Turning Fifty & Aging Gracefully
Coping With Menopause, Empty Nest, Career Changes & More!
Turning fifty? Your body may have a different idea of aging gracefully than your mind does! Learning to cope with menopause, physical, emotional and social changes..
Turning fifty is a milestone for women. Any ideas you may have had of aging gracefully are amended by the rigorous physical demands of menopause - whether you're just starting or in the throes of it. These changes are most likely making themselves known in a variety of disconcerting ways, and the disconnect between mind and body can feel strikingly like a personal betrayal. You're no different inside, but but it seems your body hasn't gotten the message that turning fifty wasn't a signal to start slacking off.
Suddenly it seems you are undergoing a host of subtle - and not so subtle - changes. Your waistline is changing, and no manner of exercising can seem to change it. Your weight is the same but your shape is different, and your jeans don't seem to fit quite the way they used to - what's up with that? Your hair doesn't seem quite so thick and glossy, and those little crow's feet seem to be doing exercises of their own. And...can those freckles on your arms be age spots? Yikes!
Physical changes are inevitible as we age, and women cope with them in many different ways. Some of the other changes, however, can be even more disturbing. Family dynamics begin to shift: your youngest may have already left the nest., or married and moved to another area. You may be trying to get reacquainted with your spouse, or maybe you're truly single for the first time in many years. You may even be a grandparent... Yet women are in better shape both physically and emotionally than at any other time in history. The term "fifty is the new forty" may indeed be true!
This can also be a pivotal time in a woman's career or professional life. For some, it's a time of growth. With less responsibility at home, you may choose to apply yourself more fully to your career. Many women turn to continuing education as a way to increase their knowledge and marketable skills. Think you're too old for college? Think again! Enrolling in a distance education program or local university can be a great way to boost your career and get out there and learn something new. Explore the opportunities available at your place of work for professional development; take a couple of enrichment courses through your local community college. All of these serve to strengthen your mind and spirit while bringing you forward to a new professional plateau.
Turning fifty can signal the beginning of an exciting time in your life. Take time to learn what aging gracefully may mean to your future - menopause and all!
