Life changes as you age (and, hopefully, even mature) and you’ve got to learn to adapt. Roll with the punches, try not to cling to your past lifestyle too hard, and instead focus on the things that really matter in life. You’ve got to do what makes you happy and not care about what everyone who isn’t a loved one thinks so much. Easier said than done, right?
Yours truly turned 30 recently, and all things considered, I’m okay with that. Sure, there were a few panic attacks, some sleepless nights thinking about deep and not-so-deep things, and a lot of looking at the number ‘30’ to get used to how weird it looks, but all things considered, life is good! From my current position, my feet firmly planted in my thirties, I can safely say that a lot has changed compared to my twenties. And I’m not the only one who thinks that way.
Internet users shared their thoughts about what they think isn’t ‘cool’ anymore when you turn 30, and the viral r/AskReddit thread is enlightening. We (arguably) can’t party as hard and should definitely take better care of ourselves now, but there are quite a few upsides to Leveling Up. Check out the best posts we’ve collected for you, Pandas, and upvote your fave ones.
Bored Panda wanted to learn about the main health-related things and habits that we should focus on as we go through our twenties and enter our thirties, so we reached out to fitness coach Anna Armagno Toussaint. She was kind enough to shed some light on this important topic.
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According to fitness coach Anna, consistency is incredibly important when it comes to diet and fitness. “Losing and gaining the same weight is so bad for your body (and mental health),” she warned.
“Focus on what you can, even if it’s just drinking enough water or eating one serving of vegetables! And move a little even if that starts as stepping in place or simple short walks.”
We asked coach Anna about how important it is for us to be getting enough sleep and how a lack of it impacts us. She said that some people feel the effects more than others.
“I actually have an autoimmune disease and if I don’t get enough sleep I feel physically terrible all day and into the next,” she revealed to Bored Panda.
Telling people with full time jobs and bills that their hobbies are childish. I’m 31, married with no kids, and a USMC veteran. I have a degree in electrical engineering. I just got back into Pokémon cards after not touching them since 1999. I was teased into getting rid of them by my uncles back in the day. Now, I’ve almost got a complete Base/Jungle/Fossil set, and I’m working through the Sword and Shield series, made possible by the internet and having disposable income. “f*** what anyone says, they make me happy. My wife was a little wary at first, but she saw how interested I was and how excited I got opening packs that now, whenever I buy a booster box, we open them together.
“It is so important to improve your sleep hygiene: turn down the temperature in your room, turn off your phone and all screens an hour before bed, keep the room neat, and get at least 7 hours! Sleep impacts so much of our motivation and energy levels, even days after a rough night,” Anna said.
Fitness coach Anna told Bored Panda that it’s best to look work on habits one at a time. “Pick one thing to start, stop, or swap. Take a daily walk in the morning or evening (or whenever you want, but I prefer when it is cooler), drink more water (set a timer if you’re not good about and add in a fun liquid or powder or flavored seltzer if you don’t like water), or focus on eating more whole foods (especially vegetables and fruit).”
The expert was optimistic that everyone can do this, we just have to “find how to get motivated and little victories will get us there.”
Last minute plans. I need at least 24 hrs notice (preferably 48 hrs) if said plans will require me to be in public.
Anything loud. I am finding that anything loud (voices, music, TV,etc.) is turning into Noise for me. I am surprised by how much my tolerance for ambient sound has drastically decreased.
Look, we’ll level with you: nobody really enjoys thinking about getting older. But we’ve confirmed that life definitely doesn’t end when you turn 30. All of that fear and stress surrounding the very idea of your thirties is worse for you than the actual milestone birthday. As you get older, some things are simply put into perspective: you have to take the time to take care of your body and mind.
Developing healthy habits can help you avoid problems further down the line. Besides, you’ll enjoy a much higher quality of life if you’re fit, bright, and have an active social circle. In short, it’s never too late to start living healthier; but it’s way easier if you embrace that lifestyle sooner rather than later.
Age UK, Britain’s leading charity that’s dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life, explained to Bored Panda during an earlier interview that our hobbies can help us lead a higher-quality life while also keeping us engaged.
“Having a hobby or learning new skills, whatever form they take, is important. And while for many they provide a nice way to spend spare time and an opportunity to interact with friends over a shared pursuit, for those with less social contacts it can give life a real sense of purpose and routine,” Age UK told Bored Panda some time ago.
Wasting time on friendships that don’t impact you in a *positive* way. I spent my 20’s taking care of everyone else instead of myself. I don’t have time for that s**t anymore. They can go to therapy. I am.
Caring what others think of me. You don’t like me? That’s fine. I live my life for me.
Teenager/early 20’s: yo we can save money by booking the 7am return flight and not paying for accommodation – lets just stay at the club until 5am or sleep on the airport floor! 30yo: I’d rather die
“If we want our brain to stay in peak condition, we should use it. In fact, one of the theories about reducing or delaying cognitive aging is referred to as the ‘use it or lose it’ theory. Research shows that things like learning languages helps keep us brighter as we age. It is just as important to look after your brain by exercising your thinking skills, as you would do physical exercise to look after your body,” they said.
