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“They Look Ten Years Older”: 30 Things About Aging That Folks In Their 20s Never Think About
When you’re in your 20s, you have your entire life ahead of you. The world is your oyster, and your lack of experience and wisdom may make you feel naively invincible.
However, Father Time waits for no one. Before you know it, you’ll be in your 40s, remembering what you’ve taken for granted. You’ll also likely be one of those answering this Reddit question: “What’s something people in their 20s don’t realize will affect them when they get older?”
Commenters shared the mistakes they feel young people could avoid committing, from ignoring bad posture to poor financial planning and settling for second best.
If you’re part of the younger crowd, feel free to take some notes. But if you’re at least 30, hopefully, this list doesn’t make you feel too old or regretful.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Know when to walk away. From buying something, to terrible jobs, to relationships.
You will look back at periods of time when you should have walked away.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Can be a VERY difficult lesson to learn "when to walk away" when we're also conflictingly told to hang in there, don't quit and persevere.
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#2
Taking care of your teeth!
Dental pain is awful and treatment is expensive - and insurance coverage can be poor.
Brush and floss twice a day!
liz MacClain 1 year ago
Unfortunately, when I was pregnant, all the calcium was leached out of my teeth and at 49 I ended up getting dentures. It isn't always about care it is sometimes about circumstances
#3
You are going to have to be responsible, clean, organize, and cook until the day you die. The earlier you learn how to do these things efficiently, the better off you will be later on.
Carol Culhane 1 year ago
Once I started just doing these things when I thought of them instead of procrastinating I increased my downtime hugely. It's not downtime if something is niggling at you constantly. Sometimes you can give it a 20 min. lick and a promise, that's fine.
#4
It’s important to find hobbies or interests outside of work. In your 20s, it might feel like you have all the time in the world, but those passions can keep you grounded as life gets hectic.
Ritchat 1 year ago (edited)
This! And it must be a hobby that you don't monatize in any way. Because making it into another job can rob you of your joy for it and it might not help relax anymore. And you don't have to become an expert at it. Sing badly, write poorly, draw sketchy, it doesn't matter as long as it brings you joy.
#5
In your 20s, it can be easy to overlook how important it is to save and invest early. I wish I had started building my savings and understanding finances back then, as it makes a big difference in your 30s and beyond. Take some time to learn about financial planning; it really pays off later.
Denise Melek 1 year ago
If you can afford savings...and I'm not talking about avocado toast and Starbucks but eating rice for a week.
#6
Not using sunscreen. I have friends who use to spend their entire summer laid out in the sun with no kind of sun protection, and now they look ten years older than their age.
Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
Although what you're supposed to look like for your age shifts with society's expectations, I guess. I remember what people my age used to look like thirty years ago; sunscreen is only part of it. To keep up nowadays you'd need at least retinoids at night, vitamin c during the day, and a moisturizer. And yes, sunscreen.
#7
Spend money to get quality products for things that separate you from the floor. Mattress, shoes, desk chair, couch, etc.
Over time your body will thank you.
Gonbei Nanashino 1 year ago
Problem is that finding high quality products are getting much harder than before.
#8
Racking up debt. It gets you into a cycle that can be hard to break, even if you have a high paying job.
Adam Benson 1 year ago
I had no choice but to take out a government loan for uni because my parents couldn't pay for it either. It took me 20+ years to finally pay it all back. Now I'm debt free and saving like crazy to put my own boys through uni.
#9
Being obese. You can deal with it in your 20's. It's like a frog in a pot of boiling water by the time you hit your 40's. You'll feel "normal", but being obese puts CONSTANT physical strain on your body.
Koalafied to komment 1 year ago
I was morbidly obese for large parts of my 20s. I was lucky I didn't develop serious health issues then. I got on the right track 5 years ago, lost half of my weight with sports and a healthy diet. And now, with 37, I feel better than in my 20s.
#10
Don't mess with your eyebrows!
Because at least in my day we would tweeze the heck out of them and now that I'm older they're spotty. If I could go back I'd leave them the hell alone.
Koalafied to komment 1 year ago
To this day, I thank an older colleague who told me about that fact when I was 26. Thanks to her, I stopped tweezing the shît out of my eyebrows!
#11
Always lift with your legs, absolutely always. You don't want pain from just bending over slightly because "you've got it".
