The most unhappy time of your life is your forties, according to a phenomenon known as the “u-shaped” curve which states that happiness bottoms out around your forties then trends back up as you grow older.
THE happiest period in human history in which to have lived, concludes Gibbon after a learned dissertation on the subject, was that of imperial Rome under the Antonines in the second century of the Christian era.
Having gained a PhD degree in molecular genetics, Matthieu Ricard changed his path from science to become a Buddhist monk, and was declared to be the “happiest person on the planet” after a 12-year study by the University of Wisconsin.
Research shows that many people report being happier in their 50s and 60s. Here's why. At this point, many studies have examined how your overall sense of happiness (or what psychologists sometimes call “well-being,” because that sounds more scientific) changes over the course of your life.
A Dartmouth economist has pegged what he claims is the most miserable age: 47.2 years old. A new study by David Blanchflower, collecting data about well-being and age from 132 countries, suggests that for people in developed nations, the “happiness curve” reaches its perigee at precisely 47.2 years.
Contrary to the stereotypes, older adults are generally happier and more mentally stable than other age groups. Aging brings numerous other benefits, such as choice, creativity, and personal development, that have been verified by research.
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.
Key points. Many young and middle-aged adults assume that old age is an unhappy time. This stereotype is not supported by research. Contrary to the stereotypes, older adults are generally happier and more mentally stable than other age groups.
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.
Most people experience life as more pressured and challenged in their 30s and 40s. If you come from a relational trauma background, these decades can feel even harder. Relational trauma backgrounds can create "cracks" in the "foundations" of our lives.
Forget your age
Age is just a number. You're never too old for a new start. Let go of the fear and anxiety about where you should be and start building the life you want to live.
middle age, period of human adulthood that immediately precedes the onset of old age. Though the age period that defines middle age is somewhat arbitrary, differing greatly from person to person, it is generally defined as being between the ages of 40 and 60.
It's no longer uncommon for older adults to dip their feet once again into the dating pool. Whether you've been single for a long time or you've never truly found that person you want to spend the rest of your life with, gracefully aging is never a reason to hold back on love.
Early Adulthood: Ages 17-45 (with 40 – 45 being the Midlife Transition years) Middle Adulthood: Ages 40-65 (with 60-65 being the Late Adult Transition years) Late Adulthood: Ages 60-85. Late Late Adulthood: Ages 85+
Your 40s are a time to shine, bathe in the knowledge and experience that comes only with age, let the pressure of life ebb and flow with the security of knowing situations will evolve and change, whether you're controlling them or not, and to let it be.
Midlife Can Make You Miserable
You're not alone. A 2008 study of data from 2 million people found that midlife depression spans the globe. In the U.S., it peaks at around age 40 for women and 50 for men, and usually starts to lift in the 50s.
Happiness is U-shaped – it declines and bottoms out in your 40s, so report countless studies, until it starts to inch its way up again in the 50s. This is a remarkably consistent finding, across countries and cultures.
The biggest changes typically occur when people are in their 40s and 50s, but they can begin as early as the mid-30s and continue into old age. Even when your muscles are in top working order, they contribute to facial aging with repetitive motions that etch lines in your skin.
Round faces tend to age very well compared to other face shapes due to the fact they store a lot of fat in the cheek area. This can keep you looking younger for longer than those who lose fat quicker. This means that a gaunt and dull complexion takes longer to develop.
New study says decline begins in our 50s
Be proactive about your strength, balance and endurance as you age. By the time you reach your 50s, your strength, balance and endurance are already beginning to wane — much earlier than previously thought, according to a new study.
You're also more likely to develop depression if you are between ages 45 and 64, nonwhite, or divorced, and if you never graduated high school, can't work or are unemployed, and don't have health insurance.
The average age of onset for major depressive disorder is between 35 and 40 years of age. Onset in early adulthood may be linked with more depressive episodes, a longer duration of illness, and therefore a more difficult clinical course.
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.