These days, people around the world are being that the 40s are the new 20s. While that may be true for celebrities that need to remain youthful for the sake of their careers, a majority of 40 year olds feel that they are old. While it’s perfectly natural to feel your age upon yourself, some people completely give up on their lives and turn what should be middle age into the beginning of the end of their lives. We examine the reasons behind people in their 40s feeling old.
They ARE old(er)
There are some people that make a huge deal about being in their 40s. This is perfectly natural for people that may be experiencing reduced physical energy and the appearance of signs of aging during this age. People that had kids in their teens or early 20s who have grown up kids or grandkids of their own are bound to feel older than 40 year olds without kids or those with very young kids.
40s mark the beginning of menopause
For a woman, menopause officially marks the end of their youth. Menopause itself can be a hellish experience for most women. It often comes with incredible stress and physical discomfort that they may have never experienced in their youth. This naturally makes a lot of women feel like they are old.
Evolutionary perspective
For a better part of human history, most people did not survive past the age of 50. This meant that people got married and had kids in their teens and became grandparents or even great grandparents by the time they were in their 40s. With younger generations replacing them in the workforce and society and people their own age dying, people in their 40s felt old. This mindset has stayed within humans societies around the world and people in their 40s end up feeling old even if no one calls them that.