#12
Something I wish I learned in my 20’s that I should have and it is this - you are in your 20’s. You can still f**k up and it doesn’t matter. You have time to try different things, live in different places, and take risks. When I was in my 20’s I was stressing over stupid s**t (work, relationships, being on track). I’m not in the career anymore, those relationships are long gone, and there is no track to life - just a general direction. Keep your compass at true north, but you can wander off the path. It’s okay.
#13
Underestimating the addictive nature of tobacco.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Reading this at 5am with no glasses, I thought this said "the addictive nature of tattoos"....
#14
Many people in their 20s don't realize that poor eating habits and lack of consistent exercise can lead to significant health issues in their 40s and beyond.
Emma London 1 year ago
Oh the time when eating fast food was only a money issue, not a health issue!
#15
Take care of your ears. Hearing loss is permanent and sometimes results in tinnitus. It can be bad for some people to the point they contemplate s*icide. See the tinnitus sub reddit if you want some depressing stories.
Koalafied to komment 1 year ago
I developed a tinnitus from being on too many very loud concerts without hearing protection. Please wear them
#16
Posture.
I'm in my early 30s trying to correct downright abysmal posture and if it's this bad now I can hardly imagine what 10 more years of this would do to me.
#18
Not sleeping enough! You think you can get by on 4 hours now, but trust me, your 40-year-old self will be begging for naps like it’s a luxury.
#19
A lot of things that you find so important in your 20s will not be important at all in your 40s.
#20
How important mental health is! In your 20s, it feels like you can bounce back from anything, but those habits and stressors can really catch up with you later.
Cannedseaslug:
Early mental health treatment. Some people spiral and will never be able to be pulled out from severe bipolar and schizophrenia. These diseases make it so they don’t believe they have problems and become resistant to getting help. Depression can prevent you from having a fulfilling life. Alcohol and d**g rehab before your organs and brain are destroyed. You can dial 211 on your phone and they can help. It’s anonymous and it can connect you or someone you know to resources near you.
Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
Nobody can be pulled out from severe bipolar or schizophrenia. As with depression, early treatment may get you tolerable medication and less damage, but that sһit is for life.
#21
Learn to cook from scratch. Basic raw ingredients are healthier than processed. You can batch cook and meal prep and once you know how and get in the habit it’s as easy at heating up cr*ppy processed food.
#22
Coming from someone in a trade, don't kneel on hard surfaces without some sort of protection. Be it pads or a chunk of foam or even a rolled up towel in a pinch. Osteoarthritis will find you...
On that note, also wear any other PPE required in your work environment.
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
YES! Do NOT be swayed by those who scoff at PPE. Good natured griping is expected, but PPE is absolutely essential. Eye, hearing and lung protection are simple common sense.
#23
Marriage.
I'm not really being flippant. What you want in a partner when you're 25, and what you want when you're 45, are very different things. Now, it's entirely possible your partner will, as they age and mature, grow in to whatyou need as you need. It's also very possible they will change in ways that are very much not what you want, and now you're got a house and 2 kids making things complicated.
I would never straight up say people shouldn't get married in their 20's. But I would say don't rush anything, and don't get married because you've been together for x months or years so it's time. Go in with your eyes open, and having really talked with your partner about what they want and where they see themselves in 10 years. If that doesn't align with where you see your self, and they are incompatible, it's time for another serious talk.
#24
Wear good shoes! Allthose cheap shoes with no support really come back to haunt you later in life!
Seedy Vine 1 year ago
I had to stop wearing heavy, clunky shoes in my 50s because my hips would be screaming by day's end.
#25
Work your core! It will help strengthen your back and prevent a LOT of back problems when you're older. Plank for 3 minutes a day is all it takes.
Gonbei Nanashino 1 year ago
This isn’t for younger you. This is for you NOW, however old you’re.
#26
Being happy with how you look because it all goes to s**t.
Cathy 1 year ago
Listen, every time I looked at photos from 10 years before I thought 'I was so pretty and skinny then'. Then it dawned on me that I would probably, in 10 years time, look at photos from me right now and think that. And as I am future me, I could (should!) also start loving myself right now!!
#27
Stretching!!!!! Before everything !!!!! I stretch before I take a s**t now.
