Why are we all so afraid of turning 30? You’ve probably become accustomed to hearing that after 30, “it’s all downhill from there” - the over-25s category on X Factor has got a lot to answer for - but is it really the end of our lives as we know it?
After my tumultuous twenties, I, for one, am excited to enter my thirties with a greater sense of knowing what I truly want out of life and how to achieve it. Here are five reasons why I am no longer afraid of turning 30.
I have more confidence in my appearance
As far as beauty standards are concerned, turning 30 has aged me out of the game, but personally, becoming invisible to the male gaze deeply appeals to me.
Gone are the days of waking up at 5 am to straighten my hair, paint my face with a bucket of foundation, and the darkest of raccoon eyes.
Over the last five years in particular, I have worked on embracing the face I have and wearing what I feel comfortable in.
I spend less time putting on makeup and using heat products on my hair, and my clothes prioritise my comfort and what makes me feel good.
Heels are for special occasions only, but equally, when I put an outfit together to go out, it’s more thought out than it's ever been.
I make the effort when I want to, and I’ve never looked or felt better as a result.
I have more awareness of how to look after my physical health
I spent most of my teenage years and early twenties drinking copious amounts of alcohol and chasing any high that was offered to me.
While I can’t say that I’ve cut out alcohol completely or that feeling has vanished entirely, I have learnt to channel it into healthier activities such as hiking and dancing for fun.
Equally, I eat and drink more mindfully, recognising water as essential rather than optional and that a takeaway every week WILL make the arteries shriek.
As a result, my cooking skills have improved because I have learnt to cook the different types of food I like to eat instead of outsourcing it, and I have become more adventurous in trying new flavour combinations.
I have also managed to cut down on smoking because I am more conscious of the long-term impact it has on my health; I rarely have more than two cigarettes a day, which, as my doctor tells me, proves I don’t ‘need’ it, and I can now see a point in the near future where I won’t smoke at all, which I couldn’t have said a few years ago.
I already have a child
I think for women, a lot of the worry that comes with turning 30 is linked to fertility and the idea of a ‘declining body clock.’
Nowadays, we regularly see women having children at later stages in life, and as I already have a child, it has removed some of this concern for me.
Instead, I believe the priority should be focusing on when women are truly ready to have children, and if the answer to that is ‘never,’ that is more than okay.
My three-year-old recently told me they would like a brother (no pressure), but it’s just not the right time for that in my life, as I am prioritising returning to work and building a career to give him better opportunities.
Some might say the most selfish thing you can have is an only child, but if you’re not prepared to go through pregnancy again and it’s going to be detrimental to your long-term health, I think that might mean it’s actually the perfect time to get a pet…
Sex is getting better
Despite suggestions that I’m about to be permanently put on the shelf, I (and a lot of women find) that sex only improves with age.
I know what I enjoy now, and I’m less afraid to ask for it or hurt my partner's feelings by announcing that something isn’t quite working.
As someone with a history of sexual violence, I also feel less ashamed about engaging in sexual activity and acknowledge it as a normal part of life.
I no longer think less of myself for wanting to have sex for something other than reproductive purposes, and this has helped to improve my confidence in the bedroom too.
I appreciate my personal interests more
The older I get, the more confident I feel about my own personal interests.
Not everyone likes singing, dancing and musical theatre; not everyone likes hiking and climbing mountains; not everyone likes reading and writing like they’re running out of time - see what I did there?
These are all things that come together to make me identifiably myself, and rather than being ashamed and worried about what other people think of my interests, it excites me, because I’m finally starting to accept what makes me me.
Does any of this resonate with you? Let us know in the comments whether your life has changed as you approach the big 3-0.
Written by Leah Marie Cox
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