By: Y.M
At 25 years of age, you basically forget how to enjoy life and have fun like you used to when you were younger. Most of our youth at this age focus so much on the launching of their careers and forget that they are human. Life was not meant to be lived in the office working, working and working. Our career is important, but it’s not everything. One of the perks of living in Egypt is that there are tons of things to do other than work (ask an unemployed), and most activities can help you de-stress from work, improve your mood and start making you feel more like a human and less like a machine. Here are 7 ideas to improve the quality of the life we’re living:
1) Travel
Egypt is full of wonderful places to visit and explore. Try travelling once a month for the weekend; Ras Sedr and Sokhna are amazing places to enjoy all year round and are not a far drive from Cairo. Alexandria is always a perfect destination where you can enjoy the corniche, aklet el samak el mateena and ice cream from Azza. Travelling can change your mood drastically and makes you feel refreshed for the working week ahead.
2) Move!
Whether it’s running, walking or cycling, MOVE. Do some exercise or activity to get the blood flowing. Designate an hour daily to exercise. Not only does it makes you look good in a swimsuit (formet el Sa7el ;)) but it also improves your mood and morale. You can try Cross Fit, if you get bored of the gym and wish to experiment with something new.
3) Go Out
Try not to restrict your routine to Home-Work … Work-Home …. Go to new places, socialize, meet friends or visit relatives. Do anything but stay home, watch TV or sleep. Al Ahwa ya Gama3a.
4) Avoid Traffic
If you live near work, walk. If you live far, avoid getting out at traffic rush hours. Carpooling is excellent as it allows you socialize on long drives, especially if you live in October and go Tagamo3 every day. Not driving daily saves you gas money. Also, try to manage your time to avoid taking 1 hour for what could be a 15 minutes drive.
5) Leave Social Media
It’s not really leaving, but try to limit the endless time you spend scrolling and scrolling down your phone. According to The Telegraph, the average person spends around 600 hours (about 25 days) yearly checking social media. Just think about what you could do with all that time; an hour and 40 minutes daily is just a lot of time doing basically nothing!
Try deleting your Facebook app and use your browser; you will find yourself checking it less often. Turn off all apps’ notifications as no one really checks the notifications without giving it a little scroll. If you really can’t help it, keep your phone as far away from you as you possibly can!
6) Do Something You Like at Least Once a Week
Whether it’s going to el ahwa, a walk by the Nile, shopping or trying out a new dish… just do something that makes you happy. This would reduce your stress significantly and makes you feel more alive and human… it’s the little things!!
7) Eat Healthy
The older you get, the more you realize that eating healthy affects the quality of your life. It ensures you get the nutrients your body needs, keeps your body fit for Sa7el season and boosts your energy levels. Just remember all the times you ate junk food and missed out on an event because you felt full and asleep.
Make eating healthy part of your lifestyle; try to avoid fatty food as much as possible. Google healthy food online; you will find easy to prepare tasty dishes that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Making these changes takes time and commitment, but you can do it. Just remember that no one is perfect. Try changing your habits one habit at a time. Enjoy life and stop being lazy or give excuses. At the end of the day, “It is not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts.”
