Your 20s – a decade for powerful foundations

In our twenties, wellness is often the thing we promise ourselves we’ll “get to later”. We’re fueled by a 24-hour hustle culture that treats our bodies like machines, expecting them to perform with the same linear intensity every single day. We feel invincible, until we don’t.

But what if we reframed this decade? Instead of just “getting through” our twenties, what if we saw them as our Power Decade? This is the window where small, intentional shifts don’t just make Monday morning easier; they act as a high-yield insurance policy for your 70s, 80s and beyond. As we’ll be exploring in The Check-up series, perhaps the greatest gift you can give your future self is moving from invincibility to intentionality.

The myth of “normal”

One of the most radical things you can do in your twenties is learning what is “normal” for you. Establishing a baseline for you – whether it’s the length of your menstrual cycle or your resting heart rate – is information that can be incredibly valuable.

Alongside this, it’s worth noting that “common” does not mean “normal”. As we recently explored in IMAGE The Check-in, our podcast, empowered by Boots and sponsored by Samsung and Waterstone Clinic, over 90% of young women report experiencing painful periods. However, just because this pain is common does not mean it is normal or that you have to expect it every month for the next 20 years.

Lisa Hughes, registered nutritional therapist and co-founder of Gigi Supplements, wants us to stop accepting the struggle. “Your body is always trying to communicate something to you,” she told me during our recent chat on the podcast. If pain is stopping you in your tracks, it’s not a “lady cross” to bear; it’s a data point. Your twenties are about learning the language of your own body and becoming its most vocal advocate.

Mastering your monthly rhythm

We’ve been conditioned to follow a 24-hour clock, a testosterone-informed rhythm that suits a male physiology perfectly. But women have a second internal clock: the infradian rhythm. This monthly cycle governs six key systems of the body: the brain, metabolism, immune, microbiome, stress and reproductive systems. When it comes to our monthly cycle, women often talk about reproductive systems, but little space is given to the other systems, despite the fact that over the course of a month, the infradian rhythm creates a 25% change in a woman’s brain chemistry.

So, it’s clear that this cycle isn’t just about our period; it’s a dial that turns the volume up or down on our metabolism, brain chemistry and energy. We can map it to the four phases of our menstrual cycle – each with its own hormonal and nutritional norms. Once we understand this, we can see that pushing through a 6am HIIT class during our luteal phase (the week before our bleed) isn’t “discipline”, it’s actually working against our biology. In your Power Decade, the goal can be “cycle syncing”, matching intensity to hormones, whether it’s about deep exercise or deep rest.

The power of sleep

We often wear our lack of sleep like a badge of honour in our twenties, but neuroscientist Dr Sabina Brennan has a reality check for us: your brain needs to wash itself. Speaking on The Check-in podcast last year, she explained how this works. “The brain can’t be you and clean itself at the same time. Cleaning in your brain occurs when you’re asleep”.

Beyond the physical “rinse”, sleep is where the magic of problem-solving happens. Rather than white-knuckling a solution at 2am, Sabina notes that after a proper night’s rest, the brain makes the connections for you: “You wake up and go, ‘Ah, that’s it. That’s perfect'”.

Replenishing your mental reserves

Mental wellbeing isn’t a luxury; it’s a rhythmic necessity. It’s about figuring out what actually fills your cup before it runs dry. Sabina speaks about supporting ourselves through sleep, having a less sedentary lifestyle (sitting less), managing stress and social connection. In my coaching, I encourage clients to recognise their “replenishers”. Is it the deep connection of a Sunday brunch with friends? The regulation of a daily walk, sunshine or rain? The joy of a kitchen dance party or the perspective found in art? Make these non-negotiables and build them into your calendar in your 20s.

By building them into your routine when life is running smoothly, it is easier to keep them as essential components of your lifestyle during harder times too. Connection to others, to nature and to yourself is the bedrock of resilience that will carry you through many a challenging time, from your twenties to your nineties.

It’s important to note that approximately 26% (one in four) of young women, aged 16–24, report having mental health challenges, such as anxiety or depression, in any given week. Globally, there is a significant gender gap, with women in their twenties being roughly twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression compared to men of the same age. There are many support services available, and taking the time and energy needed to speak with and build a trusted relationship with a mental health expert in your twenties can be a very sound investment for your health.

Small changes, big results

Gigi Supplements’ Lisa Hughes is a firm believer that we don’t always need a nutritional overhaul; we need an “add-on” mentality. “The small things are actually the big things,” she says, when it comes to elevating your daily nutrition and exercise. Consulting an expert is, of course, a great option, but here are some of the small steps you can take.

• The Protein Pivot: Swap the sugary cereal for a high-protein breakfast. It stabilises your blood sugar and saves you from the 3pm crash.
• Lash in the Lentils: Don’t abandon your favourite dinner; just boost it. Adding fibre through pulses like lentils or chickpeas helps your body detoxify hormones and keeps your energy steady.
• The Bone Bank: You reach peak bone mass in your twenties. Think of weight-bearing exercise as a literal deposit into your “bone bank” to prevent osteoporosis later, as well as taking calcium and vitamin D, which is crucial during this decade.

Establishing “Check-In” habits

It might feel early, but establishing health screening habits now removes the fear later:

• Breast Awareness: Check your breasts once a month (ideally a week after your period). Know your “normal” so you can spot the “not normal”. Consult a Boots pharmacist nationwide for any advice on how to do this.
• Cervical Screening: If you’re 25 or over, get on the register at cervicalcheck.ie. It’s a simple test that saves lives.
• STI screening: Globally, young people, aged 15–24, account for nearly half (48%) of all new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, despite being a smaller portion of the total population. Stay protected and get screened.
• Mole Mapping: Start a baseline map of your skin now. It’s much easier to track a changing mole when you have a “before” picture from your twenties.

Your local health partner

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Boots Ireland is a fantastic resource for these proactive “power decade” steps. Whether it’s a private consultation about PMS with a Boots pharmacist, booking in for a Mole Scanning Service, or staying on top of your HPV vaccinations, they are there to help you take those small steps toward a lifetime of wellness.

The takeaway

Your twenties shouldn’t be about achieving “perfection”; instead, they can be about fostering curiosity. By respecting your internal rhythms, prioritising your sleep, and committing to these small self-checks, you are supporting building your resilient self.

Coming next in the series: The Resilience Reset: How your 30s shape your confidence and health

Boots pharmacy is the first stop for busy women seeking healthcare advice and solutions. Whether presenting with a nagging minor condition that won’t clear, seeking a seasonal solution, pre-travel preparation or vital health screening, Boots offers compassionate experts and easy-to-access services to meet the needs of women across every decade in their local Boots.