Life changes as you age (and, hopefully, even mature ) and you’ve got to learn to adapt. Roll with the punches, try not to cling to your past lifestyle too hard, and instead focus on the things that really matter in life. You’ve got to do what makes you happy and not care about what everyone who isn’t a loved one thinks so much. Easier said than done, right?
Yours truly turned 30 recently, and all things considered, I’m okay with that. Sure, there were a few panic attacks, some sleepless nights thinking about deep and not-so-deep things, and a lot of looking at the number ‘30’ to get used to how weird it looks, but all things considered, life is good! From my current position, my feet firmly planted in my thirties, I can safely say that a lot has changed compared to my twenties. And I’m not the only one who thinks that way.
Internet users shared their thoughts about what they think isn’t ‘cool’ anymore when you turn 30, and the viral r/AskReddit thread is enlightening. We (arguably) can’t party as hard and should definitely take better care of ourselves now, but there are quite a few upsides to Leveling Up . Check out the best posts we’ve collected for you, Pandas, and upvote your fave ones.
Bored Panda wanted to learn about the main health-related things and habits that we should focus on as we go through our twenties and enter our thirties, so we reached out to fitness coach Anna Armagno Toussaint . She was kind enough to shed some light on this important topic.
Being concerned with what is or is not “cool”. I super duper don’t care if I’m cool or not. Being cool doesn’t pay my mortgage.
A_Cup_of_Ramen , Thought Catalog Report
Finding 20 year olds attractive. I look at them and see children.
MistyQueHarper Report
Telling people with full time jobs and bills that their hobbies are childish. I’m 31, married with no kids, and a USMC veteran. I have a degree in electrical engineering. I just got back into Pokémon cards after not touching them since 1999. I was teased into getting rid of them by my uncles back in the day. Now, I’ve almost got a complete Base/Jungle/Fossil set, and I’m working through the Sword and Shield series, made possible by the internet and having disposable income. “F**k what anyone says, they make me happy. My wife was a little wary at first, but she saw how interested I was and how excited I got opening packs that now, whenever I buy a booster box, we open them together.
PM_ME_UR_CIRCUIT , Thimo Pedersen Report
Last minute plans. I need at least 24 hrs notice (preferably 48 hrs) if said plans will require me to be in public.
HanaMashida , Marten Bjork Report
Anything loud. I am finding that anything loud (voices, music, TV,etc.) is turning into Noise for me. I am surprised by how much my tolerance for ambient sound has drastically decreased.
Catching-ZzZ , Miguel A. Amutio Report
Celebrities. I swear every year the less famous people I know.
TeensyKook , Los Muertos Crew Report
Wasting time on friendships that don’t impact you in a positive way. I spent my 20’s taking care of everyone else instead of myself. I don’t have time for that s**t anymore. They can go to therapy. I am.
KittyGravesYT , Simon Maage Report
Caring what others think of me. You don’t like me? That’s fine. I live my life for me.
neuroticgypsy , Fuu J Report
Teenager/early 20’s: yo we can save money by booking the 7am return flight and not paying for accommodation - lets just stay at the club until 5am or sleep on the airport floor! 30yo: I’d rather die
Gravesens1stTouch , odiin Report
Anything that is called an “afterparty.” I am barely going to make it to the party, son.
here4reason , Tobias Tullius Report
Driving like an a*****e. A car is a 3,000 lb death machine.
amackee , Jaromír Kavan Report
Sleep deprivation I loved pulling all-nighters as a teen and young adult. Now, they just give me migraines and make the entire subsequent day hell.
totoropoko , Victoria Heath Report
This may be just me, but: dumbing down my sentences. I was always an avid reader in school, but I discovered that if you talked the way people did in books, or used big words, it pissed people off. So I had to dumb myself down considerably. Eventually I stopped talking to people at all. This carried on into adulthood and especially during my enlistment in the navy. People think you’re showing off if you use big words. I was well past 25 when I got over it, and decided to talk however I wanted. It felt soooo liberating.
moffitar Report
Maybe just me, but one night stands. I mean sex is great, but it’s not all I want. Give me that second date, good conversations, doing other st together, getting to know each other better. It’s about that point in life I started wanting st to be deeper. Idk man, having someone on the other pillow in bed stops mattering as much when I know that pillow will be empty the next night.
