discussion How did you feel when you turned 30?

[jrd30121994]

I turned 30 a few days ago and have found myself feeling quite sad and unaccomplished. Interested to hear other perspectives.

[itshyolee]

Seated. I got 10 more years

[Devin]

hasnt happened to me yet. 30 is still young lol.

[Hollywood.]

I've crossed over into the later half of my 30s this year. I don't feel old, but there are certain things I can't really do that I once could (like pulling all nighters, drinking too much caffeine). 

 

Also starting to pay the price for all the poor health choices from my youth too. Take care of yourself. 

[Subzero]

I feel sad sometimes and Realizing that I wasted so much time in my own bubble and not getting out there to do the things I always wanted to was really sad.

 

I've started to change that in the last few years and it's made me feel a lot better about things but it still sucks knowing what could have been in those years before but I try not to dwell in that too much now. Not good for my mental health and besides 30s is still young and you start to care less about the stupid things. Still have tons of life left to live and nothing is ever too late, so go out there and accomplish the things you want! Hope you feel better op 

[monologueNacafe]

Felt for the first time how long I've been around. Stuff that happened when I was ten feels almost like a lifetime ago. I also feel like I've wasted time because of mental illness

[flower moon]

literally nothing. never understood the fuss people create over this insignificant change. why let a number dictate anything...

[Jack!]

I turn 30 next year (can officially say that now) and the prospect of it scares me a bit only because I'm still so uncertain on what I want to do in life. The last year has been a bit of a realisation that I don't want to work in skiddly jobs and I want to focus on being happy in my work/life balance, because I've spent most of my 20's travelling or working abroad and it's time to settle at home and that's been a massive slap in the face. Especially when my friends who chose not to travel and do other things are all married, in their careers, have mortgages, some have kids. It's daunting.

 

My outlook on it is, I've spent my 20's doing everything I wanted to do - I didn't say no, I said yes to every opportunity I could and I've loved every moment of it. My 30's I'll try focusing on my career and finding what I want to do in life. And we'll take it from there but I'm trying to not hold myself to some ridiculous standard that society says I should be at by age 30. I try to look at life like this; If I died tomorrow, would I be happy with what I've done? The answer right now is yes - and I'm not dead so I've got many years ahead to keep that momentum up.

[HANZ94]

Literally Nothing lol 

I used to worry about it in my 20s and once I for there I realized that age is just a Number

And it feels good when people tell me how young I Am 

[Raver]

 

[BGKC]

My 20s were pure chaos tbh. If I would have known better I would have slowed my role around 26 years old and better financially prepared myself for my 30s, but I was financially reckless to the very end of my 20s, which I regret. I also lost very close friends and a sibling, so I spent a lot of time grieving. I didn't have financially stable parents either, so that didn't help. I was however able to travel a lot though, so that was good. 

Now at 32 I'm just a homebody, moved away from the city into a more rural area, forcing myself to live a boring life and save money. Cut my drinking in half… My M.O. now is to simply buy a house within the next 5 years or so and eventually marry my BF.

[Nightingale]

I'm 29 so it's coming up in 2025. I feel like I attach a lot of value to my youth so it just has to come for me to realize that it's not a big deal

[Distantconstellation]

I know a lot of people will say that there 30s were better (still in my 30s), but for me it was the opposite. My 20s were much better, I had way more fun, was financially secure and worked from home. This all ended in my 30s.. as far as not being able to party all night like I did in my teens... even during my teens or 20s if I stayed up all night partying I felt like crap the next day, that hasn't changed. 

 

So unlike most of atrl I miss my late teens and 20s. 

[MissedTheTrain]

At first....depressed, scared I hadn't accomplished my goals yet, eager, etc.  But then I gradually started to realize....all of my peers are growing alongside me.  They aren't left in their primes while I'm getting older, we're all on this ride at the same time and I haven't peaked like some of them have.  

 

We are the first people to be in their 30s who have lived through the generation we've lived through...I know that sounds like a Kamala/Marianne-ism but think about it....in older generations, being in your 30s meant something different than it does now.  There's never been a generation of people in their 30s like this one.  We were taught something different than we have to live. 