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Um. If you need to stretch before taking a bowel movement, you might want to reevaluate your dietary choices ...
#28
Do not sit around too much and never stop moving. Some of my coworkers, family and friends are already having problems with stairs, hills and such and frankly it's kind of scaring me. There is a fine balance between rest and movement - you don't need to overdo it but don't sit down too long as it will catch up with you!!!
#30
The obvious stuff:
1. Wear sunscreen
2. Don't drink too much
3. Stop smoking
4. Exercise
5. Sleep
The less obvious stuff:
1. Socializing and making friends becomes harder as you get older, especially if your life revolves around going out to bars and hanging out. I hit 40 and my body just doesn't want to do that anymore. Having hobbies that don't center around drinking goes a long way.
2. If you haven't learned how to budget money and put aside some for retirement, you're going to be working late into your life. Start early and save yourself the heartache.
3. Protect your hearing. if you're going out to shows and cranking up the volume on your headphones you're going to have a hard time hearing in your 40s and 50s.
4. Travel, especially outdoors travel, becomes harder. I do a lot of hiking and backpacking, and trips I used to think about in my 20s aren't trips I can do now. You also start having more obligations around family and kids so getting time to get away becomes harder. Do it now :).
#31
Drinking alcohol. Zero benefits, esaily addictive, empty calories. It may seem fun to be drunk but in the long run, it's not worth it.
Earonn - 1 year ago
Drinking alcohol doesn't mean automatically to get shitfaced. Most of the things we enjoy aren't good in excess. Learn to appreciate a nice glass of wine or beer with your dinner, or a wee dram of Single Malt when you sit down with a good book or friends. Yeah, just don't drink yourself into a stupor and NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.
#32
You may love your job and be really good at it...but at some point as you age, you realize that you just aren't going to be able to keep doing this forever. You start to notice that you don't have quite as much energy, and that this drop in energy and enthusiasm increases slowly as you age. Maybe the industry is also slowly changing. You extrapolate out in the future and you realize that there will be a point in time when you just won't be able to do it anymore, and also kind of a realization that before that point there will also likely be a point when you don't even want to do it anymore. As this realization grows, having your financial s**t together (savings, investment, low debt) is a huge comfort.
Papa 1 year ago
I had done physical labor my whole working life, but when I was approaching 50 I realized that being out in all kinds of weather and going home exhausted every day wasn't as much fun as it had been, so I learned how to do something that lets me make a good living sitting behind a desk. I've been doing that since 2009.
#33
It's a good time to start putting serious thought into your personal values. I didn't do much of that (maybe most do) and it resulted in some behavior i have shame around today. Otherwise have some fun!
Emma London 1 year ago
Core values are usually learned as a child. You just need to refine them and vocalize them as your every day values at your teens or as a young adult, and you are usually set for life.
#34
Vaping! I’ve smoked for over 25 years and I’m sure everyone that starts vaping at a young age now will be addicted forever. It’s not like you’re not addicted anymore, it’s just that you’re able to control it (but for how long?).
#35
Learn to be patient, respectful of others, keep your mind open, and do your best. Not everyone will agree with you but that doesn't make them a bad person. Learn to work with and enjoy the company of others with whom you have disagreements.
Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
The aim of communication is not to agree on what reality is, but to see what it is like for someone else.
#36
You have one body. Hard work is what it is but protect your body. Any fall or accident you may have when you are young may not appear until you are older. You are not immortal or invincible.
#37
Get into a habit of a good skincare routine.
Never stop learning.
If you are attractive learn to develop your personality.
#38
Electric toothbrushes are worth it. switched to one a year ago, and now when i get my cleanings, my gums don't bleed anymore.
also braces/Invisalign's are worth it. I did have them as a kid, and nether did my partner. She got rid of migraines having her teeth straightened, and I snore a lot less.
featherytoad 1 year ago
I've always used a regular toothbrush, and my gums have never bled when getting my teeth cleaned.
Kelly Scott 1 year ago (edited)
A lot of these assume a person can afford these things. But since my paycheck only covered rent, utilities, and sometimes food (when I wasn't living in my vehicle), many of these things were off the table when I was younger and many of them still are. I would just tell people: be rich. If you have money, you have everything, including the options for good health, access to insurance of all kinds, healthy food, the ability to make choices, to be able to fix and drive safe vehicles, to live in safe places, to get a decent education, to have savings for the future, to buy expensive but good beds and shoes, and to be able to manage your working life so you can leave a toxic job or take time and get a better one. I wish I had been able to do any of those things.
