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We’ve all heard the phrase, “30 is the new 20.” When I was in my 20s I figured that phrase was just a way for 30-somethings to feel better about aging, but now that I’m in my early 30s, I really do believe it. Like Jennifer Garner said, we are “30, flirty, and thriving!”
Your 30s are arguably one of the best decades of your life. For many of us, this is the time we start figuring out who we are, excelling in our careers, and becoming parents. (Side note: These are not musts in your 30s, or ever. We’re all doing things at our own pace and that’s great!)
Your 30s are also an optimal time to start healthy habits that will set you up for success and longevity later in life. So here are 30 life-changing habits to start in your 30s!
30 Life-Changing Habits to Start in Your 30s:
1. Drink water before caffeine. Make a commitment to drinking a full glass of water each day before your morning cup of coffee. It’s so easy to sip on an iced coffee all morning and look up at noon and realize you’ve had no water. You’ll spend the rest of your day trying to catch up, so drinking water first thing can help you get ahead on hydration for the day.
2. Find exercise that you actually enjoy. Exercise shouldn’t feel like a punishment. So many of us are guilty of going to the gym because we “have to,” but eventually, we stop going because it just isn’t enjoyable. No one likes to do things they feel forced to do. Instead, find a form of exercise that you actually like and do that regularly. This doesn’t even have to be traditional exercise like running or lifting weights. You could play tennis, walk your dog, ride a bike, or even dance!
3. Always wear sunscreen. All through my 20s I avoided sunscreen to try and get that perfect sun-kissed glow. But now as a 30-something, I’ve come to realize just how important it is to protect my skin from the sun. I know several young women who have recently been diagnosed with skin cancer, all related to sun exposure and tanning beds from their teens and 20s. So please, use your sunscreen every day and see a dermatologist for regular skin checks. And if you can’t live without a tan, try a spray tan instead of sitting out in the sun.
4. Invest in a quality skincare regimen. Gone are the days of scrubbing your face with harsh acne treatments and those terrible Clearasil pads (my skin still burns just typing this). Now, as 30-somethings, it’s likely we’re somewhere in between having acne flare-ups and dealing with wrinkles. This is the time to invest in a high-quality skincare routine. I like to save money where I can, but this is an area that I don’t skimp on. You’ll have your skin for the rest of your life, so take good care of it!
I personally love the Tula skincare line and more recently I’ve started using the TBT cream from Dime, but there are a ton of options out there. Check with your dermatologist or esthetician because they can usually recommend good products customized for your skin type.
5. Let go of friendships that don’t serve you. Ooof this one is hard. But quality friendships > quantity of friendships. Your 30s are filled with competing interests – work, family, friends, passions, etc., so you just don’t have a ton of time to spend with people that you don’t truly enjoy being around. I personally have a friend who only reaches out to me when she needs something from me and it is very draining. It was hard, but after making a conscious effort to limit my time spent with her, I feel so much better. Really think about which of your friends are supportive and make you feel good, and put your time and energy into maintaining those relationships over the ones that don’t feel as good.
6. Explore your passions. What is it that you’re passionate about? Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones and work in a career that is your passion. I thought that was the case for me when I was working as a critical care nurse, but it turns out my real passion is health and fitness. Hence, the birth of this blog. Exploring my passion for health and fitness allowed me to transition from a very stressful job to one that I love. So take a hard look at what makes you excited and see how exploring it further could change your life. I’m not saying you have to make major career changes or uproot your whole life to chase a passion, but at least start exploring. You never know what might happen!
7. Embrace change. Any other type-A routine girls out there? I can be a hot mess when my schedule gets disrupted, but my 30s have taught me to embrace change and remain flexible. Part of this lesson was learned with motherhood because man, kids are unpredictable. But even if you don’t have kids, life changes are still inevitable, so try to keep an open mind and go with the flow. Things are so much easier when you learn to embrace change instead of trying to constantly fight it.
8. Establish work-life balance. When I was working as a nurse, someone wise told me, “If you die, your hospital will replace you in a week. But your family will miss you forever.” This really hit me hard, and was a big reason I decided to transition to a new career that allowed me to be home with my family more. I think it’s so important, especially in your 30s, to recognize that your job is a job. Even if you’re the president of a large company, at the end of the day, it’s still just a job.
