Take care of your fucking teeth.

Take care of your fucking teeth.

And once more, for the folks who don’t get it…

Take care of your fucking teeth.

Start saving for retirement now. You can make literally millions by putting away 10% of your income early on. Do it automatically so you never even notice the money gone.

If you are worried about making the wrong choice and your company doesn’t have a 401k, open an IRA somewhere (Fidelity if you need someone to make the decision for you) and pick a date targeted fund. Set up auto deposit. Never look at the balance.

You can always make it better later but for now the best thing to do is start. Don’t let analysis paralysis get in the way.

It's easy to believe you're invincible in your twenties. Or "later me can deal with it.". As that later version of me, I'm not a huge fan of that earlier version in a lot of ways. It's fine, I'm who I am for what I went through, and I'm righting the ship. But the more cans you kick down the road, the more you have to deal with later and the harder they are to deal with. Physically, mentally, financially. It's ok to try to live life freely, but definitely be aware of this and consider kicking one less can every chance you get.

If you're working in the attic, under the house, around dirt/dust/debris wear a mask/respirator. It's so nice to be able to take deep breaths without coughing later in life (and outclass your peers in the stamina department) 👍

Pro tip: Even though they're bigger and bulkier respirators are much more comfy than masks.

Wear hearing protection. Tinnitus blows.

The random aches and pains you start waking up with are here to stay. Learn to embrace them.

And drink more water.

Spend quality time with your parents (assuming you're on good terms of course).

I lost my dad when I was 30, after a short and unexpected illness, and I regret not spending much more time with him when I could have.

Wear earplugs at loud concerts and parties and at work if you have a noisy job.

People will make fun about you, but believe me, permanent tinnitus really sucks.

Travel. Try new things. Eat food you've never tried before.

Get into the habit of reading. Actual books, not just things like lemmy.

Realize that literally every person you meet is a walking story, just like yourself

Brush your fuckin teeth.

Also: Floss. Seriously. Take care of your damn teeth. They're important.

Smoking, drinking and gambling never ends well. Stay away from addictions.

Don't try to proof how manly you are to your friends/girls. It rarely pays off. Its ok to have a veggie dish at the restaurant instead of a bloody steak. Its ok to not speed with your car to look cool. Its ok to wear whatever the fuck you want as long as you like it, it fits well and its practical for you. Do what you like and be proud of it.

Always save time for your hobbies. Growing up doesn't means you can't have fun. If you are in a relationship make sure your partner gives you enough space and time for yourself.

Mine is modest; but practice being mindful of your emotional reactions.

If something upsets you, interrogate why, and whether your reaction will help. 90% of the time it won’t, so learn to appreciate that you are upset, but don’t let it control you. Because if you don’t you’re going to start seeing the world through incredibly negative eyes.

For example, I used to be a nightmare behind the wheel, always getting angry with shitty drivers and red lights. But I began trying to catch those thoughts, and asked myself whether they would stop other drivers being shitty, or whether it would stop me getting caught at red lights. Would I still be angry in ten minutes? The answer is almost always no, so to expend that energy feels like a waste of time to me now.

Sure, I still get pissy, but I don’t sit with it for longer than I need to. You wouldn’t sit in acid, so why sit in anger?

Moisturize, use sunscreen. Protect your skin and you'll look young even in old age.

Don’t rawdog a rando

Wearing a rubber every time unless you’re in a committed relationship greatly reduces your chances of an STD or an unwanted pregnancy.

The best raise you can get is by changing jobs. Businesses are not going to be loyal to you, there's no benefit to being loyal to them - add either a customer or employee. Embrace and welcome change.

When you get a pay raise immediately increase your 401k (or equivalent retirement fund) by at least 1%.

Enjoy your 20s, they don't last long but the person you are today is who you will feel like you are in 20 years. Don't rush your life. There's plenty of time to get married and have kids. You and your kids will benefit from you having an extra decade of experience before raising another human.

Use sunscreen and lotion up. That's the best way to prevent looking like an old catcher's mitt by the time you are 40.

