While some may disagree, I think that your 20s are actually pretty terrible. You’re grappling with this newfound sense of adulthood everyone talks about, you start to feel the effects of alcohol way more than you did before, and overall it’s just tough. Some good news is that things start getting easier in your thirties. You’re more settled, you know yourself better, and you don’t hesitate to say “no.” Actually, saying no becomes quite satisfying.

These are some of the things I learned in my 30s you’ll care less about:

1. Other people’s lives. 

Many people have their sh*t together by now- they’re employed, in a relationship, married, etc. So if you’re feeling left out, don’t worry! You’ve got your own awesome thing going on and can learn how to stop giving a damn about someone else’s life trajectory.

2. Dining at the trendiest restaurant.

The cruffin/cronut/crancake (croissant + pancake) might be the best thing since sliced bread, but you don’t care. You’re not going to wait in line for hours just so you can say you tried it.

3. Missing out. FOMO seriously becomes a thing of the past.

Wow, everyone was at some super amazing event last night? Cool. You were relaxing at home with your cat, drinking wine, and watching murder mysteries – and it sounds like it was glorious!

4. Celebrating birthdays in a big way.

Let’s not make a big deal out of this day. We celebrated enough when we turned 30, and this is just another number. Let’s pretend it isn’t happening at all.

5. Settling for friendships with people who don’t treat you well.

Maybe you’ve kept people in your life for reasons including convenience or because they had a car. But once you’re in your 30s, you realize who your true friends are and you either spend more time with them or move closer to them. The others simply fall by the wayside.

6. Staying up-to-date with the latest trends.

We are already content with the music we listen to, have all our favorite shows recorded, and know that most movies will be better when watched from home.

7. Your wrinkles. 

Sure, you might be a little worried about them at first. But then you start to see them in a different light. They’re “laugh lines.” Face trophies? Corner-of-the-eye art?

8. Drama.

Let’s be honest, drama is unavoidable. And it seems like as we get older, there’s more and more of it to keep up with. At work, at home, or even with friends it can be absolutely exhausting trying to keep up with everything. Sometimes, you just hit a point where you’re wondering how to stop giving a shit completely.

9. The occasional splurge. 

In your 20s, you were probably more lenient with where your money went because you finally had some. Now that you’re a little older, though, you may be more mindful of how you spend your cash. You’re too old to be scraping the bottom of the barrel when you travel- time to invest in yourself a little. An Uber is worth the extra ten dollars to avoid public transport full of drunks on a Friday night.

10. The latest fashion is always a must-have for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the trend.

It’s not that you let yourself go exactly, but in your 30s, just because something is trendy doesn’t mean you have to do it. Let’s be honest, we would all rather choose our favorite pair of jeans (that we’ve worn four times this week) over what the kids are wearing these days. No one wants to leave the house looking like they’re going to a festival when it’s not even summered yet.

11. Getting your money’s worth out of an open bar. 

Open bars were once synonymous with “complete drunkenness,” because you had to take advantage of the fact that people were giving you alcohol for free. With age comes wisdom, and part of that is knowing your limits when it comes to alcohol. You’re not trying to impress anyone by downing drink after a drink; you know hangovers in your 30s are no joke.

12. Being the first to get your hands on new technology.

Oh, the excitement of sitting outside in the cold just to be one of the first people at Best Buy or Apple Store with whatever new tech device was being released! No, you don’t remember because it sucked. Instead of spending extra money on the newest phone model, you’re happy to wait until after a few editions have come out. That way, all of the inevitable kinks will be worked out before you make your purchase.

13. Keeping up with social media. 

You continuously discover new social media platforms after everyone else, and you’re still mostly clueless about how to use them. For example, what exactly does Snapchat do?

14. Documenting every single moment of your life.

In the past, you may have been more interested in capturing memories through your camera than actually experiencing events firsthand. After photographing 1,742 weddings, baby showers, and bachelorette parties, you’re now more interested in enjoying the event firsthand instead of worrying about capturing every moment digitally.

15. The way people see you.

No longer do you have to fear meeting up with an old friend while wearing your “I might work out today…just kidding, I’m going to binge-watch Netflix” outfit. Overthinking every little thing you said and did wastes so much time in the past, but now you realize something important: it does not matter if anyone else knows how incredible you are because you already know.

This article was written by Hilary White and originally published on POPSUGAR.

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Photo: pixolga / Pixabay

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