What’s Helping Me Feel Good As A Woman In Her 30s
May’s Living A Better Life Resources are a list of protocols that will give you a jumpstart on living a healthy and happy life in your third decade.
Someone recently asked me how I, a health and wellness creative, integrate the wellness techniques I research into my daily life. I mentioned a few of the trends I’ve fallen victim to—does anyone else remember green tea metabolism boosting pills?!—but I didn’t share much about what I do now, outside of long walks and taking creatine. Then it hit me that I haven’t shared my current methods anywhere.
My protocols involve feeling as good as possible as often as possible. I’m also thinking a lot about longevity. I know I’m still very young—I’m 32 fwiw—but I’ve still noticed changes in my body. I’ve begun thinking more about aging and how I can age well. I don’t want to prevent aging. Growing older is a beautiful and natural part of life that should be embraced. I just wanna make sure that I’m here for a long time and a good time.
Since my practices are an extension of this newsletter’s Living A Better Life Resources, sharing my routines in this format made sense. For May’s edition, I’ve written up my list of protocols. I hope they will give you a jumpstart on living a healthy and happy life in your early 30s. This list isn’t exhaustive, not everything is health-related, and I don’t subscribe to it perfectly—except for the annual protocols. Those are non-negotiable, and I’ll explain why.
Okay, let’s get into some science, y’all!!!
Daily
Check Oura Ring Data
This is going to sound like an ad, but I promise it isn’t.
I love my Oura ring. I’ve been wearing it since 2022, and it has given me a better overall understanding of my body and what it responds to. It has also given me the blueprint for my chosen health and wellness protocols.
Oura tracks key biometrics—like sleep stages, hours slept, heart rate variability, and body temperature—to give you a holistic picture of your daily well-being via a “readiness score.” This data goes beyond step counts or calories burned; it helps you understand how well your body is recovering, how stress affects you, and when you’re most primed for activity or rest. These insights have allowed me to make smarter decisions about when to push and pause and how to build routines that truly support my energy, focus, and well-being.
Once I’m cognizant in the mornings, I grab my phone and see what Oura has to say before making the final decisions about what gets done that day.
Get Outside In The Sun Every Morning
Morning sunshine is a non-negotiable for me. If I can’t get out for an early morning walk, I’ll have tea on my balcony or stand in front of the window. Spending at least 10–15 minutes in natural sunlight, especially in the morning and without sunglasses, helps improve alertness, balance energy levels, regulate your circadian rhythm, and support your sleep-wake cycle. It’s also a powerful way to boost vitamin D levels, which impact everything from mood to immune function.
A Minimum Of 8,000 Steps Per Day
I’ve talked about the benefits of a hot girl walk on here before, and I’ll never stop singing its praises. Walking is one of the most accessible, low-impact ways to support heart health, improve circulation, and reduce the risk of chronic illness. Getting your steps in supports digestion, reduces inflammation, and improves cognitive function. Plus, the mental health benefits—from decreased anxiety to enhanced creativity—make it a foundational part of any wellness routine.
We often hear that we need to take 10,000 steps per day. This number began as a marketing gimmick, but if you’re younger than 60, hitting at least 8,000 steps daily is a good goal for getting the most benefit out of walking.
At Least 30g of Protein and 10g of Fiber in Every Meal
Protein and fiber work synergistically to keep you healthy. Fiber will regulate blood sugar, support digestion, reduce the risk of developing cancers, feed your gut bacteria, and keep you pooping regularly. Fiber consumption is also associated with a decreased risk of developing colon cancer.
Protein reduces hunger, improves energy, lowers blood pressure, improves bone density, and helps maintain muscle mass, which is especially important as my girlie pops age. It’s unlikely that you need 200 grams of it every day. Here’s a useful post to help calculate how much you need.
A Solid Skincare Routine Featuring Sunscreen, Tretinoin, And Prequel (Sponsored)
Your skin is your largest organ, but often caring for it is reduced to aesthetics. However, skincare is more than that. It’s about maintaining the skin barrier, preventing premature aging, and protecting against environmental stressors like UV radiation and pollution. Daily SPF prevents long-term damage to the skin, tretinoin increases cell turnover and collagen production, and a solid moisture barrier keeps the skin balanced.
Right now, my routine includes:
☀️: A splash of water, COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum, Obagi Clinical Vitamin C+ Arbutin Brightening Serum, Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer, La Roche-Posay Mela B3 UV Daily Sunscreen.
