By Diane Lang
Psychotherapist, author and positive living expert, Diane Lang, offers 7 tips to be happy after age 40. The truth about mid life is that we hit a low point in life which could be the cause of the crisis we feel when we hit our 40th birthday. It’s normal to hit 40 and start asking yourself the following questions: Is this all there is to life? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Who am I? What do I really want? The problem is when we get stuck in this question phase and don’t move forward. We can become stuck in this crisis and become lost.
“In mid life we naturally hit a low. What excited us in our 20s and 30s no longer has much of an impact on us. The things we never paid much attention to now stands out more like a good cup of coffee, friends who we have a lot in common with, kids, sunsets and sunrises, nature, etc. I appreciate the simple things much more with age which allows me to be more mindful in life which a positive of aging BUT yet it’s not enough to avoid the crisis,” shares Diane Lang.
Reality sets in when we enter mid life. We start to realize not all of our dreams came true and some might not ever. We start re-evaluating our dreams to fit our reality. We worry about retirement and not having enough money. We worry about wasting time doing things that were not passionate about. We worry about paying off our mortgages and our children’s college bills. Truth be told we become stressed out in our 40s between a mix of reality setting in and worrying taking its toll our happiness levels start to shrink.
Here are 7 tips to achieve midlife happiness:
1. Be realistic about your dreams and goals. Set new goals to fit your value system in mid life.
2. Gratitude – look at all you have done up to now such as your education, job experience, family, travel, etc.
3. Add more connection to your life – when we hit mid life it’s more important to have friends we connect to and have things in common with. This is a good time to find those friends. Do activities that you love and meet people who feel the same. Connection is so important.
4. Release the toxic – we lose patience in mid life for all the drama so it might be time to break up with the narcissists in your life.
5. Remember that the older we get the happier we get. Yes, mid life is stressful but once we pass through it and hit the fifties we get happier and happier. So, you have a lot to look forward to.
6. In mid life we tend to worry about our kids which is completely normal BUT it’s also time to start worrying about yourself. Start having more balance by taking care of your family as well as your own needs.
7. In mid life we develop a lot of new interests like religion, spirituality, fitness, solitude, etc. Take a personal development class or try yoga. When we keep learning, we keep growing and growth brings happiness.
– Diane Lang is a Positive Living Expert and psychotherapist – is a nationally recognized speaker, author, educator, therapist and media expert. Lang is extremely mediagenic and offers expertise on a variety of health and wellness topics about creating balance and finding happiness through positive living as well as multiple mental health, lifestyle and parenting needs. In addition to holding multiple counseling positions, Diane is also an adjunct professor at Montclair State University.