Emma London 1 year ago
Electric brushes are not necessary, but strengtening your teeth (if it isn't mere an aesthetic issue) is just good healthcare.
Cathy 1 year ago
Ask your dentist, electric brushes clean better with less 'gum pulling up'
Load More Replies... #39
I have friends who were "Elite Class" athletes when they were in their 20s. They ran marathons, 10Ks - any race they could find. They got up at the crack of dawn and ran miles before work. Now, in their 40s, they both have bad backs and arthritis in their hips and knees.
#40
Getting piercings in and around your mouth can cause broken teeth and receding gums. 2 grand with private health insurance for a crown, plus the money I’ve spent on multiple fillings.
Koalafied to komment 1 year ago
I had a lip piercing in my 20s, thinking I can always just take it out and will heal. And yes, it does, there's no hole anymore, but holy shît, you can still see that there was a hole, the skin didn't forget lol. I don't really suffer because of it, it's no health problem, but I would have wanted to know that a decade ago
#41
I was a speed cyclist when I was young. When I was around 40 I realized how busted my knees were, and eventually, I needed a cane.
#42
Your stamina will decline. And you'll notice, especially if you exercise or do some kind of sport.
#43
Partying. I used to rave like there's no tomorrow. Now I have tinnitus and a busted knee.
White Sauce Hot Sauce 1 year ago
I've been raving for quite some time and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. However, I actually take proper precautions, like earplugs, drinking lots of water and limiting alcohol intake, using a handfan, not dancing on slippery surfaces, stretching beforehand, regular exercise, and not taking random substances from that sketchy looking dude in the corner.
#46
Cut back on the carbs and sugar now. Diabetes sucks and treating food almost like poison is really doing a number on my mental health.
Emma London 1 year ago
It's still a tricky question how much a type 2 diabetes is the person't own doing and how much it's just bad luck. Be thoughfull before you go and say that the type 2 is just a lifestyle decease, you might get some angry responses!
#47
Two things:
1) Settling. Don't think 'this is good enough for now'. The low paying job that's easy, the college courses that aren't challenging, the apartment that's run down. Think about the future and push to improve your life.
2) Social circles that aren't maintained fall away. My brothers were all very sociable in their teens and 20s, partying and what not. But as life got busy they stopped putting in the effort and it all fell away. They're older now and have very few actual friends.
Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
I disagree. I may be too privileged (I'm Dutch) to give general advice here, but learning to be satisfied with sһitty stuff goes a long way in life, and hanging an expensive mortgage around your neck does not a happy camper make. And a few actual friends is all you need.
#48
How easy it was to make friends in my 20s. In my 20s, most people didn’t have kids yet so we all had lots of free time to go out and have fun. I never married and don’t have kids. I now make friends with empty nesters who are usually 55+, but they don’t really have the same energy level to do the activities I like.
#49
Maintenance habits. A lack of maintenance in all sectors won’t show its consequences for decades. Take care of your teeth, your health, your skin, really anything that you care about the quality of.
#51
Neighborhood walkability!!! I’ve seen so many friends gain weight because they feel stuck in their house or car. Find a neighborhood that lets you move a bit.
#52
At 40, I started needing reading glasses. Perfect vision my whole life. Technically I still have 20/20, but now I have old tired eyes that can't be bothered to focus on screens, pages, or labels.
#53
Crossfit f***s up your joints real good.
#54
Estrogen loss (perimenopause/ menopause).
Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
Don't worry about that in your twenties, it's going to happen anyway.
#55
Not working hard. You settle in to where you'll be working wise forever at 40 ish. All the guys that set themselves up in their 20s are doing well and the guys that didn't, aren't .
#56
Being able to connect on a deep romantic level decreases with each new partner.
#57
Not 40's here, but:
Work on your career. Even if nobody seems to give a s**t about it in your 20's. If you're a guy, what you do for a living becomes one of, if not the biggest determining factors of your social status when you get into your 30's.
What do you think ?
K- THULU 1 year ago
Wow, what a bunch of boring pieces of advice.... my advice as a 56 year old... live it up... party like there's no tomorrow, learn to just say f*ck it... you're only young once... make the most of it!!