IIIDysphoricIII , Wiktor Karkocha Report
Thinking 30 is old
minnieminute , Matt Bennett Report
Thinking things aren’t cool anymore because you turned 30. Life doesn’t end at 30, and if you’re lucky, you’ve still got around 45 to 50+ more years to go. So why spend that remaining time denying yourself of what life has to offer? “If octogenarian Ethel with pink hair and Chuck Taylors wants to free throw her empty bottle of Ensure into the trash while yelling, ‘THIS B**CH IS EMPTY!’ Well, goddammit, she can. In fact, that would make me feel less bummed about aging
the_original_toast , Kelli McClintock Report
Getting blackout drunk. turns out I’m not fun, I’m just an alcoholic. Since this has gotten quite high, I’m gonna edit to add, r/stopdrinking has been a great resource in my own sobriety journey, highly recommend if you’re sober curious.
NoIron9582 , Tobias Tullius Report
Ignoring injuries, sickness, sleep, or general aches and pains. Pay attention to that s**t, your body is trying to tell you important stuff for later.
dasoberirishman Report
Thinking I’m special. The older I get, the more I realize I’m just a dopey bug that knows nothing about anything
Beautiful-Resident-5 Report
Not being able to cook and clean for yourself, male or female, what a turn off, and definitely not cool
Green_Creme1245 Report
Giving a fk. I’m almost 50 and my f*s are the lowest they have ever been. I’ll work and do what I can but damn. I know you would replace me in a heartbeat.
kristikkc Report
Bailing on plans last minute. If you don’t want to do something, just say so.
freakanature , Gabrielle Henderson Report
Not cooking your own meals. Once I hit 32 I finally took the time to learn how to cook my own meals with more complexity than chicken and rice. It’s been one of those things I wish I would have learned how to do younger because its been amazing. I started a garden this year and my roma tomatoes just started to produce. I’m so proud.
FeralSparky , Kevin McCutcheon Report
Bragging about overworking yourself, or otherwise overdoing anything, and not practicing self-care.
BatmanWhoRaves , Elisa Ventur Report
Snide, condescending remarks. You really aught to have learned how to be a better person by now.
ChangingHats , OSPAN ALI Report
Gate keeping someone’s preferences. Like music or movies. You like what you like
cantfindmykeys Report
Honestly, about 72 degrees. It used to be comfortable, even cool… but now I’m old as s**t and need a solid 67 or I can’t sleep.
stuckinthesun31 Report
Hanging out with people that don’t make you feel good
megamanxoxo Report
Dressing fun for some reason :( if dyeing your hair blue and wearing skeleton hoodies in your 30s is wrong then I don’t wanna be right.
Kobethevamp Report
Dance clubs. To be fair I hated them in my 20’s too but by the time I hit 30 I wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Loud music, strobe lights, waiting forever to get a drink and having to scream to speak, I just don’t get it.
iconoclast63 Report
Trying to keep up with modern slang words.
SinisterPigeon , ArtHouse Studio Report
My knees.
Ralphie5231 Report
Ignoring politics. S**t starts having a larger impact.
Gsteel11 Report
Expecting your friends to help you move. The good news is if you’ve ever moved that half-assed, chaotic way before, the first time you hire professionals is going to feel amazing and worth it.
dark_blue_7 Report
Hangovers My hangovers really took a turn for the worst somewhere between ages 25–27. In my early 20s, I could drink like a fish, stay up until 3 a.m., wake up at 9 a.m., and go to class perfectly fine. Now, the sleep quality sucks. Even when I get eight hours of sleep, the next day is basically ruined. I’m just so tired after, and the alcohol makes me wake up sooner. It ruins my sleep. I’ll wake up after six hours, feel like s**t, and be unable to go back to bed.
Illerios1 , Maria Teneva Report
Peer pressuring your friends. Like I just ran a 5k, I want to meal prep for the week, clean my house and I have work tomorrow so no I don’t want to get hammered and stay at the bar til 2am
CptFlechette , Alexander Popov Report
Having accidental (or on purpose), unprotected sex. Have at it! All the partners you want - no judgement there. But use protection.
NoTripOfALifetime Report
I’ve turned 30 a few months ago and I’ve noticed how turned off I am of large music festivals. Used to love them in my early 20’s. Now I couldn’t bear to be stuck in a crowd of 100k+ people
rcole1992 , Hanny Naibaho Report
Bragging about sleeping with women.
The-Questcoast Report
Bragging about your high school accomplishments
Hysterical_Realist Report
As a single person entering the dating scene again in their thirties, hot person s**t. You could get away with being a flake and playing games in your twenties, but in your thirties you’re just waving red flags in people’s faces.
kinghuxley Report
Bragging about how drunk you got over the weekend.
apatheticnihilist Report
Acting stupid and doing dumb s**t. Your risk of getting hurt increases
Extension-Muscle1950 , Mads Eneqvist Report
Hitting on 21 year olds
godhasmoreaids Report
Flipping off the camera when you get your picture taken.
slightofhand1 , Michael Henry Report
The whole bro-culture thing as a lifestyle or identity starts to age badly.
