HEALTH: On being young, broke and burnt out

by Dayana Mustak

Millennials are sometimes associated with being the wellness generation.

We have touted work-life balance more than any generation before. We are a large reason why spinning classes and juice bars rose to prominence in popular culture. But some studies have also suggested that we’re not as healthy as we seem and that, in fact, we might be the first generation that will turn out to be less healthy than our parents.

Why? There is this idea that when you are young, you have to pay your dues. I know plenty of people who regularly leave the office at night, after a 14-hour sedentary work day and still take their work home on weekends. Sometimes my mother will ask me whether I’ve gotten enough sleep (when I clearly have not), but I just shrug it off and say “meh, I’m young.” Many of us are overworked to the point of high stress, but may just accept it as part and parcel of work life.

Then, there are times when I come home, I’m tired, it’s late and I don’t want to cook or think about what the best thing for me to eat is so I just bungkus something easy or skip dinner altogether.

I know I’m not alone in this. So I guess sometimes I get the sense that a lot of young people like me don’t think they have time or money to afford health. Maybe we don’t have the time or money to afford a gym membership, or we don’t have the know how to cook healthy meals, but regardless, our vitality is not something we should be taking for granted.

Affordability

Sure, as a 20-something, maybe we’re not going to be able to shop in the organic aisle, buy all the healthiest meals or go to all the fanciest exercise classes, but it’s worth noting that some supposedly healthy trends are just a waste of money. We can do small -- and inexpensive -- things to progressively work healthier habits into our lives, like eating a little bit more fruit, drinking more water or walking more.

Knowing how to cook

While this isn’t always true, eating out is generally not good for your body. But I get it -- grocery shopping and cooking is time consuming and troublesome. What helped me meal prep was discovering 2-3 efficient recipes that require a few simple ingredients, do not take long to prepare and could be made in large batches to be kept and eaten throughout the week. I would also purposefully schedule a couple of meals to eat out for, just so the cooking doesn’t get taxing and dining out just becomes a little bit more enjoyable.

Incorporate fitness into your daily routine

Exercising is tough if you have to actively carve out an hour of your day to do it every time. I think if you can make exercising a natural part of your daily routine -- like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or waking up with yoga, for example -- a lot of that burden goes away. Personally, I have found that the key is finding ways to make exercise convenient and enjoyable, and then treat it as a fixed commitment. 

Being more intentional about mental health

Our mental and physical health are related, so a big part of staying healthy is engaging more with mental health. For example, taking the time to identify points of stress and intentionally managing those stresses. Whether it’s journalling, being intentional about disconnecting from work and social media or seeing a therapist via Skype, taking measures to nurture mental health is really important.

Maintenance, not just repair

The final thing is that we millennials, while we’re healthy, could also do more to engage and establish a relationship with the health system. I know from people in older generations who fear going to see a doctor because it makes them anxious. One of the ways to hopefully prevent that from happening later in life is if going to the doctor for routine annual checkups was a more normal practice. Just as having healthcare services doesn’t mean having good health, being healthy doesn't mean you don’t need healthcare either.

The point is that we really don’t have to wait until we’re old or until we have problems before we engage in healthier behaviour.

And being healthy doesn’t mean we have to go on a juice cleanse or shell out 200 ringgit for a gym membership. It’s just about being more intentional about how the decisions you make can affect your well-being. And while there are some things you can’t control, by and large, your health is an investment: taking care of yourself today will keep you healthy for longer in the future.

check out RUMIT’s full video on HEALTH!

Annie Hor, a financial advisor from Harveston Wealth Management, talks about the common health issues faced by today's working young adults and what they should be mindful of in the long run.

Why is it so hard to take care of our health?

We want to hear your thoughts!