25 Things I Stopped Doing at 25
How I transformed my mental health
Three months into my 25th year, I was sitting on the rooftop of company housing, crying into my journal. I was steeped in dread and falling victim to my bad habits. I didn’t trust myself to make good decisions, so I wasn’t.
I was frustrated with myself and how I was living my life. I decided that I wanted to be more intentional; to cut out the things that weren’t serving me anymore and craft a life based on my dreams. So I stopped doing some things.
Here’s a list of 25 things I stopped doing in 2020.
- Drinking lots of alcohol
- Having sex with people I don’t trust
- Having hair
4. Eating lots of sugar
5. Spending all my mental energy thinking about boys
6. Singing in secret
7. Believing I’m too old to learn music
8. Doubting myself
9. Wearing uncomfortable shoes
10. Wearing uncomfortable bras
11. Thinking I could be anti-racist without actively doing the work
12. Putting off my writing
13. Putting myself down
14. Working until burn-out
15. Basing my worth on my productivity
16. Making self-love conditional on factors like my weight
17. Confusing self-discipline and self-punishment
18. Doing things that disempower me
19. Prioritizing everyone else’s happiness over my own
20. Judging my grieving process
21. Judging my emotions
22. Ignoring my boundaries
23. Avoiding time alone
24. Doing what I “should” do
25. Believing I wasn’t enough
These are the things that changed the game for me. They didn’t all happen at once, though. My transformation this year is the result of many journaling sessions, conversations with mental health professionals, and work with my life coach.
Sometimes, there’s no way out but through. Never forget, you can always wake up and be someone new.
Amanda is a coach who helps creative people through blocks and trauma. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.