There’s something scary about “getting older.”

Gray hairs. Wrinkles.

Creaky joints. Not springing out of bed with ease.

It’s one of those topics that can leave you feeling a bit queasy. But somehow, for me, I’ve discovered that getting older has been oddly liberating.

Lighter. Freeing.

Somehow, expectations have fallen away and stressors have dwindled. And the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve begun to enjoy being older.

After compiling 31 things I like about getting older, I wanted to share some of my favorites with you.

1. You Stop Caring What Everyone Thinks

Somewhere between caring for tiny, helpless babies and zipping up lunchboxes for much larger children who are able to feed themselves, I stopped worrying about other people’s thoughts and opinions. This is probably the single most liberating thing that’s happened as I’ve gotten older.

I used to sit and rehash every interaction, viewing them over and over like football highlights. Now?

I know that most people are worried about themselves and what I think of them isn’t at the top of anyone’s to-do list. And that’s OK.

2. You Finally Know Yourself

I know what makes me happy. I know that decorative pillows are OK.

I know what makes me sad. I know that my daughter might say her mommy is “so bossy” (sorry!) But I’m OK with that, too.

3. Saying No Becomes Easy

This is closely related to the above. There’s something empowering about accepting that you can be unhappy with things and still OK.

No more pretending to love complicated recipes. No more feeling like you have to go out to noisy, bustling restaurants.

No more wanting to say yes to everyone’s requests and feeling guilty when you don’t. No more inventing complex excuses.

Now? Now it’s, “I’m just going to do what works for me.”

And because you’ve narrowed your likes and dislikes down to a science, saying, “I can’t” or, “I don’t want to” is much easier.

4. You Value Your Time More

You know your time is short, so you stop spending it on what doesn’t matter, such as other people, responsibilities and making fitted sheets.

5. You Care Less About Trends

Complicated hairstyles and uncomfortable or outrageously expensive clothes are a thing of the past. You care about classic looks because they’re easier and more comfortable.

You can be stylish, but you’re not going to tolerate being uncomfortable.

6. Your Confidence Grows Naturally

Confidence grows naturally with experience. You may not realize it’s happening, but you’ve become comfortable with your own skin.

You’re less concerned with seeking approval because you’re more secure in who you are.

7. You Appreciate the Little Things

A clean kitchen. A hot cup of coffee.

An empty calendar with no plans. You may not realize it at the time, but these are the little luxuries of life.

They may not make a big difference to others, but you’ve learned to appreciate how wonderful it feels to live a peaceful, quiet life.

8. You Let Go of Perfection

Perfection is an ideal, but life is anything but perfect. You’ve seen and experienced the messy side of life and realize perfection is unnecessary.

You’ve stopped stressing over trivial details like perfectly folding a fitted sheet and realize it’s okay to make mistakes. You’re more laid-back and amused by situations that used to cause anxiety.

9. Your Circle Gets Smaller and Better

You don’t have an open-door policy for friends, family, and acquaintances. Instead, you surround yourself with supportive, uplifting individuals.

You don’t waste your limited time and energy holding grudges or tolerating drama.

10. You Stop Comparing Yourself

This is easier said than done, especially with social media making it seem like everyone else has it all together, but you realize these people are presenting an image that isn’t necessarily real. Everyone has a different experience with life, so hopefully, you can accept there’s no sense in comparing your journey with someone else.

11. You Embrace Comfort

If you’re home, you’re wearing comfy clothes. You’re not afraid to show up looking unkempt to the mailbox or garbage cans because it’s quicker and more convenient.

You’ve realized the importance of feeling good over looking good.

12. You Trust Your Instincts

There was a time you second-guessed your gut. Now, you’re learning to trust your instincts and realize you’ve been right all along.

13. You Don’t Need Approval

You know what works for you. You stop looking for validation.

14. You Laugh More

Now when something used to make you stressed, you just laugh. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes you just laugh because you have nothing else to do.

15. You’re More Financially Aware

You’re not reckless with money, but you’re more aware and thoughtful.

16. You Let Things Go Faster

Holding a grudge is a lot of work and I just don’t want to waste that kind of time. It’s just much easier to forget about it.

17. You Enjoy Your Own Company

This one is huge. I love that we can chill without all the planning and all the noise.

A quiet night in sounds amazing.

18. You Focus on What Matters

You don’t care about small stuff and you care about big stuff like your family, your health, and your mental health.

19. You Accept Your Body

Your body is not what it was twenty years ago, and it’s going to look different. But your body has taken you places, seen things and experienced so much more than you realize.

It’s deserving of appreciation, no matter what.

20. You Stop Over-Explaining

The amount of times you’ve had to explain yourself diminishes, and so do the amount of times you want to explain yourself. Your decisions don’t have to be justified to anyone else – “Because I said so” now applies to you.

21. You Sleep Better (When You Actually Get Sleep)

No matter how you feel about sleeping, you probably agree that sleep is super underrated when you finally get it.

22. You Care Less About “Stuff”

The things you wanted when you were younger don’t appeal to you in the same way now. Reflection, experiences, and memories are all so much more important to you now.

23. You’re More Selective with Energy

You’ve given away energy before, but now that you’ve seen what’s possible, you’re a little more protective of your energy.

24. You Stop Trying to Fix Everything

This is such a freeing feeling. There are things in life that are beyond our control, and realizing this is both scary and empowering.

25. You Appreciate Real Conversations

Small talk has become increasingly less enjoyable as you’d much rather spend your limited socializing on relationships and interactions that matter to you. You appreciate others who want the same.

26. You Let Yourself Rest

Rest is a human right, and you’re allowed to take a step back and stop. It’s necessary and important.

27. You Accept Change More Easily

Change is still scary to you, but you are learning that it’s better to go along with it than cling to it.

28. You Find Joy in Simplicity

The chaos in your life scares you, and that’s why peace means so much to you. It’s why simple things mean so much to you.

That’s why you’re carving out time for them.

29. You Speak Your Mind

You’re not holding back anymore. That’s good.

30. You Realize You’re Stronger Than You Thought

It gets harder but you get harder too. Fewer things rattle you when you’ve survived so many others.

31. You Finally Feel… Free

There is no expectation. There is no pressure.

There is nothing you have to prove. You have worked hard for this stage of life.

Growing older means feeling free, being free of expectations, pressure, judgement. Free of needing to prove your worth.

Free in a way that wrinkles and crow’s feet will never compare to.

Here’s to feeling OK with things. Here’s to being OK with not liking things.

Here’s to hoping that one day, when my kids read this, they’ll know that they can expect to enjoy feeling OK with not feeling OK.