 

Don't worry about it like your life needs to be exactly like past generations.  Age is so truly just a number that doesn't define us.  We are the first of our time and we're still young in the grand scheme of things.  Also, a lot can change in a short period of time....it isn't like you need to be building a certain ideal future for decades.

[Alldeezy]

Been depressed ever since 

I haven't been flirted with 

Haven't been on a date 

Basically a virgin again at this point 

 

30s kinda suck I miss my skinny 20s era

[Radical Pessimism]

Happy birthday to you

I also turned 30 this December and I feel like nothing has changed. Although I want to lose weight while I'm still young before it becomes a hard task for me.

[ryoncé]

1 hour ago, jrd30121994 said:

I turned 30 a few days ago and have found myself feeling quite sad and unaccomplished. Interested to hear other perspectives.

lol not 30 yet but if you feel depressed, sad, unaccomplished etc i think it has nothing to do with your age but more with how you are living and relating to your life

 

i know lots of miserable people in their 20s and lots of people thriving and living their best life at 40+ so it really is all about your perspective and it sounds like you have already given up. i mean were your 20s even that great -- bc it doesnt sound like they were and thats even more motivation to turn things around for your next decade

 

Being 30 is nothing to be scared of so dont let all of the youth-obsessed messaging of our world trick you into thinking so.  

[Jotham]

40 minutes ago, MissedTheTrain said:

At first....depressed, scared I hadn't accomplished my goals yet, eager, etc.  But then I gradually started to realize....all of my peers are growing alongside me.  They aren't left in their primes while I'm getting older, we're all on this ride at the same time and I haven't peaked like some of them have.  

 

We are the first people to be in their 30s who have lived through the generation we've lived through...I know that sounds like a Kamala/Marianne-ism but think about it....in older generations, being in your 30s meant something different than it does now.  We were taught something different than we have to live.  

 

Don't worry about it like your life needs to be exactly like past generations.  We are the first of our time and we're still young in the grand scheme of things.  Also, a lot can change in a short period of time....it isn't like you need to be building a certain ideal future for decades.

Thanks for writing this. I turned 26 last month, and I had a bit of a mental breakdown when I realized that I was halfway through my twenties and I am nowhere near where I want to be in life. I feel like so many of my peers are much more established in their lives, but I try to tell myself that we're all just trying to figure it out and that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

[Bloo]

I turn 30 this year (2025), so I’ll find out soon. The number doesn’t concern me. I’m on the job market now and, depending on how that turns out, my living situation will be decided based on that. So other than that, I’m fine with the idea of turning 30. I think there’s a lot of other pressure put onto that number that don’t really matter. 

[MissedTheTrain]

38 minutes ago, Jotham said:

Thanks for writing this. I turned 26 last month, and I had a bit of a mental breakdown when I realized that I was halfway through my twenties and I am nowhere near where I want to be in life. I feel like so many of my peers are much more established in their lives, but I try to tell myself that we're all just trying to figure it out and that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

100%.  You might think others have it figured out, but their lives could fall apart tomorrow for all you know.   And on the other side of that, you could get a life changing opportunity that puts you on a path you never saw coming.

 

 

We are the first generation to grow up with things like the internet and be so online, socialized and educated in that way.  We've maybe seen how ageism came into play for generations before us but...we recognize it, call it out, and don't have to repeat it.  Things like that give me hope.

 

[Onyxmage]

Ill let you know in 15 years.

 

[Bloo]

3 minutes ago, Onyxmage said:

Ill let you know in 15 years.

 

Suddenly, so much makes sense. 
 

[nadiamendell]

I don't even remember my 30th tbh. Just live life and thrive. That's all you can do. Worrying about it will get you nowhere. Sure, take time to look back and you can have regrets but just know that you wouldn't be who you are without the life experience that you've had. Your 30s are gonna be great. 

[tost1]

Sexy, confident

[OnlyManInTheWorld]

It was a normal day.