🌙: Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, Prequel Skin Gleanser, a Tretinoin compound from derm, Prequel’s Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum, Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer.
Prequel was kind enough to send me these products. I use the serum after I apply my tretinoin at night to help protect my skin barrier. Tretinoin can cause dryness and flaking, but the serum has been so good at preventing it. (And yes, I was peeling before I started using it!)
Flossing, Brushing, And Rinsing Twice Per Day
Oral hygiene has far-reaching impacts beyond your teeth. Regular flossing and brushing will prevent gum disease and cavities, lower the risk of heart disease, and even prevent cognitive decline. A good mouthwash will also fight gum disease by killing the harmful bacteria in your mouth.
Right now, I’m using whatever floss I got from the drugstore, a Waterpik, Crest Pro-Health Advanced Antibacterial Protect Toothpaste with my Sonicare toothbrush, and Therabreath Deep Clean Oral Rinse—in that exact order. As a smoker, I developed periodontal disease, so my routine focuses heavily on gum health and staying in remission.
Listening To Music Through My Bose Soundlink Flex Portable Speaker (Sponsored)
Music is more than entertainment to me. I use it to regulate my nervous system, dance when stressed, and set the tone of my day. The right soundscapes can shift your mood, enhance focus, help you wind down, or energize you, depending on your needs. When I’m cleaning or working at my desk, I listen using my Bose Soundlink speaker in Petal Pink. The sound clarity is astounding for it to be so tiny, and it has a good bassline, which is what I wanna hear. Shoutout to Bose for sending one over!
Taking Supplements And Medications
Staying consistent with supplements and prescribed medications helps support internal balance, fill nutritional gaps, and manage ongoing health conditions. This level of daily care will ensure that your body has the resources it needs to function correctly.
I’m still taking the same supplements I was taking three years ago, when I wrote this:
I take magnesium and zinc at the request of my neurologist and dermatologist, respectively. Magnesium is believed to help prevent migraines. But if you don’t have chronic migraines and eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods, this supplement isn’t necessary for you. Zinc, very likely, plays a role in skin health. And my dermatologist advised me to take it since she’d seen it help other patients who deal with the same skin conditions as me. (For what it’s worth, the only supplements I take are magnesium, zinc, and a probiotic.)
Once you find a regimen that works, there’s no need to switch it up, which is the antithesis of what health and wellness companies promote. Check out this piece if you’re interested in some research-backed ways to choose supplements—and you probably don’t need many, if any.
A Scoop Of Creatine
Well, I did add one more. Creatine is a well-studied supplement that helps muscles produce more energy during high-intensity workouts. For women, creatine supports strength gains, recovery, and cognitive health. It’s beneficial for preserving lean muscle mass, which becomes harder to maintain with age. A small daily dose of 5mg goes a long way in supporting both physical performance and brain function.
Stretching
Stretching improves mobility, circulation, and posture while reducing the risk of injury, especially if you’re strength training or spending long hours sitting. It also signals to your body that it’s safe to slow down.
I lightly stretch when I wake up in the morning. I employ dynamic stretching to warm up before a workout and then static stretching afterward. And before bed, I try to remember to do some light yoga—but, admittedly, most nights, I don’t.
A Bedtime Routine That Helps Me Get Enough Restful Sleep
Sleep is when your body repairs, restores, and regulates everything from hormones, memory, and immune function. A consistent bedtime routine trains your body to wind down naturally, improving sleep quality and duration. Mine is very focused on the former:
I take a hot shower while listening to a chill, vibey playlist. As the water runs over me, I take a few deep breaths to help me recalibrate a bit.
Next, I put on lotion and do my dental care and skincare routines. Then, I detangle my hair and put my bonnet on.
Take my nighttime supplements.
Hop in the bed, with the fan on high and the AC on 68 degrees, to play all the NYT games of the day, gratitude journal, and scroll Pinterest before I knock out. (I wear blue light glasses to reduce issues with the iPad glare.)
If I stray from this routine, I don’t sleep as well. The most important part of it, though, is step four. That piece triggers my brain to say, “Hey! It’s time for bed!”
Weekly
Strength Training At Least 3x Per Week
Beyond aesthetics, strength training is a form of long-term functional health and disease prevention. The benefits are vast, so I’m going to list off a few:
Improved Muscle Mass and Metabolism: Strength training increases lean muscle, which boosts resting metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories even at rest.
Supports Healthy Aging: Muscle mass naturally declines with age, but resistance training can slow or reverse this process, preserving mobility and independence.
