There are small learning curves in life, like discovering how you can keep a cake moist by eating it all in one sitting. Or how lube is liquid gold for toe-curling sex.
And then there are BIG learning curves that just … make everything better. Sure, you might not master them straight away, but believe us, these curves are worth conquering.
Keep reading to learn them, upgrade your life and never look back (you are SO welcome!).
1. Learn to Love Your Body
You only get one. Take the time to understand what it needs because the knock-on effects are ten-fold.
Is your diet affecting your health? There’s tons of research online supporting how healthy eating:
- Improves your energy levels
- Helps you sleep better
- Decreases your anxiety
- Clears brain fog
- Improves overall mood
- Improves your sex drive
It also dramatically reduces your chance of getting life-threatening illnesses, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Not bad, huh?
In his book, What Are You Hungry For?, healthy living guru Deepak Chopra says you should, “fill your plate with the colors of the rainbow. What pleases the eye pleases the body as a whole.”
That doesn’t mean a bowl of skittles for dinner. It’s saying “Bye, Felicia” to processed food (refined flour, processed meat, sugar, artificial sweeteners) and upping your fresh fruit and veg intake.
In a nutshell (gotta love those nuts too): give your precious body what it needs and feel magnificent from the inside!
2. Learn to Love Yourself
People who love and respect themselves don’t seek acceptance from others. They fully embrace who they are and live free of self-doubt. Can you imagine how good that life upgrade will feel?
“Sustainable internal beauty and acceptance of what is the best version of myself by nobody’s standards but my own.”
Climbing to the top of this learning curve is about making little changes to your lifestyle to build your self-esteem:
- Try new things - taking up a fun hobby keeps you fulfilled, kills boredom and brings more excitement and meaning to your life.
- Be kind to others - Connect with others, focus more on the positives and feel fabulous by seeing the good in others, practising empathy and being respectful rather than judgemental.
- Practice self-care - Maybe you need to rest more and find ways to relax when feeling frazzled. With more ‘you’ time, improve your wellbeing and appreciate yourself more.
- Tune out negativity - Be happier and a magnet for all the positive things by replacing negative talk with positive thoughts.
Truly loving yourself is possible. It takes time but the journey is so worth it. When you do, you become unstoppable.
3. Be Thankful for the World
Life can be overwhelming and it’s easy to feel lost. Connecting yourself to the natural world grounds you. It reminds you that there is order in chaos and that life always has a way of righting itself.
Watch the sunset paint the sky golden or find a waterfall cascading into a crystalline pool. Let Bob Ross inspire you with his adoration for nature.
Filled with gratitude for this magical world, you’ll start to see the bigger picture.
There is no planet B. The future of Earth is entirely in our hands.
"The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?”
- David Attenborough
Even the smallest actions, like:
- Upping your recycling game
- Eating less red meat
- Buy from ethical brands
- Driving less and walking more
- Reducing your single-use plastic waste
… can have amazing ripple effects. If we all come together in this, we can heal our home.
As environmentalist Bill McKibben puts it: “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced, and we are going to have to work together to solve it.”
4. Break Free of Period Hassle
Do your periods rule your schedule? Maybe you plan trips around them or avoid playing sports while bleeding. Getting to grips with your menstrual cycle puts you back in control.
For this upgrade, you need a period tracker like Period Calendar or Flo. Simply log your monthly symptoms in a calendar and the app will predict when your next period is due. It’ll also make your life shinier with these beauties:
- Learn what’s ‘regular’ for you (this is different for everyone)
- Spot changes that might signal a health issue
- Organize the ultimate self-care regime to feel more sparkly on those I-don’t-want-to-leave-my-bed days
- Know when you’re most fertile which is when you ovulate (usually 12 to 14 days before your next period is due).
- Plan holidays and activities around your period as needed.
But wait. What if you never had to postpone a trip again because of your period? Period cups make dream a reality.
A high-quality cup (made from medical grade silicone and free from BPA, toxins or bleaches) is:
- Easily insertable - just fold, insert and say goodbye to leaks!
- Low maintenance - you only need to change it two or four times a day, and it’s easy-peasy to clean.
- Stress-busting - you don’t have to worry about ‘running out’ at the most inconvenient moments.
- Comfortable - insert properly and it’s like you’re wearing nothing at all...
- Affordable - unlike other sanitary products, they can last for several years
If you want to learn how to use one, read our cup basics. You can also head over to our FAQs for heaps more advice. You’ll be a menstrual cup pro in no time, free to live your life to the full no matter what day of the month it is.
5. Save Money Like a Boss
Want to feel like Harry Potter when he first opens his vault at Gringotts?
Learning how to budget is the ticket. Be a savvy saver by following these four easy steps:
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Calculate your earnings per month - you will be subtracting your expenses from this.
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Add up your fixed monthly expenses - bills you must pay, such as rent, bills, food, car insurance, petrol and your student loan.
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Add up your voluntary expenses - treats like holidays, wining and dining, gifts, hobbies and clothes.
- Subtract your income from your total expenses - if this is a positive number, you’re making more than you spend (woo!). If you break even, there’s no margin for extra spends. If it’s negative, you gotta decrease those voluntary expenses!
Record these numbers every month in a simple spreadsheet to budget accurately.
Also ask yourself: “What are my financial goals?” To save enough to travel around Asia? To get a mortgage? To buy an adult-sized bouncy castle?
Budgeting tells you if you can realistically meet these goals. If you currently can’t, think about what changes you need to make. What can you cut back on? Prioritise what’s important and work from there.
The Greatest Adventure ...
… is life itself! Master these learning curves and dare to live life fully, free of period woes, financial anxiety, preventable health troubles and low-self esteem.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
– Gandalf, The Fellowship of the Ring
Is there something you’d like to add to this list? Sharing is caring! Divulge your best life lessons on Twitter and become a sparkling source of inspiration.