You can absolutely prioritize working hard in your 30s to crush your professional goals, but just don’t let your health or family suffer because of it. Using your PTO and leaving work tasks at the office when you leave for the day are SO important to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
9. Take care of your teeth. This is one of the more “boring” habits on here, but it’s still really important. Just like your skin, you’ll have your teeth for the rest of your life, so it’s important to take good care of them. Yes, that means flossing at least once a day and making sure you see the dentist every six months. Poor dental health can cause so many other health issues, so definitely make oral hygiene a priority in your 30s.
10. Time is so valuable – use it wisely. Time is something we will never get back. So, how do you want to spend it? Surely not scrolling for hours on social media or stressing about things that don’t really matter. It’s cliche, but remember that we only get so much time and we never know when our time will run out. So make your time count!
11. Figure out how to de-stress. We all get stressed out at times which is totally normal. However, being chronically stressed out all the time is not normal. And actually, chronic stress has been shown to cause a ton of health problems including digestive issues, anxiety, and even heart disease. For this reason, it’s imperative that you figure out a good way to cope with stress.
Yoga is my go-to when I’m feeling stressed, but there are so many different things you could try if yoga isn’t for you. Getting outside, calling a friend, or even just having a good cry sesh might be what you need to relieve stress. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it works for you!
12. Say “yes” more. Once you’ve reached your 30s, you probably have a pretty good idea about what activities fall outside your comfort zone. If you’re like me, you tend to avoid these things. But really, we should embrace them and not be afraid to say yes to the things that scare us. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn a new language, or move across the country. Whatever it is you’ve been scared to try, big or small, go ahead and say, “yes!”
13. Say “no” more. This seems contradictory to the previous point, but part of getting older is learning to say no to things we don’t want to do. And I don’t mean saying no to necessary things like taking out the trash or renewing your driver’s license. But don’t be afraid to say no to the things that don’t bring you joy. I used to be a “yes” girl, especially at work. I was constantly agreeing to join extra committees and do more work (for free, I might add). This resulted in me feeling extremely burned out, unappreciated, and bitter.
When I took a step back, I realized there was no reason for me to keep saying yes to everything. I made the decision to turn down things that didn’t excite me. This allowed me to focus more of my time and energy on things I am passionate about and my mental health improved tremendously.
14. Make sleep a priority. “I can sleep when I’m dead.” We’ve all heard that one before. And it’s actually kind of true – insufficient sleep really can take years off your life. Hopefully by now you’ve developed a solid bedtime routine and get the suggested 7-8 hours of sleep per night. But if you don’t, start by taking this quiz to figure out your sleep chronotype and plan your day accordingly.
15. Learn from failure. No doubt that by your 30s you’ve failed a few times. Maybe it’s failed relationships, failure in a job, or self-imposed failure because you don’t think you’re where you should be in life. Whatever it is, use it as a learning experience and move on. If you had a failed relationship, think about why it failed and don’t allow that to happen in your next one. If it was a job that didn’t work out, figure out why it wasn’t a good fit and look for something new. Every failure teaches a lesson and it’s up to you to learn from it and be better for it.
16. Learn something new. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks. And by old, I mean 30-something. So no, not really old. Anyway, my point is that it’s never too late to learn something. You see headlines all the time about 75 year-olds graduating from college, so why can’t you go learn something new in your 30s?! The answer is you can, and you should.
17. Declutter often. We live in a materialistic society and with that comes the accumulation of stuff. And believe it or not, living in a cluttered space can directly impact your mental health. I’m not saying you need to immediately go throw away all your stuff, but making an effort to declutter every once in awhile feels really good. Having a tidy house, especially your bedroom and workspace, can positively impact your health and wellbeing.
18. Limit screen time and social media. If you’re in your 30s, it’s likely that you remember dial up internet and Myspace, one of the first forms of social media. Since then, there has been an explosion in technology and the development of different social medias. From Snapchat to Instagram to TikTok, there seems to be a new social media app popping up almost every day. Social media isn’t inherently bad, but too much of it can have a negative impact on your mental health.
We are constantly being bombarded with models showcasing unrealistic beauty standards and influencers selling us all kinds of must-have items to make a few commission dollars. For this reason, at least consider cutting back on how much time you spend mindlessly scrolling. Your mental health (and your wallet!) will thank you for it.