• Don't be afraid of loneliness; don't be afraid of too many people around; don't be afraid of sharing your life with an SO you think you don't really know. As you age, these phases tend to blunt and blend together, like the seasons. The only thing you really have, in the end, is yourself.
• Adult life is a lot more about compromising than fighting. Don't make other people's life shitty on purpose, neither allow them to make yours shitty.
• Get your regular medical check-outs.
• Leave a place if you positively can't stand it any longer, and start from scratch. It'll be okay.

Listening to other people, especially to women, is a skill. Don't spend silent time in a conversation waiting for your chance to speak or be smart or witty, stay quiet and really process what you're hearing. Imagine yourself in their situation. Accept that what they say is exactly how they feel.

The less time you spend talking, the more your conversational partner will tell you, and the more you will start to understand them, their lives, their goals, and their anxieties.

Knowing and understanding other peoples' experiences will help you not only make better decisions in your own life, but understand why other people act and think the way they do. You'll be less likely to snap-judge or make assumptions about others. And knowing more about your loved ones, co-workers, and neighbours will allow you to help them effectively if they need it.

And travel abroad as much as possible - listen to people from other countries and cultures. The human experience is wildly varied and endlessly fascinating.

Don't push when you shit, hemmorrhoids suck

Start a yoga practice and keep it up. In 20 years, you’ll thank yourself.

Protect your back. Use proper form when lifting heavy weights. I let my back go round while pressing a few hundred pounds on an inverted incline leg press in my 20s, bulged a disk, and ever since my mid 30s it has been my Achilles’ Heel. Goes out without warning. Completely lays me up when it does. Rubbish. Wish I could go back and undo that.

When things are great, even small things like a cup of coffee with a friend or a quiet morning, take a minute to say to yourself, "this is really great." Say it out loud. Years later you will realize those moments are as good as it gets, and if you don't mark them they just disappear. Bad moments stick around in your head regardless, but the good ones need to be memorialized.

Try to take the time to care for your mental and emotional health when you need to, then, instead of stewing for years and years. I made the mistake of rolling with it, turned 35, and I'm lucky to still be here at 40.

Still struggling. Wish I'd spoken with someone years ago.

I'm 39, but this is mine: do you just feel kinda "blah" all the time, don't enjoy anything including things you used to enjoy, and can't motivate yourself to do anything? That might be depression, and it might also be undiagnosed ADHD. The sooner you learn about that and get help with it, the better you'll feel and the more effective you'll be (and the less you'll let down the people you love).

Find a way to love yourself, and to enjoy your own company.

Think it very thoroughly if you want kids

Take care of your health in general, but take extra special care of your core. Your back will thank you in 20 years.

Drink more water, listen to your body, don't give more to someone then they give to you, respect yourself, and your time.

mid 30s guy also learning from most of these comments

Start saving some of your money. Whatever you can but have damned restraint and dont spend it

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Do all the cool physical things you want to do now, like mountain climbing, martial arts, skiing whatever. You can still do all of that at 40 but it's harder to find time and you're much more injury prone.

Have fun, chase your dreams, make sure you always have "fuck you" money for when shit hits the fan, and be kind.

Oh and the sunscreen thing!

• Stay out of debt
• Strength train (5/3/1 three or four days per week)
• Avoid substance abuse
• Only settle down with someone who is a HELL YES. If you're lukewarm about them, it's a no
• Make time to do something creative like music, make it a habit
• Say no if you're not interested in something or someone. Its ok to say no to shit

If you want kids, don’t put it off for too long. I waited till my late 30s because I was never ready. Here’s the thing you will never feel completely ready. As long as your life is basically stable (job, housing, and no serious issues) you will be okay.

Kids are hard but super rewarding. If you have them young then you’ll get to see them as adults in your 40s. By the time my kids are adults I’ll be pushing 60 and hoping that I live long enough to meet a grandchild.

People have successfully (shades of grey here I know) been having kids for a long time. You’ll never feel “ready” but rest assured you’ll figure it out.

It's fairly hard to create one-size-fits-all advice since everyone will be in different parts of their lives in different circumstances.

Less time on the internet and definitely away from the big social media sites does one good. Avoiding the 24/7 news cycle does as well. Instead, read a book for something you want to learn or read fiction for some period of time a day on most days.

Don’t smoke