What do you think are the signs of middle age? One study indicated that the average person believes that youth ends at 35 and old age begins at 58. That would mean the years between 35 and 58…all 23 of them would be MIDDLE AGE. Those aren’t many years considering how much we hear about our extended life spans. Similar studies believe that middle age is no longer a numerical milestone, but a state of mind. Ah yes, the state of mind. Some people may feel younger at 50 than they did at 35 or 40. Perhaps they’re in better physical shape or they’ve overcome an illness or have more money. Or maybe they don’t feel any better at all. Everyone is different. I’m what’s considered middle aged now, but when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor I was 30 years old. I was young by most standards but I felt “middle aged” quite quickly. Right now I feel physically more youthful than I did during that time. My friends who are my age are going through things that I experienced for the first time over 20 years ago. In some ways I feel a bit like Yoda, “calm you shall keep, and carry on you must”. I’ve experienced what it feels like to be old before my time. Now I’m aging naturally, and it’s as though I’m revisiting the neighborhood. But again, so much of aging may be a state of mind. It’s how we let it affect us. Senior Discounts used to be saved until you turned 65, occasionally they were doled out a few years earlier at 62 (but that was special); now AARP starts sending you a retirement magazine when you hit 50, and there are 55+ Senior Apartment Communities. These things are more about advertising than they really are about needs or our requirements. It may also feel like a bit of a downer to some.
When you research the signs of middle age these are few of the things you find. These may also be the things you’d find if you’re much younger and overtired, or as I mentioned-you’re not as healthy as you would or should be. Some things can start at any age. Some things can be other things. We may be all too quick to sell ourselves short.
- Reading the print on your phone without glasses starts to become difficult
- Body aches start becoming a part of your day
- You’re becoming obsessed with your health
- You relish a nap during the day
- You find it a lot harder to lose weight
- You no longer worry about what people think of you
- You misplace your keys…and just about everything else as well
- You find yourself saying “what”? “huh”? “I’m sorry I didn’t hear you”?
- You start worrying…a lot..about your looks.
- You think everyone looks younger than you.
What are your thoughts? How old do you feel today? Is it around your actual age? Older? Younger?