If you are approaching or entering middle age, how positive do you feel about getting older? Aging is inevitable, but it’s better than the alternative! If you’re finding it hard to see the plus side of your advancing years, it’s important to pay attention to your feelings and address them. This is a new chapter in your life, an opportunity to head out in new directions and achieve great things. Don’t let the date of your birth determine your enjoyment of life; age isn’t just a number, but by managing the changes in your life as you age, it needn’t be what determines your happiness.
Menopause affects men as well as women
The onset of menopause can be seen in a few ways: an end to youth, loss of fertility, and the gateway to old age; or a new start, a fresh page with none of the responsibilities and commitments of childbearing. Menopause is seen as an exclusively female experience, but middle age can affect men in similar ways. Male menopause is more correctly termed andropause and occurs when testosterone levels drop in middle age. It can lead to many of the same symptoms as women experience, yet it is under-recognized in society. If male menopause is a new concept for you, you can view it here for more information. If you’re a middle-aged man, it might help you understand the changes you’ve noticed, and if you’re a woman who is concerned about her partner, it could give you some insight into the reasons for the changes you’ve observed.
Menopause and midlife health
Having said that menopause can affect both men and women, it’s important for you to comprehend how this process affects your health, enabling you to manage any symptoms you might be experiencing. The cessation of periods is the chief difference you’ll notice if you’re female, and for many women, this can come as a relief after years of painful periods and the hormonal maelstrom that causes the pre-menstrual syndrome. This change doesn’t occur overnight, however, and it could take several years to complete the process. Meanwhile, as periods become less frequent, the fluctuations in the hormones estrogen and progesterone will be affecting your body in other ways. You will probably notice that your skin loses some of its elasticity, and becomes thinner, with fine lines starting to appear. In men, the drop in testosterone can contribute towards the softening of muscle tissues and the notorious middle-age spread.
Midlife mental health
The powerful hormones that regulate your fertility in younger years can bring on some unpleasant side effects as their levels start to fluctuate in middle age. Any depression, anxiety, or irritability you feel is most likely down to these hormones, and the effect on your mental wellbeing is unpredictable. Mental lethargy, fatigue, and mood swings are common for men and women in middle age and can be one of the harder challenges of growing older but once you do things like map out your goals when it comes to choosing a potential treatment option, you can start to relax once again. Understanding why you feel the way you do will help you to see this is a temporary phase whose influences are beyond your control.
You don’t have to put up with midlife and menopausal symptoms
Whichever physical or mental symptoms you start to experience, you don’t just have to grin and bear it. Unless you have contra-indications like a history of circulation problems, you may find hormone replacement therapy helpful. Taking care of your general health is as important as ever, so a healthy diet, plenty of exercise and making sure you have time for relaxation are key to minimizing the effects of hormone fluctuations. There are also nutritional supplements that aim to support the body with vitamins and minerals, focusing on those that have reduced levels in older age. Herbal remedies and other complementary treatments are worth trying, but check the source and the evidence supporting the manufacturer’s claim, as well as discussing your options with your doctor before starting a course.
The mid-life crisis
Often viewed as a source of amusement, the mid-life crisis usually involves someone in middle age apparently attempting to recapture their youth, giving rise to the stereotype of middle-aged men buying sports cars and having affairs with younger women. That example is something of a cliché, but it is true that people often feel the urge to change their lives when they reach their middle years. The urge to change is quite natural, as you are going through some significant physical experiences that are bound to affect your outlook. Trying to recapture your youth is, however, futile, and is unlikely to bring you long-term happiness.
Staying positive in middle age
The key to good mental health when experiencing the urge to deny you’re getting older is to focus on all the positive aspects of aging, rather than fretting about the loss of youth. Instead of looking backward to a time that you cannot return to, look forward to the new opportunities ahead of you. Think about all the things you’d like to do going forward, for example, try making a bucket list of experiences you want to have. Discovering your first wrinkle, or watching your hair turn gray may seem depressing, but there are ways of managing these effects of aging. You can dye your hair to cover the gray and use age-appropriate skin care products to keep your skin looking good. As mentioned above, looking after yourself with a healthy, balanced diet, exercise and meditation will also help you to keep fit and strong for longer.
There’s no doubt that middle age brings on some life-changing experiences, but it is within your power to manage these changes to minimize the effects on your health and wellbeing. If you’re unable to manage your symptoms, consult your doctor to determine the best way to cope and how to reduce the side-effects of aging. If you can control the influence of the menopause, you’ll stand a much better chance of completing the process relatively unscathed, and be better able to enjoy your new-found freedoms.
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