Approaching Middle Age? Don’t Panic. 6 Reasons Why You’re Going to Love It

Middle-age is a term often bandied about as a negative thing. It brings to mind the dreaded mid-life crisis, is related closely to menopause and is generally reflected upon with dismay – by both men and women. We expect to long for our younger selves, those carefree days of taught skin, boundless energy and unwavering self-assuredness. After all, once we hit the big 4-0, it’s all downhill from here, right? Wrong!

Much to the chagrin of sports car manufacturers and anti-wrinkle injection proponents, middle age is no reason to panic. In fact, reaching middle age is a reason to celebrate, for there are many things about this time in our lives that our younger selves never had the benefit of.

1. Feeling more comfortable in your own skin

First up, the most overwhelmingly positive aspect of reaching middle age is the sense of being comfortable in your own skin. We spend our entire lives up until the point of middle age worrying about who we are, what others think of us, and if we’re going to amount to anything. We have pressure from parents to do well in school and in our burgeoning careers before we reach the age of 30, and many of us were then starting families and taking on the overwhelming task of raising another human (and all the guilt, stress, judgement and more that can come for the ride).

Nowadays, many women are choosing to have children later in life, saving the challenge for a time when they’re feeling more accomplished in their careers, more settled and financially secure, more able to take on the challenge, or for a plethora of other reasons. Reaching middle age means you’ve made it through so many hurdles that you’re no longer unsure of yourself and your ability. You become more at peace with who you are and become more comfortable in your own skin. Hey, you made it this far, after all!

2. Knowing what you need versus what you want

It’s no secret that our teens and 20s are filled with bad decisions. We have difficulty, as young people, determining the difference between the things we want and the things we truly need. Whether it’s getting into debt because we wanted the latest car while we were still on a student income, or not understanding that the guy/girl we were dating really wasn’t right for us, we struggled to navigate the landscape of youth. Upon reaching middle age, we’re now pretty good at telling the difference between things we really need in our lives and those we simply want. And to boot? We’re better at knowing that a ‘want’ is ok, every now and then!

3. Stability

By the time you’ve reached middle age, you’re much more likely to have a stable family, income and career. You might own your own home, you might have invested your money wisely, or you might not; but you’re in a much better position in many aspects of life than you were a decade or more ago. Whilst being ‘tied down’ with a mortgage, kids, and career responsibilities can sometimes seem like a burden, upon reflection, it’s more likely the case that stability means much lower levels of stress. You’ve worked hard to get here, now it’s time to enjoy it.

4. Wisdom

Being smarter than your kids is not something to be overlooked! Ok, so we’re being a little tongue-in-cheek here, but there is great satisfaction in having lived a life, made mistakes, and come out the other side relatively unscathed. The older we get, the wiser we become and the more we have to offer others. Whether it’s helping our kids through difficult times in their lives or simply being better prepared to face obstacles that come our way, the wisdom that comes with being middle aged is a very rewarding thing.

5. Rewarding relationships

Speaking of rewarding – the relationships we have with our friends and family upon reaching middle age can be a wonderous thing. At this time in our lives, we may have friends we’ve known for two, three or four decades! That is something to be treasured deeply, and is something that our younger selves never could have known the value of. We are also more selective about the types of relationships we invest in, and those that we need to let go of because they are not serving us any longer.  These deeper relationships are more rewarding and add a richness to our lives that should be appreciated.

6. Confidence is sexy

We all know that one of the most attractive qualities a person can have is confidence. Not to be confused with arrogance, confidence means being sure of yourself and knowing exactly who you are. Part of becoming more comfortable in our own skin and getting wiser is being more confident. Whether you’re looking for love or you’ve already found it, feeling confident and sexy is something you can enjoy in middle age that you may never have experienced before.

Approaching middle age may be something that many of us dread, the closer we get to it. But that needn’t be the case at all. These are just a few of the many reasons to celebrate reaching middle age, and there are more you’ll discover along the way.

Of course, there are those of us who’ll struggle with this time in our lives, as we can with any shift in our circumstances. Middle age brings with it a new set of experiences and challenges. The good news is that you’re better equipped to deal with these than you’ve ever been before. And most importantly, there’s no need to go it alone. If you could use someone to talk to, or some guidance in this next stage of your life, get in touch with us today. We’re here to help.