We all grow old, it’s just a fact of life. And when we reach our forties, many of us go into a mid-life crisis and we start to question our decisions and our place in life. For some, it can be a crippling condition that affects the quality of their life. So how do we avoid it?
Self-Reflection
With age comes experience. However, it is never too early to have some self-reflection. Take a moment of your day to evaluate your past and think about what you want your future to look like, the mistakes you’ve made, the bad decisions, and how you can reach your long-term goals. Knowing yourself is the key to making the best decisions in your life.
Cultivate Resilience
Life throws us curveballs one after another. But as humans, we are hardwired for resilience. We get up after we are punched down and try again. Building this resilience early on makes us harder for the battle, to face any circumstances that come our way. Practice resilience in your everyday life and learn how to do things with tact and courage. Develop your strategies for dealing with difficult situations, and most importantly, cultivate a support network that is as sturdy as you are.
Have Realistic Expectations
We are often disappointed by many things and people the older we get. Our optimism gets chipped at every day, and we can end up bitter and jaded. So to avoid that happening during our mid-life years, we need to learn to set realistic expectations for people and for ourselves. Let us know ourselves and other people so we know what to expect.
Maintain Physical Health
Getting old gives many of us body dysmorphia. Our bodies are changing and we don’t look or feel as good as we do a few years back. That is why it is more important to take care of our mental and physical health. Exercise as much as you can and have a healthy diet.
Nurture Relationships
Humans are social creatures. That being said, the key to conquering or avoiding mid-life crises is having a genuine connection with the people we are close to. Meaningful relationships can give us the support system we need when we realize that there are many changes happening to us as we get older.
Pursue Personal Growth
No matter how small it is, we must never stop growing. We are only getting older, but that doesn’t mean we can’t acquire new skills and learn new things. It takes our mind away from the problems we face daily and gives us memorable experiences we can carry on our whole lives.
Financial Planning
As early as today, let’s have solid financial planning. Let us outline our goals for the future we want to have and start saving towards that goal. We need to be financially conscious and think about our retirement, no matter what age we are at.
Having a mid-life crisis is not the end of the world. But as early as now, we can avoid it by knowing ourselves and knowing our goals for the future. We can work towards those goals by following these steps.