Many people in their 30s are usually busy raising a family, climbing the career ladder, and setting up a financial safety net for the future. But no matter where you are in life; whether you’re raising a family or childfree, building your career, or pursuing higher education, we all make mistakes that can affect our lives in the long run.
Here are the worst lifestyle mistakes that you should stop making in your 30s and beyond:
Not pursuing personal growth
You never really stop learning, not even when you retire. But sometimes, you can get so caught up in your career, your home life, and your other responsibilities that you neglect to work on your personal growth. A lot of 30-somethings make this mistake, often too focused on work, family, and socialization to work on themselves, which can lead to regrets later on in life.
So no matter how busy you are, make time for personal growth. Improve your skills with services from brands such as Miick. Pick up the hobbies that you were once so invested in. Go back to school and learn something new. Your 30s are a great time to do this–by the time you get older, you’ll be way ahead of everybody else.
Binge drinking
The sad fact is that you’re not getting any younger, and the drinking habits you had in your 20s won’t be as kind to you now. You may have been able to binge drink two nights in a row and show up to work fresh-faced when you were 22, but that’s not going to be the case now that you’re in your 30s.
Aside from the more intense and more debilitating hangovers, binge drinking can have significant consequences on your health. And as you’re getting older, those consequences will start manifesting through health problems like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and digestive problems, among many others.
Now is a great time to ease off the drinks. If you constantly drink too much when you go out, keep your alcohol intake to a minimum by drinking more non-alcoholic drinks to fill up your stomach (and bladder) quickly. If you keep alcohol in the house, buy less when you go out shopping.
Putting career over everything
Your job is important, yes. It’s what keeps the lights on and puts food on the table. If you love your job, it’s also what brings you self-satisfaction at the end of the day. However, it should not overshadow your personal health, your family, and your other passions. Career is important, but it’s not all what life is about.
Don’t put your career ahead of every other important aspect of your life. Strive for work-life balance in any way you can, and don’t sacrifice yourself or your family for the sake of a job. You’ll be much happier in the future knowing that you didn’t spend every waking minute of your 30s only on your career.
Still making the same financial mistakes
Your 20s is the time for learning proper financial management. By now, you should already know how to manage your money correctly and avoid the financial mistakes that can put you in a bind.
But if you’re still maxing out your credit cards, neglecting your savings, and making just about the same financial mistakes you made in your 20s, it’s not too late to turn things around. In your 30s, setting up a financial safety net becomes more critical, especially if you plan to start a family. You may now be more financially vulnerable due to liabilities (mortgage, car loan, credit cards, etc.), and thus should be more motivated to secure your finances before it’s too late.
Not exercising
Your metabolism slows down as you get older. When you hit your 30s, you will lose around 1% of muscle mass each year. And since your metabolic rate is directly rated to muscle mass, weight gain will happen much faster if you don’t maintain muscle mass.
If you haven’t started working out yet, now is the best time to hit the gym. Do strength training to maintain or increase your muscle mass, and cardio to burn off excess fat. The muscle you build now will help maintain your weight in the future. Combined with a balanced diet, plenty of sleep, and a generally low-stress lifestyle–you might just be in the best shape of your life.
If you want to achieve better well-being now and in the future, stop making these lifestyle mistakes in your 30s. While 30 is definitely not old, you’re not getting any younger–starting to tweak your lifestyle for the better now will reap the benefits far into your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.
