Enjoying your birthday when you aren’t thrilled about aging

INSIDE : Learn ideas on enjoying your birthday even when you aren’t very excited about aging.  Let’s focus on embracing aging gracefully by entering into each season of life with joy and gratitude.

This post has been updated from it’s original July 2019 publish date.

My birthday is late summer.  I don’t know many people who love aging, but it seems like most people at least enjoy their birthday.  However, for some of us – birthdays can feel a little less exciting.

The month prior to my birthday is typically when I start to feel an upcoming sense of slight dread.  

“Oh great… August is almost here.  Oh great…. It’s almost my birthday.  Oh great… another year older.”  

Especially as I start to near 40 years old, I have been trying to pin-point where these feelings are coming from and what is their root cause.

I shared on Instagram Stories a little #realtalk about my dislike of getting older.  I shared that starting in early July, I decided to really devote the entire month to “feeling” better physically.  

I started working out almost daily (I think I’ve skipped a 3 or so days) and although I’m not changing my eating habits much – my goal is to feel better, not to lose weight – and I’m definitely starting to feel stronger.

In addition to sharing about my workout plan prior to my birthday, I polled my readers to see if they had any tips for embracing their birthday and aging in general.  

I LOVED the ideas people shared, plus it felt so nice to know that quite a lot of you don’t especially love birthday’s either.

Don’t listen to the birthday lies

My heart’s desire would be to love, embrace and ENJOY aging.  

I WANT to feel great in my skin, and no matter my age to feel happy and fulfilled.  However, I’m not quite there and each birthday reminds me that I’m getting further away from goals.

I DO NOT LIKE this mentality and would encourage anyone else that this is complete crazy talk.  However, this is the little voice that whispers in my head as my birthdays always near.

Tips for embracing your birthday

UPDATE : I just turned 40 years old a few days ago… and guess what.  A year of me working though some lies about getting older has hugely helped me!  

I feel more confident and assure of myself.  I think I am finally embracing where I am in life and joyful for where I’ve been and where I am heading! PROGRESS!

Tips for enjoying your birthday

Here are some of the amazing ideas my Instagram readers suggested for enjoying your birthday. 

• Remember that it is only with age (time & experience) that you can gain wisdom.
• I’m about to turn 40 and I’m all about it.  It’s a new lap around the sun.  I made it!
• I just think about how happy I am to be alive and how lucky I am to have another year. 
• I celebrate all month long, this way I get to feel the love from my family and friends.
• I have dreaded celebrating my birthday the last two years.  Get good friend to help celebrate.
• I struggle too.  I try to remember that it beats the alternative and to try to do things now that will set future me up for success (ex. being better at skin care routine).
• I typically throw big parties for myself or something really fun so i can look forward to the day.
• I never liked my birthdays.  It’s not about an age thing for me, more so not liking the attention.
• Accept it, it’s gonna happen anyway!
• Look back at all the things you’ve accomplished in the last year and celebrate those!
• Eat the dang cake!  Do you! And love the amazing body, gifts and talents God has given you!!
• I want to be useful and vibrant well into my kid’s 30’s and fingers crossed 40’s.  My perspective also shifted when my mom died at 69.
• I think about tall the people that never got to see my age and I’m grateful.  
• I love my birthdays.  It’s a gift that many I know didn’t get, so I am thankful for each of my 41 years.
• I just turned 36 last month and I’m like, “nooo. I’m middle aged.”
• Just being proud of my wisdom! I was super dumb in my earlier days! So much wiser.
• I love getting older because it means you are LIVING.  Opposite of that is being dead.

Inspiring Quotes about aging

• “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.”  ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
• “The trouble is, when a number—your age—becomes your identity, you’ve given away your power to choose your future.”  ~Richard J. Leider“
• “Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young.”  ~Ben Franklin
• “Old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing every week.” ~Maggie Kuhn
• “The belief that youth is the happiest time of life is founded on a fallacy. The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts and we grow happier as we grow older.” ~William Lyon Phelps
• “Every year should teach you something valuable; whether you get the lesson is up to you. Every year brings you closer to expressing your whole and healed self.”   ~Oprah Winfrey
• “I suppose real old age begins when one looks backward rather than forward.” ~ Mary Sarton
• “Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.” ~Jackie Joyner-Kersee
• “Your 40s are good.  Your 50s are great.  Your 60s are fab.  And 70 is f*@king awesome!”  ~Helen Mirren

7 tips on how to age gracefully

1. Get good rest.
2. Be good to your skin.
3. Move your body.
4. Try to lower your stress.
5. Find hobbies you enjoy.
6. Drink lots of water.
7. Never stop imagining and dreaming.

So let me know in the comments… do you have any tips on how to gracefully age, embrace those birthdays or just straight celebrate the amazing person that you are?!!