Wake-Up Call: Owning Your Self-Care in Your Late 20s

As a 27-year-old woman, I’ve reached that pivotal moment in my 20s where I've realized just how important it is to truly take care of myself—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a shift that happens almost suddenly. One minute, you’re pushing through life on autopilot, juggling work, social commitments, and everything in between, thinking you’ve got it all handled. Then one day, you realize that the fast pace is catching up, and it’s time to start being intentional about your well-being. 

For most of my early 20s, I was all about getting things done. I prided myself on being busy, always saying yes, and believing that self-care was a luxury for when I had “time.” But the truth is, time to care for ourselves rarely presents itself—we have to make it. In fact, many women in their 20s go through a similar realization. We’re taught to hustle, but no one really prepares us for the consequences of running on empty.

The first sign for me was the overwhelming feeling of burnout. As an elementary school teacher, my job requires constant energy and emotional presence, and while I love what I do, I found myself coming home drained, only to push through social events or more work. Sound familiar? It’s that moment where your body says, “enough,” and your mind can’t keep up with the demands.

It was in those moments of burnout that I began to realize how vital it is to properly take care of myself. I mean really taking care of myself, like eating nourishing foods, moving my body regularly, getting enough sleep, and carving out time to rest—not just physically, but mentally.

There’s something powerful about reaching a point where you stop running on autopilot and start being intentional. This phase of our 20s can be a challenging time; we’re balancing work, relationships, friendships, and personal growth. But it’s also the time when we need to learn how to say no to things that drain us and yes to things that nourish us. We have to become our own advocates, prioritizing our health and happiness in ways that might not come naturally at first.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that self-care isn’t selfish. It’s essential. I used to feel guilty for saying no to social plans so I could have a quiet night at home, but now I see it as a form of self-respect. We can’t pour from an empty cup, and if we don’t start refilling that cup, we’ll burn out faster than we realize.

For any woman in her 20s who’s going through this realization, I encourage you to listen to your body and mind. It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to put yourself first. In fact, it’s necessary. Whether it’s through morning journaling, taking a walk, cooking a healthy meal, or simply saying no to plans that overwhelm you, these small acts of self-care add up.

We hit a point where we realize that we owe it to ourselves to be more than just busy—we owe it to ourselves to be healthy, happy, and whole. Taking care of ourselves isn’t just about surviving our 20s; it’s about thriving for the years to come. And trust me, once you start embracing that, your life will improve in ways you never expected.