GooseNYC Report
Fireworks when I have to be up at 4 am. God damn stupid f**k heads.
NihilistPunk69 Report
Apparently, eating salty things. I’m 34 and if I eat too many chips or fast food or basically anything with too high of a sodium content, I know I’m gonna be feeling it the next day. I get awful headaches. I’ve been sober for over 4 years and I am absolutely pissed that I still have to deal with hangovers…because I ate salty food. It’s such b******t.
Chellbelle23 , cottonbro Report
Getting into arguments over the internet. Isn’t cool at all but sometimes you feel cool doing it. Especially if you have ppl agreeing with u. To clarify arguments are not the same as discussions or debates. Arguments are just kind of being a lil prick to be a prick
Alissan_Web Report
Spending all your money at the bar on payday.
deputytech , Charlotte Harrison Report
Binging sugary goodness. As an under thirty I could eat mass amounts of food and few fine. Coming up 30 this year, and I can’t even eat a few mallowpuffs without a guts ache.
caution_cat Report
Smoking
Over_Restaurant4715 Report
Making fun of unemployment.
Potential_Border790 Report
DapperPiano4889 Report
One thing I when I was in my mid-late 20’s is that 30+ year old’s “big night out” was on Fridays. Fridays was way more likely the night they would get drunk and go out to bars and clubs and s**t. Saturday nights were still used but more for bbqs or having friends around. Now that I’m in my 30’s I totally get it, Friday night is by far the better night out because of two reasons. The first is that when you wake up the next day you still have your entire weekend ahead of you, the second and biggest reason is you certainly don’t bounce back from a big night out like you used to so that buffer is required. TL;DR: Going out to bars and clubs on Saturdays isn’t cool anymore post 30.
chinabot1 Report
Not going for what you want. In your 20s you may feel young, new, ignorant — maybe a little doubtful of your skills and abilities. Late 20s-30s - it is not cool to stay in the same situation you hate, just because it’s easier. Try to work it out. All you’ve got is time now. More and more years to come. Allow yourself to continue to learn, grow, adapt, acquire new skills and become well-rounded. At least that’s what I’m trying to tell myself, in order to continue to scrape by / exist in the free market. Trying to be positive, if not for myself, others who also have been trapped in cycles of depression / negative thought. 🌞
littlestarseed , Sammie Chaffin Report
Gaming non-stop for 24 hours. I used to just sleep a couple of hours after each session and I’m good to go again. Now? Doing this might actually really be suicide. I used to be skinny without exercising much. So cool eh. Now, if I don’t exercise, I gain weight by just breathing lol
Thin-Exchange-784 Report
Not drinking a lot of water.
aabbboooo Report
Being offended by popular music. It wasn’t made for you.
post_angst Report
Spending your money irresponsibly. Buy whatever the hell you want just make sure it’s in your budget.
meanpantscaitie Report
Driving. It was cool having your license at like 16-18. Tolerable during most of your 20s. A goddamn chore now that you’re in your 30s.
JE3MAN Report
Trying to act cool.
BaldyCarrotTop Report
Night shift. I abused my 20’s to it’s limit and f****d my sleep schedule so bad that even several years on days not hasn’t fully fixed. sudders at his previous 48 and even 72 hour benders in the name of “work”.
Sorvick , Beka Ichkiti Report
Not earning your own money.
Ruy_Lopez_DeV Report
Being an edgy a*****e. It was fun while it lasted, now i am just a regular boring ole guy.
rachid116460 Report
Sleeping 8 to a hotel room to save money
UrDraco , Marten Bjork Report
Getting in trouble with the law.
arj1985 Report
Weed culture
TimmyTwoTongues Report
going to parties on college campuses
lambofgun Report
Adult money, it’s just a burden. A financial jail to keep you in line.
Dioapple Report
Fast food
wutangi Report
The clothes you wore as a teenager. For me- American Eagle, Abercrombie, etc… there’s something jarring to me now about seeing grown men walking around dressed like walking billboards for clothing companies
bhamnurse Report
Hitch-hiking coolness decreases when you hit 30 My last trip felt more pathetic than anything. I suspect it’ll be cool again when I’m 60
throwaway_nrTWOOO Report
Roommates
level 1 BrutalInsane Report
Atheism. Not to say you don’t remain an atheist, but you no longer think it makes you cool.
Relative_Salary_2834 Report
Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!
Follow Bored Panda on Google News!
Not your original work? Add source
Unlock an Enhanced Experience with Bored Panda Premium
Go ad-free, access unlimited content, and enjoy our sleek dark mode. Your favorite stories, uninterrupted.
No fees, cancel anytime
Olympian Makes Stunning Admission After Judge’s Conspicuous Scores Ignite Cheating Accusations
