The Millennial Health Starter Pack (Now With Cortisol Face)

Now that I’m in my 30s, I can feel a noticeable shift in my body. I’m not sick, but I’m definitely not bouncing back the way I used to. One glass of wine with dinner? I wake up the next day feeling like I ran a marathon barefoot on concrete. My joints snap, crackle, and pop in the morning, and if I go for a “long” walk, my knees are sore for three days.

It’s made me think about health and longevity in a whole new way. What can I be doing now that actually helps me feel better? Not the biohacker-level stuff like Bryan Johnson (no thanks, I’m not eating 47 supplements for breakfast), but the realistic, doable stuff.

The problem is, the list of things I should be doing feels endless: drink 2 liters of water, eat 120 grams of protein, walk 10,000 steps, take creatine, take probiotics, balance hormones, limit sugar, stretch, sleep 8 hours, keep my cortisol low (do I even know what that means?)… it’s overwhelming.

So I’ve decided to break it down. Here’s my version of the 30-something health starter pack, with a realistic spin:

Start Now (Low-Hanging Fruit)

These are the things that actually make a big difference and don’t require a complete life overhaul:

• Drink More Water → Not “2 liters exactly,” but enough that you’re not surviving on iced coffee alone.

  
  

• Sleep 8 Hours → Or at least try. My rule: if I’m scrolling on my phone in bed, I remind myself I’m literally choosing to feel like garbage tomorrow. I will try to implement more reading before bedtime.

  
  

• Walk More → 3–4 miles a day is great, but even a 20-minute walk after dinner does wonders. (Bonus points if you actually stretch afterward, which I never do.)

  
  

• Support Your Joints → Inserts in your shoes, supportive sneakers, or just admitting that you can’t wear cheap flats anymore.

Layer In Later (Once You’re Feeling Ambitious)

These are the “extra credit” things I’ll work toward when I’ve nailed the basics:

• Protein Goals → 120 grams a day is no joke. It’s basically a part-time job. But hitting a higher protein intake does help me stay full and snack less.

  
  

• Supplements → Creatine, joint support, probiotics. Helpful, but only if you’re already covering the basics. (Supplements won’t save you if you’re living on three hours of sleep and Diet Coke.)

  
  

• Hormone Support → This feels like Level 3 Boss Battle. I’m curious, but not there yet.

  
  

My Takeaway

I don’t need to do everything at once, and neither do you. If all I manage this week is drinking more water and going to bed earlier, that’s still a win. The truth is, being in your 30s isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about building small habits that keep you from feeling like you got hit by a bus every morning.

So here’s my plan: start small, layer in later, and give myself credit for any progress at all.

Honestly, in a world where people are reverse aging with science experiments, I’m just trying to wake up with less back pain.

What about you? If you’re in your 30s (or beyond), which of these “starter pack” habits are you actually doing, and which ones are just sitting on your Pinterest board waiting for the perfect Monday to begin?