We all have the power to greatly improve our loved ones’ lives. Not just with our company (which, we have to say, is pretty great) but also by helping them pick up new hobbies and staying active together.
Sleep deprivation I loved pulling all-nighters as a teen and young adult. Now, they just give me migraines and make the entire subsequent day h**l.
This may be just me, but: dumbing down my sentences. I was always an avid reader in school, but I discovered that if you talked the way people did in books, or used big words, it [angry] people off. So I had to dumb myself down considerably. Eventually I stopped talking to people at all. This carried on into adulthood and especially during my enlistment in the navy. People think you’re showing off if you use big words. I was well past 25 when I got over it, and decided to talk however I wanted. It felt soooo liberating.
“Doing activities together such as the gardening can be a great incentive too, or maybe help them research locally to see if there is a neighborly Book Club dial-in they could join. Even encouraging older friends and relatives to settle in with a favorite book or audiobook, do some cooking, listen to the radio while doing a puzzle, or tuning in to an afternoon radio play can help emotional wellbeing and mental health,” Age UK noted.
Life doesn’t end at 30. Life doesn’t begin at 30 either. But turning 30 can help you take stock, filter out the noise, and hone in on the most important things in life. Family. Fun. And gardening. Maybe living like a Hobbit from The Lord of the Rings isn’t the worst idea. What do you think, Pandas?
Maybe just me, but one night stands. I mean [intimacy] is great, but it’s not all I want. Give me that second date, good conversations, doing other s**t together, getting to know each other better. It’s about that point in life I started wanting s**t to be deeper. Idk man, having someone on the other pillow in bed stops mattering as much when I know that pillow will be empty the next night.
Thinking things aren’t cool anymore because you turned 30. Life doesn’t end at 30, and if you’re lucky, you’ve still got around 45 to 50+ more years to go. So why spend that remaining time denying yourself of what life has to offer? “If octogenarian Ethel with pink hair and Chuck Taylors wants to free throw her empty bottle of Ensure into the trash while yelling, ‘THIS B**CH IS EMPTY!’ Well, g********, she can. In fact, that would make me feel less bummed about aging
We’d love to hear what’s changed for you in how you approach life when you reached a milestone birthday—whether that’s 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, or any of the more impressive ones that come a bit later, like 75, 100, and 111. What advice would you give someone who’s currently in their twenties? Was reaching 30 a huge deal for you? Let us know in the comments!
Getting blackout drunk. turns out I’m not fun, I’m just an alcoholic. Since this has gotten quite high, I’m gonna edit to add, r/stopdrinking has been a great resource in my own sobriety journey, highly recommend if you’re sober curious.
Ignoring injuries, sickness, sleep, or general aches and pains. Pay attention to that s**t, your body is trying to tell you important stuff for later.
Thinking I’m special. The older I get, the more I realize I’m just a dopey bug that knows nothing about anything
Not being able to cook and clean for yourself, male or female, what a turn off, and definitely not cool
Giving a f***. I’m almost 50 and my f***s are the lowest they have ever been. I’ll work and do what I can but [darn]. I know you would replace me in a heartbeat.
Not cooking your own meals. Once I hit 32 I finally took the time to learn how to cook my own meals with more complexity than chicken and rice. It’s been one of those things I wish I would have learned how to do younger because its been amazing. I started a garden this year and my roma tomatoes just started to produce. I’m so proud.
Gate keeping someone’s preferences. Like music or movies. You like what you like
Honestly, about 72 degrees. It used to be comfortable, even cool… but now I’m old as s**t and need a solid 67 or I can’t sleep.
Dressing fun for some reason 🙁 if dyeing your hair blue and wearing skeleton hoodies in your 30s is wrong then I don’t wanna be right.
Dance clubs. To be fair I hated them in my 20’s too but by the time I hit 30 I wouldn’t be caught in one. Loud music, strobe lights, waiting forever to get a drink and having to scream to speak, I just don’t get it.
Ignoring politics. S**t starts having a larger impact.
Expecting your friends to help you move. The good news is if you’ve ever moved that half-assed, chaotic way before, the first time you hire professionals is going to feel amazing and worth it.
Hangovers My hangovers really took a turn for the worst somewhere between ages 25–27. In my early 20s, I could drink like a fish, stay up until 3 a.m., wake up at 9 a.m., and go to class perfectly fine. Now, the sleep quality [is bad]. Even when I get eight hours of sleep, the next day is basically ruined. I’m just so tired after, and the alcohol makes me wake up sooner. It ruins my sleep. I’ll wake up after six hours, feel like s**t, and be unable to go back to bed.
Peer pressuring your friends. Like I just ran a 5k, I want to meal prep for the week, clean my house and I have work tomorrow so no I don’t want to get hammered and stay at the bar til 2am
Having accidental (or on purpose), unprotected [intimacy]. Have at it! All the partners you want – no judgement there. But use protection.
I’ve turned 30 a few months ago and I’ve noticed how turned off I am of large music festivals. Used to love them in my early 20’s. Now I couldn’t bear to be stuck in a crowd of 100k+ people
As a single person entering the dating scene again in their thirties, hot person s**t. You could get away with being a flake and playing games in your twenties, but in your thirties you’re just waving red flags in people’s faces.
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