Briefly Young & Healthy Always

"Start taking care of yourself when you are young and you’ll never regret it later. No matter how much you regret that last mile on the treadmill now."
— Deborah Ann Woll

I ran across this quote in a magazine recently. I was struck by the simplicity of its wisdom.

I also wished that someone had forced me to think about this when I was a young adult.

I know many of you are thinking, well…duh. But I know too well what it is like to be 20…and then 30…and then busy…and suddenly all of the times that you thought to yourself “Oh, I’ll get to that tomorrow” really begin to add up. We think we’ll always be 29.

Deborah Ann Woll, by the way, is a lovely young American actress. While her quote obviously addresses physical health, I was struck by how her statement applies to the entire spectrum of wellness: physical, yes—but also emotional, mental, spiritual, even financial.

The decisions (or non-decisions) that you make in your 20s and 30s will deeply impact your quality of life when you do hit 50, 60 and beyond. While I’m the first one to advocate new beginnings and starting over, and so on—there are also obvious benefits making the best decisions the first go round. Where to go to college? Which career to pursue? Who to marry? Where to live?

Too many people make these big, life-altering decisions from an unhealthy place. The statistics from first-time marriage alone are enough to give pause to even the most die-hard romantic. Are you marrying that person because you are afraid no one else will have you? Are you choosing that career path because that’s what all of your friends are doing? Are you moving to another state to get away from something, or because you really want to live there?

Wellness means so much more than keeping physically healthy. Yes, it will be much, much easier to maintain that young, healthy body than be forced to repair years of neglect later. It really does matter if you exercise regularly and make healthy food choices. You will look and feel better, not just now but also 10, 20 years from now. As Deborah Ann said, “You will never regret it...”

Same thing with your emotional and mental wellness.

Did you have a happy childhood? Do you have a good support system and someone you can talk with about your choices? Or are you operating from a traumatic past, bad relationships, or instability? It is absolutely crucial that you be real with yourself and recognize the benefit of clearing the air before making decisions that will impact the rest of your life.

No one just “gets over” childhood trauma like abuse or family upheaval. You may think you are showing strength and courage by stuffing it and moving on, but you are doing yourself no favors. Nor are you doing the right thing for a future marriage partner, future children, or a future employer by continuing to carry that baggage.

It’s important to recognize that you have been in survival mode—and you probably need support to pull things into proper perspective. And perhaps the kindest and most loving thing you can ever do for a friend or family member is to encourage them to seek help if you suspect they need it.

While it’s never too late to heal, the benefits of doing so before you make lifelong commitments is absolutely priceless. Time with a professional counselor—an objective voice—can be the difference in giving you a clear and confident view of yourself and what you really want your future to look like.