30 Older Internet Users Share The Things They Want Everyone Who's 30 And Under To Know About Life

"Once our brain gets fixed on a regret or a mistake from the past, it can become like a broken record—we keep playing it back over and over again. Sooner or later, some new thing will come along that takes enough brain power that lets us let go of the worry, or else time does its trick and lets us put it in the past."

Professor Degges-White, from Northern Illinois University, explained to Bored Panda that while a worry or a regret is still fresh in our minds, it can be helpful to remind ourselves that we did the best that we could at that moment in time.

"We all are going to make mistakes—whether it's a bad decision or having hurt someone or missing out on an opportunity. But we all make the best decisions we can at any point in time— none of us intentionally try to screw up our lives!" she said.

"Reminding yourself that we all make mistakes, we all have regrets, and yet we all have to live in the present may help us focus on making better choices in the here and now and using past mistakes as learning opportunities to do things 'better' in the future."

According to Degges-White, we actually make it harder to enjoy our leisure time and our work if we spend all of our time stressing about our jobs.

"Every job we hold is an important job as it's a stepping stone to the next one, but we also have to remember that if we don't manage to keep our emotional tank filled, we'll run out of gas before we get to our ideal job," she said.

"Work/Life Balance is a catchphrase that gets a lot of airtime, but it is truly a concept that we should consider when we're making decisions about saying 'yes' or 'no' to commitments or 'opportunities' that translate into 'obligations.'"

The professor told Bored Panda that the average person holds over 12 jobs in their lifetime, so it's important you don't get so stressed about your career.

"It's a winding path for most people now, not a straight shot at the same place for decades! Don't be a slacker, however, or your next move might not be the one you want."

The biggest pieces of advice that yours truly can give you, having leveled up to 30 this year (thank you, thank you, you’re too kind, Pandas) might sound a bit cheesy to you. But I thought I’d share ‘em with you nonetheless. You know us grognards, we love a good audience and the sound of our own voice or errr pixelated ink in this case.

Tip number one: small bits of effort daily are worth far more than their weight in gold. We tend to underestimate the power of small steps and instead dream about big gestures, big steps, big chunks of time dedicated to the pursuit of our goals. Here’s the thing, though—life gets in the way. School, family, work, friends, hobbies, heck, even cooking, all of these things (however pleasurable or otherwise) get in the way.

So we’re left postponing our ambitions till the weekend/Monday/next week/next month. Y’know, until we have the time, energy, not to mention motivation to really give it our all. That happens incredibly rarely. We’re far better off doing something for even 15 minutes each day, consistently, than postponing our happiness.

Tip number two, from yours truly: please, for the love of all that is (un)holy, take better care of your health. Eat more veggies. Drink more water. Look at fast food, processed goods, and snacks as occasional treats instead of the core of your diet. Lay off the sugar and caffeine. Spend more time out in nature, out in the sun (don’t forget your sunscreen, though!).

And, please, move more. Our modern way of life means that many people are often hunched over screens or lounging on sofas for far too long. A sedentary lifestyle is the antithesis of a healthy and happy body and mind, especially coupled with a bad diet. So do your future self a favor and find some forms of exercise that you enjoy the most. For instance, someone might absolutely hate running (yuck!), but that’s okay because they love playing badminton, dancing, or swimming. It’s all about finding ways to stay active. Human beings aren’t built for not moving for long stretches of time.

Recently, food expert Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin explained to Bored Panda that eating ‘mindfully’ helps us get more enjoyment out of our meals. It can also help us eat less but better.

“When you are eating, only eat. Don’t be walking around the kitchen. Don’t be scrolling on your phone. Don’t be watching TV or otherwise multitasking. Sit down with just you and your food and actually pay attention to each bite you are putting in your mouth. This will help you slow down, taste your food, and your brain will be more likely to acknowledge that you just ate, and ruminate on how you feel about what you just ate,” she shared with us.

What’s more, Jessica suggested cutting out the fruit juice and sodas from your diet. Instead, embrace water!

"A glass of water and a piece of fruit is way better for you than a glass of fruit juice. A glass of water and a handful of candy or chocolate bar is way more satisfying than a glass of sugary soda," she explained. “You can cut out a ton of calories without making a ton of sacrifices on your plate by kicking all the drinks in your fridge to the curb, and upping your water intake. Save the non-water drinks for special occasions only. Your body (and especially skin!) will thank you."

Personal trainer and physiotherapist Paulius Lipskis previously told Bored Panda that it’s important to accept and embrace yourself as you are. He noted that nobody should feel like they’re forced to follow a healthy lifestyle. It’s something that we should want. “If you’re constantly angry, tired, and you’re low on energy—it’s an issue,” he said.

“Usually, our unhealthy habits are a result of constant stress and our behavior that’s meant to protect us from it. If we would have an honest chat with ourselves, we’d clearly see that we’re dissatisfied with ourselves only when we feel that we’re using our bad habits to cover our emotions,” the fitness expert told Bored Panda.

“However, if we accept that we’re not perfect, we’re not pressured to change. That’s when you start developing a natural desire and curiosity to find out what the best possible version of you is.”

And tip number three from me would be a very simple encouragement to live your lives with more courage, Pandas. It’s very easy to get stuck in your comfort zone and not want to venture out even a little bit. But there’s a lot more to life than going to work, paying your taxes, watching TV, and eating pizza. Often, that means trying something entirely new and embracing all of the weird feelings that come along with being uncomfortable.

Life’s a lot more fun when you constantly challenge yourself in small ways, all the time. It’s about embracing fun and joy on the one hand, as well as putting in genuine effort on the other. One way you can live with more courage is to be kind to others, instead of focusing just on yourself. It takes guts to poke your head out of your Bubble of Comfort and put yourself in situations that might be awkward or embarrassing.

So help your neighbor, classmate, colleague, stranger, or family member in whatever way that you can, and make the world a better place. The best part? It doesn’t matter if you’re 30, 13, or 133 because age is just a number. What matters is what we do, consistently, not how old we are.