19. Ditch the guilt. Do you feel guilty when you miss a workout? What about when you have to call in sick for work? I used to just absolutely beat myself up for things like this and feel so guilty that it would ruin my entire day. There’s a time and place for guilt but it’s certainly not warranted over small things. I challenge you to stop feeling guilty over the small stuff in your 30s. Eat that piece of cake and take a rest day if you need it. No need to beat yourself up over it.
20. Cut back on the alcohol. There has been a scary rise in cancer being diagnosed in younger people and a lot of it has been linked back to environmental causes, like too much alcohol. Also in general, drinking too much isn’t super healthy and doesn’t make you feel great, all good reasons to cut back. Don’t get me wrong though, I love a nice glass of wine after a hard day. But our days of binge drinking until 2 am should probably be left behind in our 20s.
21. Take control of your health. You know your body best. I’ve had so many friends feel like something is “off” with their body and it ended up being something pretty serious. If you have those feelings, they are valid. Don’t let any health professionals write you off as being too young, because you aren’t. Cancer doesn’t only affect older people, so it’s important to listen to your body and seek care if you think something is wrong.
Also, if you know a certain condition runs in your family, advocate for yourself to get screened for it, even if you think you’re too young. The earlier you can intervene with a potential health issue, the greater your chances for treatment and full recovery.
22. Establish a relationship with a primary care provider. Again, you might consider yourself as being too young for most health conditions, but that just isn’t true. Even if you think you’re super healthy, make sure you find a good PCP. You’ll see them every year, so it’s important to find someone that you trust, and someone that will stay on top of any potential health issues you might deal with now or in the future.
23. Save and invest your money wisely. I think I fell asleep during the portion of onboarding for my first job where they talked about retirement accounts and other financial benefits. I just thought it was SO BORING. And honestly, I still think it’s kind of boring, but I’ve also come to realize how important it is. If you start saving money now, it can add up to a whole heck of a lot in the future. This can help you retire early or fund your children’s college tuition. You might think those events are super far away, but with how fast time goes, they’ll be here before you know it.
24. Eat a balanced diet. In our 20s we were blessed with high-speed metabolisms. We could eat tons of carbs, never workout, and drink alllllll the alcohol and never gain a pound. While some of us might continue having a high metabolism well into our 30s, others of us aren’t so lucky. And even if you do still have a killer metabolism, eating like crap is going to make you feel like crap. Start eating a balanced diet, one that contains a lot of fruits and vegetables and an adequate amount of protein. I feel the best when I’m counting macros, so maybe consider giving that a try!
25. Spend money on experiences, not things. At the end of the day, what are you going to remember more? A trip you took to Disneyland with your family or how much you loved carrying your Kate Spade backpack? If I had to guess, I would bet it’s the trip to Disney. As you get older, you’ll find that memories and pictures mean much more than materialistic items.
26. Set boundaries. This goes hand in hand with point #13. Don’t be scared to tell people “no” if you don’t want to do something or something they are doing makes you uncomfortable. This goes for anything – at work, in relationships, or with family members. And if someone continues crossing your boundaries after being warned, really consider whether they are worthy of being in your life.
27. Invest in self-care activities. This is another area where I think it’s important to invest some of your money. For me, it’s getting my nails done every three weeks and a monthly massage. These things make me feel good so it’s worth the cost. Find self-care activities that fill your cup and invest in them. It’s money well spent if it improves your physical and mental health.
28. Read more. People who read more are more successful, it’s a fact. Even if it’s just for five minutes a day, it can change your life.
29. Make family a priority. My family has become one of my highest priorities now that I’m in my 30s. Part of this is because now that I’m a mother, I realize just how important my children are, and that has translated into also working to have a better relationship with my parents. Remember, your job is just a job. Your family is forever. And this doesn’t even have to be your biological family! If you have close friends that you consider to be like family, that counts too.
30. Stop sweating the small stuff. Getting older makes you realize just how dumb some of the stuff you’ve stressed about was. I used to stress so much about getting A’s in my classes, finding the perfect outfit for events, or someone not liking me. Truly, these things just don’t matter much in the scheme of things. I challenge you to think about the things in your life that really matter. Maybe it’s your spouse, your kids, your hobbies, your dog. Whatever it is, pour your energy into caring about that and stop sweating the small stuff.
So there you have it – 30 life-changing habits to start in your 30s! Let me know in the comments which one(s) you’re going to try!