While Americans stop feeling young in their early 40s, they start feeling old at 52, on average, according to a survey by the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research.
Natural changes happen in the body as we age, such as skin damage from sun exposure, loss of muscle and physical strength, loss of some sight and hearing, as well as changes to our sleep patterns, energy levels and appetite.
Why You're Afraid of Getting Older. For some, it's a fear of the physical changes that come with aging. For others, it's the fear of losing their independence and becoming a burden on their loved ones. And for many, it's the fear of death itself.
Not everyone is going to admit it. However, deep down, inside of all of us, there is a slight fear of aging. Not necessarily about dying, but about the journey to getting older. If you're being honest with yourself, getting older does change things.
As we get older, poor health can affect our confidence, make us less independent and make us feel more anxious. It can become harder to get out and do the things we once enjoyed, which can be very frustrating and get us down. Side effects of certain medications can also have an impact on our feelings.
That's why middle age could be the most stressful time in life. And it is not exactly the “positive” type of stress but rather a distress that can end up taking its toll on our health, especially when it lasts for so many years.
As young adults look forward to their future, older adults tend to reflect and have negative feelings toward how their life has progressed. The author of the study also points to social media and technology as reasons why older adults are unhappy.
While Millennials (ages 18 to 33) and Gen Xers (ages 34 to 47) report the highest average stress levels, Boomers (48 to 66) and Matures (67 years and older) join them in reporting levels that are higher than they consider healthy.
Common conditions in older age include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia. As people age, they are more likely to experience several conditions at the same time.
Sleep and Aging
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
Adults over age 65 are more likely to encounter diseases related to aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, or more advanced chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
In conclusion, although we live in a safer and more advanced world in the aspects of science, medicine, technology, and politics, we experience more stress than people did 50 and 1,000 years ago.
Life looks a little rosier after 50, a new study finds. Older people in their mid- to late-50s are generally happier, and experience less stress and worry than young adults in their 20s, the researchers say.
Adults 60 years of age and older are more likely to experience physical symptoms of anxiety than their younger counterparts. This age group also has a higher risk of other medical issues, which can increase the risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
Studies in economics often find that happiness decreases from the teenage years to middle age, only to increase afterwards (and then to fall again in very high age).
Aside from changes in the brain that impact inhibitory control and social cognition, it could simply be that as we get older, we care less about what others think. Compared to younger adults, older adults are less self-conscious, reporting fewer experiences of emotions such as shame, guilt, and embarrassment.
In one large study from the Brookings Institute, for example, scientists found happiness was high for 18- to 21-year-olds and then dropped steadily until about age 40. But past middle age, the pattern began to reverse—gradually climbing back up to its highest point at age 98!
According to a study from the US's National Bureau of Economic Research, 47.2 is the unhappiest age you can be.
According to a study published in the Social Indicators Research journal, we're the happiest between the ages of 30-34, and midlife (our 40s and 50s) is not perceived as the least happy period in life.
It isn't uncommon to feel like you don't care about anything from time to time. Such moods may often result from feeling unmotivated or stuck in a rut. In other cases, however, losing your interest in everything and everyone in your life can be a sign of a mental health condition such as depression.