Enhanced Bone Density: Weight-bearing exercises, like running and strength training, are one of the most effective ways to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Boosts Mental Health: Regular strength training is linked to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improved mood and self-esteem.
Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Reduces Risk of Chronic Disease: Resistance training helps regulate blood sugar and can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, control cardiovascular disease, and other metabolic disorders.
Better Sleep: Studies show that people who engage in regular strength training experience better sleep quality and duration.
Reduced Risk of Injury: Strengthening muscles, tendons, and ligaments can prevent falls and injuries, especially in older adults and active individuals.
Improved Cognition: Strength training may help preserve and even improve brain function.
You get the idea. Pick up those weights!
Checking My Blood Pressure
So, I’m one of the people who developed new-onset high blood pressure after getting COVID-19 in 2022. High blood pressure often goes unnoticed until it becomes dangerous, and that’s precisely what happened to me. Regular monitoring helps catch changes early, which is especially important for preventing or reversing heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. Keeping track of your numbers over time also helps you better understand how your lifestyle choices impact your cardiovascular health. This is how I know that coffee might be the death of me. (Relax, I’m joking.)
Mindfulness Practices
The available research shows that meditation helps reduce stress and improve physical well-being. It also activates the parasympathetic system, reduces cortisol, and creates a sense of calm and emotional clarity. Over time, consistent mindfulness can improve focus, reduce inflammation, and build resilience.
I do breathwork, which is considered a form of meditation, employ traditional meditation, and journal. Those are my Big Three.
Washing Hair
If you washed your hair weekly, you would likely alleviate every issue you have with it. I’m serious. Itchiness, tangling, extreme shredding, all that. Weekly hair washing helps maintain a healthy scalp, preventing product buildup, irritation, or hair loss. I also support this as a protocol because looking nice is nice! Having my hair done just makes me feel better.
Monthly
Admittedly, my monthly protocols are more about seeing what I want to see when I look in the mirror, which is an integral part of my self-care and wellness.
Biweekly Therapy Sessions
I go to therapy every two weeks, no matter what. Whether life feels calm or chaotic, it helps me process, reframe, and stay grounded. I don’t wait until my life is on fire; I treat mental maintenance like applying sunscreen. It’s a preventative measure, not only a curative one.
Face Shaving
If done correctly, face shaving keeps my skin smooth and lets my products actually soak in and do their job. (No, the hair doesn’t grow back thicker.) Plus, having a totally smooth face makes me feel soft and luminous. I like to glow every day.
Nail Appointments
I simply don’t like my nails to look busted. I need a fill-in right now, and it’s making me antsy.
Eyebrow Threading
I keep my brows threaded regularly out of reverence to the fact that I feel better when I look the way I want to look. When they’re shaped, I feel sharper and more secure in my appearance.
Yearly
These appointments don’t get skipped.
Dental Cleanings
Cleanings every six months, no excuses.
STD Testing
I get tested for STDs every three months when I’m single and every six months when I’m in a relationship or otherwise committed dynamic, without shame and without waiting for symptoms. Regular testing is part of how I care for myself and anyone I’m intimate with. Knowing your status should feel as routine as knowing when your period starts or what foods upset your stomach. Knowing is how we keep each other and ourselves safe.
Gynecological Exam
I book an annual visit with my OB-GYN, whether I feel “off” or not. A pelvic exam, breast exams, conversations about shifts in my cycle, and how I’m doing on my birth control are all part of staying informed and empowered in my body.
Physical and Bloodwork
Every year, I get a physical and comprehensive lab tests. I want to know what’s happening under the surface—nutrient levels, inflammation markers, cholesterol levels, etc. A full panel can help detect nutritional deficiencies, infections, diabetes, hormone imbalances, and any underlying diseases or issues. It helps my primary care physician and me know what’s up.
If you’re interested, ask your PCP for a full blood panel, including:
Complete blood count (CBC)
Basic metabolic panel
Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP)
Lipid panel
Thyroid panel
Cardiac biomarkers
STI testing
C-reactive protein
If your doctor is weird about you wanting this level of information once per year, consider a new one.
Skin Check
This one gets the same reactions as the sunscreen conversation, but yes, you should get a skin check even if you’re Black lol. I get a head-to-toe skin exam from a dermatologist to check for any skin abnormalities, especially moles. It’s quick, painless, and crucial—especially if you’re melanated, because skin cancer often gets caught too late in us.
This was so helpful especially about the full bloodwork. Thank you for sharing your routine!