Are the best years of your life really behind you when you entered your thirties and got your time sucked in by your husband, bodily changes, and kids? It’s a hard feeling, but this phase is only made to help you get stronger and even better. It’s not yet too late to undo the feelings of despair. Here are some ways to be the best version of your thirty-something, toddler-toting self.
Meditate
At this point, you need a more concentrated stance with how you allocate your time. Sure, there are days for binge-watching Netflix and just being a couch potato. But don’t make this a habit. Make mindfulness an even more persistent habit, and it will generate returns like increased motivation, a certain sense of stability even in the midst of husband and children mayhem, and a sense of peace with the world. One way to do this is by using an app called Headspace. It can help you enter the state of Zen for 10 minutes in the midst of a crazy schedule. Incorporate this in your schedule like in between breastfeeding, at night when everyone has fallen asleep already, or really early in the morning before your kids and husband wake up. This will do so much more for the rest of the day, and it’s worth giving a try.
Have a Creative Outlet
Journaling, calligraphy, and acrylic painting are just some among the wide variety of tutorials you can find on YouTube. These days, you can easily take on just about any hobby. Crafts stores or bookstores are just around the corner, and visiting them can do wonders for your mind and soul. If you make a habit of having an outlet where you can be spontaneous and creative, this will really help you be more productive and fulfilled.
Do Something Daring
Do you want to explore Peru, get a tummy tuck in Salt Lake City, or hike the 7 mountains of the world? Go for it. This is the time to start doing these things. The twenties of reckless abandon are behind you and the joint pain in your forties and fifties are still a decade or two away. Make your thirties count and do something exhilarating and new.
Spend Some Time on Beauty Rituals
The basic ritual of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing at night is the very least you can do for your skin. The youthful glow in your teenage years may no longer be here, but you can still take good care of the skin that you do have now. Don’t neglect this ritual, or else it can degenerate your skin faster and make you look the oldest in your high school reunions. But don’t obsess over it, too. Just do whatever ritual that you are comfortable with and can reasonably stick to.
Say No, Brood Less, and Bounce Back
Going emo may be cute when you were younger, but this decade is all about optimizing your time and cutting losses as quickly as possible. If somebody did something bad or something out of your control got out of hand or blew up in your face, brush off the dirt on your clothes, stand, and keep moving. You may need to cry or get upset, but give yourself a deadline for these feelings if possible. The faster you bounce back, the more you gain and the more respect other people will have for you. You deserve better. Don’t brood over things you cannot control.
Don’t Skip Your Exercise and Medical Appointments
It’s incredibly tempting not to have that Pap smear or to miss out on some adult vaccinations that were optional. But now is the time to do some real adult decisions and that involves making a decision about your body. Your body needs tuning. If your car has maintenance, so do you. Make sure you show up for annual checkups no matter how inconvenient they may seem. Do not wait until something’s wrong before you go to your doctor.
Collectively, being your best self in your thirties is a choice and a conviction. You can be the best possible version of yourself even when you feel like the odds are stacked heavily against you. Just keep plugging. And if it’s really incredibly difficult in your thirties, hang in there, your forties will be better.
