizzard from Dairy Queen and eating it for breakfast.
When I announced to my coworkers that I was turning 25, Sudbury.com reporter Len Gillis told me that he bought a house at the age of 23 in 1977. Thanks for that tid-bit of information, Len. I have about 23 cents in my bank account, but maybe next year.
I don’t have much to my name at this point in my life, but I have learned a few things here and there in my quarter-century of life. So, without being too preachy (hopefully), these are the 25 things I learned in 25 years.
1. Make coffee at home instead of buying six dollar lattes from Starbucks. I read that the Canadian TV personality and entrepreneur, Kevin O’Leary makes his coffee at home instead of buying a cup every day. I’ve been doing this for about a year now and I’m kind of mad I’m not a millionaire yet, but at least I saved a lot of money by doing this.
2. Wear sunscreen. Just do it. Someone told me I look 27 rather than 25 recently and it truly shook me to the core. I guess there’s nothing like UV-accelerated aging.
3. Learn how to change a flat tire, like right now. You don’t want to be stuck on a busy road with no idea how to change a flat tire and two-per-cent battery left on your phone. When this happened to me, I got super lucky that someone decided to show me mercy and help me out. But it got me thinking about how I should have known how to do this beforehand.
4. Clean your white sneakers instead of buying a new pair every time they get dirty. Maybe I’m the only lazy person who does this, but it’s a big waste of money for obvious reasons. Just take the extra time and labor to get white sneakers.
5. Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. Too many of us have purchased too much junk food grocery shopping while hungry. How many more do we need to see making the same mistake?
6. Clean your fridge. OK, so right now I only have cheese-strings in my fridge, but I’ve learned that having a clean fridge is better than letting food decay in it.
7. If you’re in the passenger seat of a road trip — stay awake for the driver. This is just common courtesy, personally. It sucks to be the driver and have the passenger sleep on you because you end up being stuck with your own thoughts for the rest of the journey.
8. Give out compliments more often. It makes you, and the other person feel good.
9. Floss. I’m not going to lie, I don’t do this every night, but I do it every two days. That counts as a healthy habit right?
10. Be thankful for the pairs of socks you get for Christmas. I used to think socks were a lame gift, but now that I’m 25, I appreciate not buying my own socks. Everyone needs socks and they somehow always go missing in the washing machine portal.
11. Tattoos are forever, so maybe give it some thought before you get one. Once upon a time, my friend gave me a stick and poke tattoo of a banana (I was vegan at the time so I was eating two bananas every day). Anyways, it turned out to be a really ugly tattoo and then I stopped being vegan so there was really no point to it. Luckily, I got it covered up so now it’s a cute crescent moon. Moral of the story: give it a bit more thought before getting a permanent piece of art on your body.
12. Communication is key. Coming from the most passive-aggressive person ever, sometimes it’s easier to hash out conflicts when you discuss it openly.
13. There’s nothing wrong with being smart. I used to act dumb in grade school and high school because I didn’t want to adhere to the Asian “smart kid” stereotype. But I seriously regret slacking in school because of this. Don’t let bullying — or stereotypes — get in the way of your education.
14. Spend time with people you want to be like because it will rub off on you. One of my good friends goes to the gym everyday like it’s his religion — eat, pray, lift. Before befriending him, I never used to be active; now, I love it. I’m seriously thankful he got me into fitness. At this point, It’s a matter of regaining the progress I lost during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
15. Learn how to do things on your own. I kind of relied on everyone to do everything for me before I moved to Sudbury by myself. I had a hard hit of reality to say the least. Independence is a funny thing because it sucks to actually assemble your furniture by yourself, but it’s also liberating and empowering to take initiative and do stuff on your own.
16. Be open to things, even if they’re out of your comfort zone. This is also something I’m learning more about as my life in Sudbury continues. A few weeks ago I pushed myself to go to the beach alone because I didn’t really know anyone at the time. It ended up being a great experience because I left the beach with new friends and we hit up a patio for drinks afterwards.
