Things I have learnt and wish I had known sooner:
You’re brushing your teeth wrong.
No, really. Electric toothbrushes shouldn’t be used to ‘scrub’. You glide it over your teeth. And you’re probably pressing too hard. Stop that. Also, floss. It’s important. Mouthwash should be used at a different time to tooth brushing. Pop a bottle in your desk at work and have a swish after lunch. Your enamel thanks you.
You really need to exercise more and sooner.
I was very late to wake up to the fact that I hadn’t inherited my mum (and sister’s) metabolism. So I got fat. It is much harder to lose weight than it is to stay healthy. Exercise often and from a young age… even if you’re not fat… yet.
Meditate.
A lot of shit will happen in your life. That’s just a fact. So when you’re stressed, burnt out, frazzled and insecure having a tool to help you rein in that mental spin cycle is worth its weight in gold!
Eat well.
I don’t mean a diet of lean protein and vegetables with organic kale smoothies every morning… I mean, if you like it, sure, go for it. But don’t be afraid of food. Food is nourishment. You nourish your body and your senses. Relish that piece of cheese, or square of perfect chocolate. Heck, enjoy that emergency bar of Dairy Milk or glass of wine! Just make good choices and don’t demonise food.
Spend more on your clothes.
Yes, Primark is full of pretty things that you just have to have. They will fall apart. Or be see-through. Or be made of the tears of children. Instead of a wardrobe full of crap buy good quality classic clothes that will last. Experiment with your own style for sure but don’t buy rubbish!
Declutter.
Stop hoarding. Yes, you have really good memories of that skirt from high school… are you seriously ever going to wear it again? Should you have worn it in the first place? Probably not.
Be selective with your time.
You don’t have to say yes to everything. You don’t have to be friends with everyone. Your time is valuable. If your job is making you miserable, change it. If you yearn to travel to Brazil, make a plan to allow you to! Nothing is impossible. Life is short. Enjoy it!
Money isn’t everything.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s important and it’s so easy for things to go awry with it. But try not to let it stress you out too much. Don’t live beyond your means and don’t spend so much time working that you have no time to use the money you work so hard for!
Don’t let other people make your choices for you.
It’s your life. You choose how you live it. Don’t let other people’s issues drag you down. Try to be the best version of you that you can be. Don’t let other people dictate to you what your happiness is.
… so that’s that. That’s what I’ve got! May be in another 30 years I’ll have got a handle on all this myself!
Anna in the kitchen 
Wonderful post!!
Very well said, especially about the eating well and buying quality clothes.
Happy Belated 30th 🙂
xx