So maybe you’re 29. Tomorrow is your birthday. And the stress is really piling on and building up. What have you done with your life so far? Your fun and spontaneous 20s are ending. You’re getting old and you can already see a wrinkle on your forehead. You panic. But why? Why are people so intimidated by turning 30?

Your 30th birthday may not be as fun as your 16th, 18th, or 21st, but it should be seen as just another milestone in a normal, healthy life. As you step across that 30-year-old threshold, you transition into a new period of your life known as mid-life. This transition may seem to cause alarm bells to go off in your head and can lead some people to go through a mid-life crisis. This sudden need to try new personas can cause physical and mental illnesses including eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. While people seem to lose touch with who they truly are, it’s still possible to return to your roots and continue to age in a graceful manner.

Renowned psychologist and founder of psychoanalysis, Carl Jung, describes mid-life as “one of those critical transition periods in our adulthood.” The first part of your life is spent building up your own unique persona by getting an education, progressing in your career, and developing a steady home life. On the other hand, the second half of your life is more about applying that knowledge and finding your own meaning and purpose in the world.

Often times, people approaching 30 still feel they have much more knowledge to gain through life experiences or they may not be at the place in their life that they wish to be by the time this milestone has been reached. This fear of getting old is also known as Gerascophobia. Psychiatrist, Gail Saltz, MD tells us that there are several different anxieties that are associated with the fear of getting older such as, losing beauty, getting sick, dying, or even waking up one day and thinking that you wont be able to recognize yourself. It’s important to know that just like getting older, fear is natural and you must face your fears everyday. Some people take this idea more seriously than others.

A recent study based on 15 individuals between the ages of 30 and 70 that participate in “extreme sports” was released and their take on fear and how to manage it is such an eye opener. Even though these individuals risk their lives by BASE jumping, big wave surfing, waterfall kayaking, extreme skiing, or high-level mountaineering, some say they don’t experience fear the same way any other individual would. On the other hand, fear is fear. Fear causes anxiety whether its risking your life or stepping out of your comfort zone by transitioning into a new way of living and accepting the person that you have developed into over the past 30 years.

As each participant was interviewed, they relayed their experiences with fear and provided insight into how they manage or cope with this dreadful feeling. They say the fear that they experience only pushes them to survive even harder. Not everyone can make it through this fear factor, but its important to overcome the feeling in order to succeed. Participants in the study claimed they manage their fears by staying focused, remaining in control, and using the fear to empower themselves. When they complete a potentially fatal activity successfully, they seem to undergo a self-transformation that only makes them appreciate the experience they have gained even more.

Anybody that begins to experience fear and anxiety whiling approaching their mid-life should look to these participants as inspiration. Its important to reflect on what is making you anxious and utilize that information to transform yourself into the person you want to be. A Health and Wellbeing center at the University of Minnesota tells students to face their fears head on and not use avoidance strategies. Turning 30 is a part of life and isn’t something you shouldn’t try to escape. Another great way to deal with these issues is to gather a good support system and continue to reflect on your experiences as you get older.

Jen Kim, a writer for Psychology Today, tells everyone going through these problems to remember that “success is perspectival,” meaning not everyone has the same values in life and shouldn’t compare themselves to others. Everyone goes through life at their own pace and should take things one day at a time. Your 30th birthday is just another 24 hours of your life and it doesn’t need to hold as much weight as you are associating with it.

Works Cited

Betts, John. “Mid-Life & Jungian Analysis.” Jungian Psychoanalysis, jungian.ca/mid-life-jungian-analysis/.

Booth, Stephanie. “What Is Mindfulness-and How Can It Help You?” Health.com, 15 Apr. 2019, http://www.health.com/mind-body/what-is-mindfulness.

Brymer, Eric, and Robert Schweitzer. “Extreme Sports Are Good for Your Health: A Phenomenological Understanding of Fear and Anxiety in Extreme Sport.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 18, no. 4, 2012, pp. 477–487., doi:10.1177/1359105312446770.

“How to Deal with Chronic Fear and Anxiety.” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing, http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-deal-chronic-fear-and-anxiety.

Kim, Jen. “If You’re Turning 30 and Freaking Out.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 12 Aug. 2012, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/valley-girl-brain/201208/if-youre-turning-30-and-freaking-out-0.

Olesen, Jacob, et al. “Fear of Getting Old Phobia – Gerascophobia.” FEAROF.NET, 5 Mar. 2016, http://www.fearof.net/fear-of-getting-old-phobia-gerascophobia/.