Everything I know about life at 27

It's my birthday and I can write '27 life lessons for 27' if I want to...

Jan 05, 2026

I love a birthday as an excuse to overthink my life. Usually, that involves at least one cry. But when I turned 27 on Saturday, I decided to skip feeling sorry for myself and instead reflect on what I’ve actually learned in my 27 years of being alive.

When my mum died last year, it spun my entire world off its axis. Losing her has changed the way I think about time, ageing, and how I want to live my life. It’s made me more appreciative of getting older, and of the fact that I still get to experience life, both for my own sake and in memory of her. I still don’t feel like I know very much, but I do feel like I know more now than I did this time last year.

In the spirit of birthday reflection, here’s what I’ve learnt in my first 27 years of life…

Hug your mum and always tell her you love her, because you never know how much time you have. This also applies to dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and friends.
Take videos and photos of the people you love. I know we’re all trying to spend less time on our phones, but once they’re gone, you’ll appreciate hearing their voice and having memories to return to.
Start sewing. It’s really not that hard!
Repeating outfits is chic. Wearing the same things over and over usually means you’ve figured out what works. Recently, I’ve really embraced this by having a ‘uniform’. My outfit anxiety and feeling like I have nothing to wear is basically gone at the moment because I just rotate through variations of wearing a cardigan/jumper, jeans, and a coat.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Set goals, because either you’ll achieve them or you’ll figure something else out while working towards them.
The fashion industry is inherently unsustainable! Being a conscious consumer means acknowledging that and taking responsibility for your own actions within the system.
Liking dumb stuff does not make you a dumb person! You can enjoy celebrity gossip and silly fantasy books, and still be intelligent, curious and thoughtful!!
You can teach yourself most things with enough time, patience, and access to YouTube.
Prioritise your female friendships. One of my absolute favourite books is Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton because it had a profound impact on how I viewed myself and my friendships. My friends give me so much joy and fill my cup in countless ways, but these relationships only really started to blossom when I acknowledged how important they are and put in the effort to nurture them. I’ve learnt how important it is to show up for your friends. Be their cheerleader! If they have a creative project, get involved. If they’re trying something new, offer to be a sounding board. If they need you to proofread their CV, send it over!
When you start feeling sad, check in on the last time you left the house and went for a walk. I learnt this lesson during the 2020 lockdowns when I would go through cycles of melancholy, realising I hadn’t touched grass in a few days, going for a walk, then immediately feeling better.
Staying home is fun, but sometimes you need to push yourself to leave the house. I’m a big fan of not going out, but there are times when that comfort has held me back from experiencing things. However, you’ll also never regret spending a day curled up with a good book.
Spend money on the expensive thing once rather than the cheap thing twice.
Rest is productive, even when nothing tangible comes out of it. You don’t need to earn rest by being exhausted, or stressed, or busy enough.
Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s trite, but it’s true. As soon as I start comparing myself to others, I spiral into negative thinking. A lesson I’m still learning is to feel secure in my own path and enjoy the life I’m actually living, rather than focusing on what everyone else is doing.
If you can, go to the theatre as much as possible. This is a recent lesson, largely because of how accessible live performances are in London, but I haven’t regretted a single dollar spent on theatre tickets. Even the terrible shows give me something to talk about.
I’m in the white puffer, taking a picture of the view on our New Year’s Day walk
Don’t let a little bit of cringe get in your way. So many people miss opportunities because they’re embarrassed about looking like they’re trying too hard. Climb cringe mountain, get over yourself, and just give it a go. Don’t let embarrassment squander your potential!!
You will get rejected, and that’s okay. I’ve been rejected by people, jobs and opportunities, and I truly believe every rejection was essential to something better coming along. It’s a bit woo-woo, but when one door closes, another opens if you’re brave enough to try again.
The best way to show someone you love them is to show up. Go to their birthday party, pub quiz, or brunch. If someone has gone to the effort of organising something, try your best to be there. This also extends to the less glamorous moments like moving house, funerals, hard days. Communities are built from being inconvenienced once in a while.
You need to replace your mascara way more frequently than you do! Buy the mini versions and replace at least every 6 months. Learn from my mistakes, because a 2-year-old mascara will start burning your eyes.
Drinking enough water genuinely helps more than you think.
You don’t need to monetise every single one of your hobbies!
At the start of every year, create a bingo chart of things you’d like to achieve or experience that year. I’ve made a super cute sewing bingo chart that you can access here.
Being addicted to your phone isn’t cute; it’s a problem! This is me talking to me. My screentime is confronting, but I’m trying to be better about not automatically reaching for my phone in every quiet moment. Putting my phone in another room, using grayscale mode, and not having it be the first and last thing I see each day has helped.
Always look inside clothes before buying them. The way a garment is finished will tell you everything about how long it will last in your wardrobe.
You deserve a community that is proud of you. I stole this one from a Shameless podcast episode where Michelle shared her lessons at 30. They spoke about having a partner who is proud of you, and while I know Matt (my fiancé) is proud of me and that’s important, I wanted to also expand this to community. Without the support of my friends and family, I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I do. It’s such a privilege to have people who genuinely back you.
And that brings me to the final lesson: The more you allow yourself to be seen, the more doors will open for you. My best friend Jami mentioned this to me in passing, and it really resonated with me. As soon as I stopped being scared of how I would be perceived and started being open about what I was actually passionate about, the world opened up and opportunities came my way!
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some pictures from my new year's holiday in the Cotswolds (all of the gorgeous film photos were taken by Jess)