Birthdays are supposed to be a time of celebration – sweet messages, too much cake, and
being surrounded by the people you love most. They mark a new chapter and offer a chance
to reflect on what you’ve left behind. Unfortunately, I believe no one is completely exempt
from the birthday blues. Whether it’s a small knot in your stomach or a full-blown meltdown,
there’s something strangely emotional about birthdays.
Since my recent 20 th birthday, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of birthdays. Turning 20
felt like a big milestone, but I couldn’t quite grasp not being a teenager anymore. I hadn’t
realised it before, but the word “teenager” had silently become a part of my identity. It
signified a period of growth and freedom in my life where real responsibilities hadn’t kicked
in. And If I’m honest I was terrified to leave it behind. Since I turned 19, I’d been thinking
about the moment I would turn 20, like there was a countdown slowly ticking. And then
when it hit zero… it just felt weird. While one day can’t fundamentally change a person, it
felt as though I’d shifted overnight. I’d began the adulthood chapter of my life, one where
people graduate university or land their first real job. And I didn’t know if I was ready for
that chapter of my life to begin.
The birthday blues I felt this year were far from uncommon. I think it’s natural to get
emotional on your birthday. Whilst there’s lots of excitement tied to the occasion, it also
becomes a period of reflection – looking at where you were a year ago and thinking about the
uncertainty of the future. In many ways, it’s a little terrifying. Particularly with my 20 th
birthday, it felt romanticised as the moment you begin to figure out your life. Your teens are
reserved for the messiness – the constant confusion, messing up, and not knowing what you
want in life. But in your 20s, that doesn’t seem to hold up anymore. I think I subconsciously
felt this immense pressure on my birthday, realising that I had finally run out of time and had
to face the fact I was no longer a teenager.
As a child, I longed for my birthday, counting down the seconds until I could proudly
announce my new age. Back then, everything felt simple – just the chance to celebrate life
and not worry about the next chapter of life. But as I grew older, birthdays started making me
anxious, making me realize I could never relive those precious moments in my life. I suppose
this dread intertwined with my fear of time passing. Life seems to move way to fast, and a
birthday can sometimes feel like a cruel reminder of that reality.
But reflecting on this made me realise that my outlook on birthdays may have been the real
issue. The expectations and pressures that accompany birthdays can overshadow the true
magic of the day. Birthdays are meant to be a time of reflection – which isn’t necessarily a
negative thing. We can acknowledge how far we’ve come in life and everything we have left
to experience. A birthday is simply a reminder that we are another year closer to finding
ourselves. So, instead of letting the birthday blues take control, we can embrace our birthday
for what it is: a time to recognise that time has passed and begin getting excited for all there
is to come. After all, one single day out of the year doesn’t define our progress – only we
have the power to do that