Kare Deter 1 year ago
THANK YOU!! SO many of these read like "don't enjoy life. If you like doing something, don't do it or you'll be sorry..." I have a bad knee, a bad hip and a bad shoulder and I would do it all over again (if I could)
Load More Replies...
John Legere 1 year ago
Are these people talking about going from 20 to 40 years old or 20 to 70 years old?
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Work hard to lose the weight now if you're overweight, because it's so much easier in your twenties (metabolism is faster) then it is in your 40s 50s 60s etc. And usually by the time you're in your twenties, your health hasn't degraded so badly that you've got hypertension, joint problems etc. You're healthy enough to get better. In a few decades, you won't be. And taking care of your teeth? I mean I hate flossing, but there are alternatives. There are other ways to floss that don't just involve a long piece of floss string. Ask your dental professionals, try a water pic, try floss tape, try those wasteful plastic u-shaped pics with the floss already put on them. Bad for the environment but if you can get into the habit, he should. Cuz again in your twenties probably your teeth aren't all that bad, wait a few decades. Dental Care is extremely expensive. You'll have bad breath, your teeth will shift and then you'll have to get adult braces, you'll have to get crowns or Bridges...
Mari 1 year ago
Education! Learn as much as possible. And level up your skills. How younger, how easier.
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
I'm 71. Everything I learned as an engineering student in college (with the possible exception of math) has long been obsolete. Perhaps I should have majored in English Literature (ha, ha).
Load More Replies... Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
Calcium, dear twenty-somethings. Your bones will gain strength until you're thirty, and if you help them, there's less chance of osteoporosis when you're old.
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Light up your life!
Manana Man 1 year ago
I have one for women. Forego the breast implants. I know, I've heard it all, you're doing it for you and you don't care what men think. Fine. But what they don't tell you is that they're only good for about 10 years. Then you need another surgery. Get them and you're signing up for a lifetime of repeated surgeries for something that's going to matter less and less to you as time goes on.
K- THULU 1 year ago
Wow, what a bunch of boring pieces of advice.... my advice as a 56 year old... live it up... party like there's no tomorrow, learn to just say f*ck it... you're only young once... make the most of it!!
Kare Deter 1 year ago
THANK YOU!! SO many of these read like "don't enjoy life. If you like doing something, don't do it or you'll be sorry..." I have a bad knee, a bad hip and a bad shoulder and I would do it all over again (if I could)
Load More Replies... John Legere 1 year ago
Are these people talking about going from 20 to 40 years old or 20 to 70 years old?
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Work hard to lose the weight now if you're overweight, because it's so much easier in your twenties (metabolism is faster) then it is in your 40s 50s 60s etc. And usually by the time you're in your twenties, your health hasn't degraded so badly that you've got hypertension, joint problems etc. You're healthy enough to get better. In a few decades, you won't be. And taking care of your teeth? I mean I hate flossing, but there are alternatives. There are other ways to floss that don't just involve a long piece of floss string. Ask your dental professionals, try a water pic, try floss tape, try those wasteful plastic u-shaped pics with the floss already put on them. Bad for the environment but if you can get into the habit, he should. Cuz again in your twenties probably your teeth aren't all that bad, wait a few decades. Dental Care is extremely expensive. You'll have bad breath, your teeth will shift and then you'll have to get adult braces, you'll have to get crowns or Bridges...
Mari 1 year ago
Education! Learn as much as possible. And level up your skills. How younger, how easier.
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
I'm 71. Everything I learned as an engineering student in college (with the possible exception of math) has long been obsolete. Perhaps I should have majored in English Literature (ha, ha).
Load More Replies... Bartlet for World Domination 1 year ago
Calcium, dear twenty-somethings. Your bones will gain strength until you're thirty, and if you help them, there's less chance of osteoporosis when you're old.
Rodney McKay 1 year ago
The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Light up your life!
Manana Man 1 year ago
I have one for women. Forego the breast implants. I know, I've heard it all, you're doing it for you and you don't care what men think. Fine. But what they don't tell you is that they're only good for about 10 years. Then you need another surgery. Get them and you're signing up for a lifetime of repeated surgeries for something that's going to matter less and less to you as time goes on.
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