The Nicest Things about Being 30

Lisa Franchi December 01, 2014

If you’re like most people in their 30s, you probably are dealing with plenty of challenges. Studies suggest that these people tend to have problems with job satisfaction, ticking biological clock, and existential crisis.

Whether you’re approaching 30, or you’re living it now, there are so many things to be thankful of. 30s are often portrayed as the life’s best years, basically because an individual is already at a stage in life where he or she’s free from financial insecurity, and not yet experiencing the challenges faced by those in their 40s, 50s or 60s.

Here are some of the nicest things about being in your 30s:

Better career

If you were struggling with ‘lack of experience’, choosing a career path, unemployment, workplace competition and other related issues in your 20s, the decade that follows is a more enjoyable and rewarding time in your career. Women at this age bracket typically have a pay growth, than those who are younger, according to one study. At 30-something, you basically have earned a good deal of experience, learned a lot of things, gained new perspectives, and established what you really want in your career.

There’s more happiness. As in more.

A 2012 survey found that 70 percent of British people over age 40 said they weren’t truly happy until age 33. Majority of the study participants reported that life is more fun at 33, 42 per cent said that they were more optimistic about the future at this age, and 38 per cent said that they experienced less stress at age 33 than when they were younger.

You’ve grown as a better, stronger person.

One of the best things about the 30s is that at this point in your life, you have a rich experience under your belt. You’ve tried, failed, tried, and failed again. You fell down, but stood up, you’ve done this, and done that. And all those not-so-good experiences will make you a much better, stronger person.

Financial security.

Another amazing part of being 30-something is having the ability to lead a lifestyle of your choice. At this time, you probably can afford a bigger apartment, or get a stable source of income to pay for a mortgage. You’re most likely capable of buying an expensive dress (without feeling guilty about it), eating out whenever you want, and going for a vacation.

You know where you’re headed.

By the time you reach 30, you are most likely in the position wherein you’re done being wrong. You bid goodbye to the wrong choices you had during your teenage years, or when you were still in your 20s. You now have figured out the major things in your personal and professional life. And most of all, you have a clearer picture of what you really want in life and were you are headed to.

Better relationships.

No more ‘trial and error’, at least. At 30s, you have most likely identified what qualities and traits you truly want from a partner. You understand your own feelings much better, so you don’t easily fall into the ‘wrong guy’. And because you’ve learned from the hurts of your past relationships, you are far more capable of establishing a solid and genuine relationship now. And this leads to…

Better sex.

Women in their 30s and early-40s are significantly more sexual than younger or older women, reporting more sexual fantasies and more actual sex, according to an article published in the 2010 issue of the Personality and Individual Differences. The researchers hypothesized that women experience enhanced sexual motivation and behaviour as an evolutionary adaptation that would have led them to capitalize on their remaining fertility.

You’re more confident.

And although you still think twice about going to a date, what clothes to wear, or what to order for lunch, you have gained a good deal of confidence by now.

30s are a time that is worth living and celebrating. Don’t feel down if your age has gone past the figures in the calendar. There are more things to see, experience, and learn from by the time you step 30.