17. Pick up a hobby that makes you happy. I started skipping rope as a hobby during the lockdowns because I wasn’t getting out of the house enough. It turns out I really enjoy listening to music and hopping along to the beat. Before then, I would sit in front of the TV on the couch for hours on end as a pastime. It didn’t necessarily make me happy and I felt like I was spending an absurd amount of time doing essentially nothing. The drama of trashy reality TV is addicting, but nothing beats the high of jumping in the sun.
18. Keep people in your life who will uplift you rather than tear you down. I think it’s pretty normal to feel lost sometimes during your twenties. I had a full year of figuring out my life trajectory when I was 22 and I am so thankful for that year. It taught me a lot about the kind of people you should surround yourself with. I had people who had no faith that I would take my life anywhere after my undergrad. And then I had people who believed in me, even more than myself. Those are the people who encouraged me to chase my dreams because I can achieve anything I put my mind to — and that’s the extra push I needed to be where I am today. I think it’s so important to have those friends and family members, but to also be that person for people in your life. Encourage your family and friends, especially when they are full of self-doubt. Sometimes they just need another person to nudge them in the right direction.
19. Love the body you’re in. It took me years — and I mean YEARS — to start loving myself and the body I’m in. And it’s still something I struggle with sometimes. I think this is a common issue for a lot of women, especially due to absurd societal beauty standards that can be exacerbated by social media. Stomach rolls are natural. Bloating is natural. Cellulite and stretch marks are natural (and beautiful).
20. Sun is medicine. Who knew that extra Vitamin D can improve your mood and your day by so much? I found that my sleep was much better and my mental health improved if I spent even an hour in the sun. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.
21. Make your bed in the morning. Again, I don’t do this every day, but when I do it makes me feel so much more put together.
22. Do at least one nice thing for yourself every day. Most nights I microwave my dinners or order in. But one day I decided to actually put in the time to make myself a thought-out meal, and I was sincerely surprised how good it made me feel. My friend told me that sometimes doing one little nice thing for yourself can make the biggest difference in a day.
23. Focus on the present, not the past. Sometimes I find myself dwelling on the past and it can get obsessive and unhealthy for me. It’s really hard for me to move on from mistakes I’ve made in the past, and I think a lot of people might feel the same way as me. But my mom told me I can never experience self growth if I don’t learn from my mistakes and move forward. So, I’m here to pass on the pearls of wisdom from Mama Suh.
24. Check in on your friends. I’ve been doing this more ever since the lockdowns, but see what your friends are up to. Check in on at least one friend a day because it has the potential to make their day and yours.
25. Prioritize your mental health. I learned this more than ever from the lockdown winter last year. I think everyone can agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy — for anyone. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that the pandemic had stress levels double for Canadians.
A poll conducted by the CAMH found that “50 per cent of Canadians reported worsening mental health since the pandemic began with many feeling worried (44 per cent) and anxious (41 per cent).” This can affect people by causing sleeping problems, smoking and alcohol use, mood disorders and post-traumatic stress symptoms. I found myself feeling burnt out as I was completing assignments for my classes. It was extremely difficult for me to carry on with school and focus on education and my extra-curricular activities when I spent days feeling anxious and overwhelmed. I learned that I really need to take time for myself and reflect on how I’m feeling. Putting in the time to recognize mental health issues can be difficult, but I only realized last year how important it is to practice mindfulness.
If you are feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or isolated, you are not alone. Reach out to a friend or family member. I will also suggest seeking therapy from a licensed professional because it has helped me out a lot in the past. Here are a few links to online therapists that you can check out if you need it: BetterHelp.com, InkBlotTherapy.com and TalkSpace.com.
Alright, if you’ve read the whole blog and made it this far, thank you (sincerely from the bottom of my heart) for taking the time to read this piece. I’d love to learn about you so if you would like, leave a comment about a thing or two that you have learned in life.
Eden Suh is Sudbury.com’s new media reporter. You can often find her with a video camera in her hand.
