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).
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.
Not only did researchers find that older people tend to be happier, but that happiness is not something older participants have had all their lives. In other words, as people get older, say starting at age 50, happiness comes to them.
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.
National Well-Being.
Across Europe and the United States, unhappiness reached its peak in the late forties, specifically at the age of 49 years. In general, unhappiness followed a hill-shaped curve across the lifespan. Thus, young children start out with rather low unhappiness which increases until the age of 49 years.
Havemann says pre-existing depression and anxiety, as well as bereavement – which naturally occurs more often with advancing age – also contribute. Increasing insomnia is also a factor. Brain-body changes can cause depression that occurs for the first time later in life.
There are many reasons to feel joy in our older years. But with all the changes happening as we age, it's okay — and normal — to feel sad sometimes too. “As we grow older, many of us struggle with isolation and loneliness,” explains Frank Sileo, PhD.
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.
When is our physical peak? The physical peak age is the point in your life when your reproductive system, motor abilities, strength, and lung capacity are in optimal condition – this generally occurs between 30 and 40 years of age.
If you're in your 40s and miserable, you might just be acting your age: Unhappiness peaks at 47.2 years old, according to new research.
More time, less stress
But emotional aspects of life, such as stress and worry, tend to lessen. “That stuff really drops when you get 65-plus, and things like happiness and enjoyment on any given day get better,” Witters says in a phone interview.
Among older people, upbeat moods could mean greater life span. Happy people don't just enjoy life; they're likely to live longer, too. A new study has found that those in better moods were 35% less likely to die in the next 5 years when taking their life situations into account.
The middle of life may be a time of unhappiness and stress.
At least, that's the implication of a new survey of 2,000 people from U.K. theater chain Cineworld, which found that life is “least fun” at age 45. Additionally, more than half of people say that finding fun in everyday life gets harder the older you get.
When it comes to feeling your best, a new study finds that 27-year-olds are in the prime of their lives. But if you're past that youthful age, fret not!-- the study also found that you worry less about your appearance as you grow older.
"Turning 40 is a time of reflection to take stock of who you are at this time in your life, which include the values, friendships, jobs, relationships, and thoughts you hold dear," says clinical psychologist Tricia Wolanin Psy.
One's late twenties and early thirties, from an emotional perspective, are therefore the worst part of life. It's during these years that people experience the most negative thoughts and feelings and experience the most mind wandering, a psychological state that has been shown to be detrimental to well-being.
According to the results of a British survey of 2,000 people, women reach their peak of beauty at 31.
Official definitions
Most developed Western countries set the retirement age around the age of 65; this is also generally considered to mark the transition from middle to old age. Having one's age within this range is commonly a requirement to become eligible for senior social programs.
In fact, we can begin shrinking as early as our 30s, according to some research. Men can gradually lose an inch between the ages of 30 to 70, and women can lose about two inches. After the age of 80, it's possible for both men and women to lose another inch. Why do we shrink as we age?
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.
Excessive talking, also known as garrulity, can be associated with dementia, or cognitive impairment. It is necessary that you take your father to a doctor who can recommend a neurologist and psychologist who can perform appropriate evaluations to determine if he might be suffering from some form of dementia.
Some older adults simply give up their interests over time because they stop finding pleasure in things. This could be due to a psychological condition that is referred to as anhedonia. In some cases, anhedonia may manifest itself as a lack of motivation to do things, or general apathy.