To think your 30s are actually better than your 20s?

[CyanOrca]

People act like your 20s are the best years of your life, but honestly, I think your 30s are way better. You (hopefully) have more financial stability, you know yourself more, and there’s way less drama. Sure, you might have more responsibilities but isn’t that better than the chaos and insecurity of your early 20s? AIBU to think your 30s are actually the real glow-up decade?

I preferred my 30s to my 20s definitely, and I’m enjoying my 40s more than my 30s.

Dunno, my opinion on my 30s is it was in super fast forward. Blinked one second I was 30 and the next second I was 40. It's certainly the decade of age of change in mindset though.

Yes, they can be, mid 20's to mid 30's, enjoy it because your 40's is shit.

I’m sorry your 40s were shit. Mine were good & my 50s are better. Different for everyone probably.

Nope, my 40s, my friends and my mums were better than the previous decades. It’s individual.
Can’t beat that kickass confidence that comes

My 20’s were amazing. Minimal worries. Filled with travel, uni, progressing through my career, fun with friends and partner.

30’s were overshadowed with many years of infertility, parents passing away or getting older and having health issues. Eventually having a child (wonderful) but exhausting and wish it had happened years earlier as hoped for so many reasons.

20’s had an energy and lack of many serious problems that I definitely didn’t appreciate at the time and look back on so fondly.

I loved my 30’s!
I felt like myself if that makes sense.

Well I'm 37 this year. I've yet to find a decade that hasn't been plagued with mental health problems, misery and pain. Maybe 40s will be the one!

I feel this. I recently turned 33 and I feel l was 23 two minutes ago. It’s scary!

Im loving my 50s much more than my 30s. But turning 60 sounds a bit scary to be fair.

I hope you get that too, my confidence since turning 40 is through the roof after feeling insecure a lot of my life.

I had my DC when I was 31, 33 and 35, so for me my 30s was the decade of nappies and sleep deprivation whereas my 20s was spent working, going out a lot, travelling etc. So both good in very very different ways!

Ah this is so exciting to read as I head towards 40, with life just getting better and better!

40s are better for me than 20s and 30s, hope it continues!

Not sure. I think 20s are best.

My 20s were sublime - finishing uni, going travelling around the world, getting married, our first home, fantastic holidays…

Our 30s were lovely but consumed with parenthood. Same with 40s.

We’re now early 50s. Having an absolute blast with lots of money and time for fun and travel. But we’re getting old and I’m suddenly aware it’s finite. We already have a few friends with cancer.

There’s nothing like the carefree days of youth…I feel the best bit is behind us and we have to face up to all the sad bits - people dying, illness, ageing and infirmity. It’s all just around the corner now.

I’m in my 50s and my 20s was pretty brilliant, had so much fun! My early 30s wasn’t too bad either. Went very very downhill from my early 40s as I developed chronic illness. 50s pretty bad also so far!

I really hope that’s true, I’m about to get there and am frankly rather scared!

My very old and wise female doctor, long dead now, used to say that your 30s were when you were “old enough to know what you want and young enough to get it.”

I’m 28. I’m very financially comfortable because of what DH does for work, feel like I know myself pretty well, and have had a
lot of responsibility since my early 20s (which were kind of chaotic, though featured much less insecurity than my teens.)

Right now I just feel kind of old and I’m lamenting my body starting to slow down and change. I hope my thirties will be as great as you say, but I have my doubts.

Yes basically same here @minipie - two children with a 4 year gap and they both took a while to conceive. 37 now with no 2 v small still so probably I won't get a reliable night's sleep until almost 40!

Obviously wouldn't change my children for the world but I'm thinking maybe nice to be out of the soft play years in my 40s!

20s were messy but fun.

I think they will- I think "old soul" personalities can feel a bit disjointed in youth but when your actual maturity catches up to your mind, things feel more stable and whole.
I also think it's a huge shame to focus on "feeling old" when you're objectively very young. It's a waste of the only life you have. Plenty of time to feel old when you actually are!

Loving my 30's. Being happily childfree, remote working, frequent travel and with more money than my 20's makes me feel so free. Life is sweet when you don't have responsibilities.

My peak happiness and being at peace with myself has been my 50s.

Feeling old hasn’t really been a choice for me

I had a bad time in my 20s. very insecure. I began gaining slowly in confidence in my 30s, still got a ways to go, but my 20s were a car crash.