Between rocking every single interview, acing this whole parenthood thing and making endless amounts of free time for self care, life for millennials can feel overwhelming these days. So often, we feel like we’re running through our endless to-do lists of thankless tasks without any immediate reward. Small good habits really do make a big impact when you do them every day, though. And they don’t always look the way you’d imagine, either.
Having a Savings Account
What’s the first step in actually saving money? It’s not setting up automatic withdrawals for precisely 10% of each paycheck. It’s not sitting down with a calendar and one of those yearly savings plans that match the dollar amount to the week. It’s just opening or having a savings account. Some people like having multiple savings accounts for different needs, while others appreciate a simpler system where it’s all in one place. You can have one at your own bank, or open the account at another institution (like a credit union or one of those online banks that offer higher interest rates in your favor) to make it more difficult to make withdrawals.
It’s so easy to get lost in all the end goals when it comes to savings accounts, but it’s a marathon and not a sprint. With 43% of millennials having absolutely no money in a savings account, it’s important to start somewhere. Build up the good habits one by one, and you’ll be on the right path.
A Gym Membership
It doesn’t matter if it’s a no-frills gym or one of those places where you can see famous people wearing Uggs on the elliptical in June. Only half of Americans get enough cardio in and about 20% get enough strength training. And while you might not be training for a marathon or bench pressing your body weight, a gym membership is a good way to just get started. We all start somewhere with physical fitness. As proven by mystery famous people, you can hop on elliptical machines wearing a variety of footwear. You can lift light weights. You can take yoga classes that your gym offers. You can swim in an indoor pool (and spend an equal amount of time in the sauna afterward).
If you’re struggling to actually use that gym membership, being reminded of its existence could be a boost! Take a look at your monthly credit card statements — another habit you should probably pick up — and think about how often you’d have to go to justify the cost. Maybe it’s just a few times a month! Start small with the good habits and build them up.
Music Streaming Services
This is a fun one. You can find music in pretty much every known culture around the world. Even if they don’t have a word for music, they have the concept of musical sounds used for everything from important events to simple enjoyments. Did you know that music improves the verbal memory skills in 60% of listeners? That music streaming service might just be paying for itself in terms of what you get in return. Music can be the perfect solution to a stressful day. With streaming, you can expand your lyrical horizons, too. Discover new genres, bond over similar preferences or keep yourself occupied on road trips.
Grabbing Coffee…Or Wine
Tired of seeing headlines that claim the only reason millennials don’t own homes, drive cars or get married is because they’re wasting all their money on their $5 daily Starbucks habit? Regular coffee drinking has been linked to a reduced risk of everything from cancer to heart disease and Alzheimer’s. While it can be cheaper to make your coffee at home, grabbing a cup of the stuff at a coffee shop shouldn’t be automatically considered a bad habit — but rather a good one.
Similarly, light and moderate wine drinkers have a 20% decreased mortality rate. While it’s certainly not a good choice for everyone, picking up a bottle at Trader Joe’s to split with a friend or loved one can be a good occasional habit indeed.
Reading
This one probably isn’t too surprising. After all, the benefits of reading are well-studied, ranging from helping you sleep to encouraging empathy. This doesn’t need to be a march through the required reading list of books you meant to read in school (but didn’t) or autobiographies of people you’d like to be (but aren’t) or high brow commentaries your wish you understood (but don’t). Reading can, and should, be fun! Having a warm and fluffy book on your nightstand to wind down with is better than a suspenseful thriller. Cheering yourself up with a self-help book seems to actually work, too.
Vacationing
By hook or by crook, get thee to a beach, mountain or at least a different city. In a study, people who skipped a vacation for years were 30% more likely to have a heart attack than those who vacationed at least once a year. Go camping under the stars, pile the kids in the car for a road trip, or hit up amusement parks. It’s a good guess to say that the best vacation is the one you enjoy the most, regardless of where it is or what you’re doing. Make a habit out of taking one, even if it’s just for the weekend.
These habits may be small, but they really do add up over a lifetime. When Avibra was created, a big part of the goal was to find ways to reward those little daily good habits.
The app takes your average, everyday good habits and turns them into free life insurance coverage. It’s like a healthy living, financial planning & well-being app all rolled into one. Even better, it takes the stress out of one of those daunting millennial tasks — to call your insurance…broker? person? company? — and makes it easier than ever to protect your loved ones. Good habits don’t just count for people who already have their lives together, that’s for sure. Avibra cheers you on through all the little steps you take to live a better life, rewarding you with boosts in your free life insurance coverage along the way.
