Birthdays in Your 30’s

Birthdays in Your 30’s

All the things my mom told me are coming true

When I was little, I remember asking my mom and dad what they wanted for their birthdays. They usually said “nothing”, which baffled my 8-year old brain, whose main focus was keeping an ongoing list of which Barbies and Beanie Babies I wanted next. Now that I’m in my 30’s, I finally understand.

How my values have changed

I’m at the point in my life now where I usually just ask for things I’m already going to buy every year anyways — top items on my list usually include Crest White Strips, Grocery Store/Restaurant/Home Decor Gift Cards, and treats for my dogs.

8-year-old Julana would be looking at me like I was insane…ly boring. But the older I get the more I find myself aiming for a Pinterest looking lifestyle of white walls, plants, and all my clutter to be non-existent, or at the very least hidden from view and in aesthetically pleasing looking box.

My ideal birthday celebration now consists of some sort of vacation (weekend, day trip, or big trip!) spent with my fiance and any of my best friends who can manage to get away from work. (Luckily most of my friends are freelancers, so this tends to work out most years.)

I don’t want “things” anymore. I want experiences.

WHAT I BOUGHT MYSELF FOR MY 32ND BIRTHDAY

For my 32nd birthday, I bought myself the Calm app.

We’ve all heard of it. Personally I never gave much thought to meditation despite all the known benefits. To be honest, the idea of sitting still for 10+ minutes just doesn’t appeal to me. Which is coincidentally the exact reason why I decided to try it out.

My first experience with the Calm app was during an infrared sauna session in Nashville, TN.

I’d been going to monthly sauna sessions for the past year but this particular one was extra fancy. During my 45-minute session, I had the option to sit in silence, watch Netflix, or try out Calm. So I chose Calm, and as I sat, and sweat, and listened to this soothing person’s voice guide me into a relaxed state, I decided it was pretty cool.

Fast forward 3 months and I’m in LA for work, staying in my friend’s peaceful and beautiful apartment. Part of my mission was to find a new morning routine that would really set me up for success throughout the day. I remembered Calm, and signed up for the free 7-day trial.

Here’s what I did with it:

My New Morning Routine

Wake Up Early – I aim for between 6-7am
Choose a Meditation – Unconventionally, I choose to do this while still laying in bed. I pick a 10 minute mediation and just lay there, listening, breathing, and relaxing.
Morning Beauty Routine – Brush teeth, wash face, put on a face mask
Stretch! – Pull out my yoga mat, put on a Calm music playlist, and stretch/get my body moving for 10 minutes
Coffee + Reading – Sometimes I read a book, sometimes a magazine, but I try to stay away from any electronics until my full hour has passed.
Start the Day – This is when I’ll start on my to-do list or begin looking at my phone and computer

What I like about it

Since starting the morning mediations (in bed), I wake up feeling calm and content instead of anxious and stressed out about all the things I need to do that day.

My whole routine takes about an hour and the most important thing for me is that I don’t touch my phone. Taking a whole hour in the morning to check in with myself and my body before taking in other people’s lives is so important to my mental health.

On Calm, you can choose from a variety of mediations based on what you need that day – motivation, self care, confidence, etc.

I really love the mood tracker, which lets you “check-in” throughout the day with easy emojis.

My favorite feature though, is the random pings it sends throughout the day, reminding me to breathe and value the moment I’m in. It’s like having a best friend/cheerleader letting you know that you’re doing just fine.