11 Little Things That Matter Most In Life The Older You Get
Most people want to make it big, but by the time they get there, they realize just how much of a difference the small things make.
sebra / Shutterstock We spend most of our lives chasing after the things we’re supposed to want: a high-paying job, a big house, the admiration of strangers. After all the time and energy we spend trying to make those misplaced dreams a reality, we usually find out that hitting those benchmarks doesn’t make us feel fulfilled, and it's the little things that matter most in life the older you get.
We hold on tight to the belief that those big-ticket items bring happiness, because the truth feels too scary to say out loud. We’re responsible for our own joy, and that’s something no outside force can provide. Once you arrive at that realization, you discover exactly which seemingly small things you dismissed for so long are truly the most meaningful parts of life.
These are 11 little things that matter most in life the older you get
1. A consistent morning routine
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It might not seem like a big deal, but the way we wake up sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you’re someone who hits the snooze button a thousand times, only to lie in bed doom-scrolling until you start work, you’re bound to feel seriously stressed before you’ve even had breakfast.
The older you get, you realize that a consistent morning routine is the best gift you can give your future self. When it comes to finding your early morning rhythm, it’s the little things that matter most: drinking a hot cup of coffee with the perfect amount of milk poured in, taking an unhurried sniffy walk with your sweet pup, and doing some deep breathing at your desk before opening your laptop.
The more intentional you are about the small, seemingly unimportant details that make up your day, the more peaceful you’ll feel.
2. Laughing with people you love
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As cliche as it sounds, laughter truly is the best medicine. Sharing inside jokes with someone you love is one of the little things that matter most in life. According to a study from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, laughing alongside another person helps make relationships stronger.
“Laughing at the same time as someone else might be particularly potent — and influential in relationships,” psychologist Sara Algoe revealed. “For people who are laughing together, shared laughter signals that they see the world in the same way, and it momentarily boosts their sense of connection,” she explained.
Ultimately, we’re all seeking that sense of connection, in everything we do, and laughing with loved ones is one way to access it.
3. Nourishing food
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Finding the time to eat balanced meals is one of the more challenging parts of adulthood. There’s a very valid argument for "girl dinner," but putting cheese, crackers, and carrot sticks onto a plate doesn’t provide the kind of nourishment you actually need.
The older you get, you come to realize that the way you feed yourself is one of the little things that matter most in life. Restricting what you eat can be just as unhealthy as bingeing on junk food, which is why listening to your body's cues is such an important practice. Like all things in life, aiming for perfection in every meal you make is just a recipe for letting yourself down.
If your pantry is stocked with some of your favorite staple foods that you can throw together and call a meal, you’re doing great.
4. Exercise that feels good
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As you get older, you learn that finding a form of exercise that works for your body is one of the little things that matter most in life. With age comes wisdom, and part of that wisdom comes from understanding that the way you approach exercise is more important than anything else.
Working out should make you feel good, which is why learning what works for your lifestyle is what matters most. It’s all about movement that makes you feel good. You don’t have to hit the gym every day. You can dance around your living room and call it working out, and that’s more than enough.
5. Genuine friendships
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Having solid friendships is one of the little things that matter most in life. Not all friendships are made to last, and that’s more than okay. Some friends stay in our lives for the long haul, while others pass through. The older you get, you discover that your more authentic friendships are the ones that keep you going.
As psychology professor Catherine Bagwell explained, there’s a direct connection between our friendships and our overall well-being. “In the face of life’s challenges, having a close friend to turn to seems to be a buffer or protective factor against some of the negative outcomes we might otherwise see,” she shared.
You might only have one close friend, but the truth is, quality matters more than quantity. Having a friend who you love who loves you back for exactly who you are is what matters most.
6. Confidence that comes from within
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Society puts a lot of emphasis on staying young, especially for women. We’re expected to adopt wrinkle-reducing skin-care routines instead of showing our age. We’re supposed to mourn our 20s and see life after 30 as an endpoint instead of a new beginning.
The older you get, your sense of self-awareness grows deeper. You learn to lean away from insecurity, into acceptance and self-love. Getting older is a transformation. You realize something that younger people miss: true confidence comes from knowing who you really are and how you want to live.
7. Getting enough rest
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Getting a full night’s sleep is something we often take for granted, until we stop sleeping through the night. The older you get, you realize that feeling rested is one of the little things that matter most in life.
According to the Sleep Foundation, older people often experience sleep disruptions due to hormonal changes. Their circadian rhythms shift, impacting how tired or alert they feel. It’s estimated that 40 to 70% of older adults have chronic sleep issues, which can impact their quality of life. It can be challenging to maintain a regular sleep schedule, but it’s always a worthwhile practice.
8. Emotional balance
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We hear more about the negative aspects of aging than all of the positive things that accompany the passing years. Gaining a stronger sense of emotional balance is one of the little benefits of getting older. As time goes on, your emotional awareness heightens. You understand your feelings on a deeper level, which allows you to accept them and move through them.
“Being emotionally balanced doesn’t mean you don’t have painful emotions — it means you have a healthy relationship with them,” psychologist Nick Wignall explained.
“Your ability to take care of difficult emotions depends on your ability to take care of yourself,” he shared. “The health of your relationship with yourself depends, like any relationship, on making time to take care of and nurture it.”
9. Disconnecting from technology
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The older you get, you realize that being plugged into technology 24/7 isn’t the healthiest way to exist. Owning a smartphone makes certain parts of life more convenient, but there’s a high cost to always being connected. It’s one thing to scroll in small doses, but it’s something else altogether to be completely glued to your screens.
The truth is that you don’t need instant access to information all the time. Sometimes, putting distance between yourself and your phone is the best thing you can do. Disconnecting from technology allows you to reconnect with yourself, which is one of the things that matters most in life.
10. Spending time outside
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Spending time outside is one of the little things that matter most in life, especially as you get older. A significant portion of our adulthood is spent hunched over a desk, illuminated by the dim glow of the laptop screen.
For all of the hours we commit to indoor activities, it’s equally as important to go outside and literally touch grass. You don’t have to get super into hiking or camping to enjoy the great outdoors. You can just sit on the porch and soak up some sun. The older you get, the more you realize that immersing yourself in the beauty of the outside world matters most in life.
11. Celebrating your wins
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More often than not, we hold ourselves to high standards that we can’t actually reach. We fall into the trap of expecting perfection when really, all we need to aim for is steady progress.
The older we get, the more it matters to celebrate our wins, no matter how small they might be. Did you manage to fold the laundry instead of making a pile of clean clothes on the floor? You win! Did you give yourself compassion for all the things you didn’t get around to doing? You win again!
This world isn’t an especially easy place, which is why it’s so important to celebrate every little win and, by extension, celebrate yourself for continuing to thrive.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a freelance writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.
