Adult Realizations as a 28-Year-Old

As soon as I started saying, “15 years ago…”, I realized I’m getting to that age. I’m almost hitting my 30s, but they say 30s is the new 20s? What is my 20s meant for then? Satisfying alcohol cravings? Scratch the day club itch? Get job pre-requisites out of the way so we can make some real $$$? Build up our credit scores? Modern times are different than how it was 40 years ago. We define what we want to do with our lives, how we do it, and when we do it.

Take Care of Yourself

What’s a life with no fun? Please don’t be so ashamed. – Drake

Check out the Dimensions of Wellness; it incorporates the contributing positive qualities in life. This includes emotional wellness, physical wellness, social wellness, occupational wellness, spiritual wellness, intellectual wellness, environmental wellness, and financial wellness. Take care of yourself – fulfill your needs.

It’s okay to…

• Go to therapy
• Sleep early
• Avoid eating certain foods
• Skip out on a social event
• Say no
• Cry
• Be Happy
• Treat yourself
• Question things
• Take time for yourself
• Reevaluate friendships
• End friendships
• Not post on social media

Taking Social Media at Your Own Pace

When I was in college, I used to post every week on Instagram. Now, my last post was from December 2021, and even then, I only had 7 posts in 2021 as a whole. I still document bits of my life but stopped feeling the imaginary pressure to post. I do me and enjoy life. Maybe I don’t enjoy Instagram as much because I’ve been posting about my life’s highlights and thoughts all over my blog. I realized how important it is to be in the moment and enjoy what’s around you. Stopping, taking a picture, and posting about it on the spot repeatedly during a trip ain’t it for me. You do you, boo.

Normalizing Doing Activities Alone, Not Feeling Lonely

I have not gone to the bar by myself before, but I have dined at restaurants by myself in the past. I was vibing with a seafood tower for myself one time in Dallas. Nothing wrong with doing things by yourself. Change your mindset to focus on you enjoying the activity. If people judge, why does it matter? I’m not saying to do everything by yourself, but if you end up in that situation, don’t feel lonely. Enjoy the presence of you, and yourself only.

The Financial Balancing Act

How much are you allocating to necessities, splurging, and savings? I’m thankful to be in a position where I’m not strapped with money, but I don’t want to take it for granted. I live way below my means, though I would’ve been living the dream if the housing market wasn’t terrible. $1 million homes was worth $700k back in 2018. At the same time, live your life a little. I finally learned not to settle for certain things because it’s cheaper. There is a right time and place to be conservative with your money. If you have the means to, that $30 sashimi plate isn’t bad at all.

Beefing is Tiring, Not Worth It

Years ago, I believed in, “it doesn’t matter what they think” but still knowing what they think. At 28, I now believe in getting away from these toxic people. Don’t even entertain it. Who cares what they have going on in their lives. It’s not like social media is the absolute source of truth. It’s all smoke and mirrors based on what people curate. Talk about it once or twice to get it out of your system, but don’t obsess over it. There is a point where enough is enough, and a restraining order might be a great option if it becomes harassment (consult your lawyer).

Just block and live your life. You can’t let these things become a fear where it becomes a roadblock in your day-to-day operations. This doesn’t mean to let people walk over you.

There’s tea? Don’t even look at it. Just dump it. You know it’s going to look and taste nasty anyways, don’t even bother.