10 ways to Make Yourself Happy in the Middle Age

Without a doubt, you have a lot going on in your life right now. As a result, it’s natural that achieving happiness has been neglected. This is an especially challenging time for individuals who find themselves with grown-up kids and perhaps feel that life is becoming monotonous. Feelings of despair and even hopelessness are common among many individuals during this period, and people feel that they have lost control of their lives. Middle Age serves as a bridge between the younger and older generations; this remains a constant source of stability and a medium for learning for many individuals. 

But now it’s time to reclaim the spirit of life and zest that was once prevalent in your life. Midlife is a very stressful time, there is no doubt in that. But for most people, it is also a really good time during which they find out new things about themselves and discover a rejuvenated spirit for life.

Some individuals feel that this period of their lives is characterized by many responsibilities that sometimes may even feel burdensome. While this time period entails a great deal of responsibility, it’s also crucial to remember that this time does not last forever. It is utterly important to enjoy this period and make light of the challenges and curveballs that these responsibilities may present you with. It is important to seek out one’s own happiness and engage in such practices and activities that bring happiness to the individual.

There is also an external benefit to feeling happier, which is that your happiness becomes the cause of happiness for your loved ones. Because your life has such an impact on so many people, your personal health and happiness in midlife can have a significant positive impact on those closest to you. While the concept of achieving happiness may seem unrealistic and even weird at times, it is in fact most natural. Humans have a tendency to seek out happiness and there is no reason why people during their midlife stage should not seek happiness out either. Here are a few ways according to how we can make a significant attempt toward achieving happiness.

1. Know Yourself

Developing a loving relationship with yourself leads to an inner sense of fulfilment and peace. Write down a list of what makes you YOU, including the aspects that you like most about yourself. This strong sense of self allows you to rely less on external sources of fulfilment, such as things you buy, approval or compliments from people, or Instagram likes, which can bring your happiness down. Giving preference to your own self over anyone else can be a definitive change that can lead to inner happiness. 

2. Form Social Connections

Friends will come and go. Your wide social circle might change to a small group of friends. What matters most is that you have a strong group of close friends who could act as your support system. According to 2020 research, those who see their friends a few times per week have better levels of life satisfaction as compared to those who meet friends only a few times per year. Close friends provide the support that promotes well-being. Shared experiences and memories made with close friends can become a source of major happiness and such friendships can be a constant reason for positivity. Such friendships and the memories associated with these friendships can continue to be a reason for happiness through midlife to even old age.

3. Creating Positive Experiences

Although buying new stuff brings us joy but the things that provide long-term happiness aren’t materialistic. Attaching too much importance to material things and objects will lead to happiness that is fleeting and temporary. Such happiness will not be worthwhile and will be superficial. In contrast, happiness that is generated from meaningful experiences is not dependent upon material sources. Rather, they include things like seeking out awe-inspiring experiences, laughing more, and discovering or rediscovering the things that psychologically restore and entertain you. This can become a source of true and meaningful happiness that will be worthwhile and long-lasting. 

4. Discover your life’s mission

Goal-setting and striving is important in life but you don’t allow those goals to define your sense of worth. Rather, having a purpose gives you a sense of self-worth. Therefore, it is important to find out, through meaningful activities and life experiences, what the mission of your life is. It does not have to be that your life’s mission is something ultra-extraordinary or something that is grandiose. But instead, this mission can be something that speaks to your heart and soul, something that you believe in and something that speaks to you. Again, this does not define you or yourself worth nor is it a measure of how incredible you are, but it is more of a goal that drives you and gives you happiness.

5. Embrace the negativity

Negative feelings are natural to all human beings. There is nothing that is wrong with having negative thoughts and feelings. But putting these natural feelings down or attempting to be positive or joyful at all times, is a practice known as “toxic positivity,” which is harmful for your emotional health.
Acknowledging that you are frustrated or sad is important if you wish to actually work towards removing these feelings that create negativity in you. One of the most crucial aspects of happiness is not forcing oneself to smile. Understanding that being sad or upset is quite alright and it is nothing to feel guilty or worried about. Being more genuine about what you are feeling and what you are not feeling is the key to happiness. So, it is important to embrace any negative feelings and thoughts that might come your way so that you can deal with them adequately and so that you can ultimately work towards attaining happiness.

6. Create a sense of belonging

A sense of belonging where you live, in addition to great friendships, is essential for overall life satisfaction. If you’re lacking in cultivating a sense of community, making small talk with strangers is a good place to start. This will also help foster feelings of positivity towards your everyday interactions. It helps by contributing to your overall sense of happiness as well as life satisfaction. 

7. Re-evaluate your stressors

The issue isn’t that we experience stress, it’s unavoidable. Rather, what matters is how you respond to these tiny daily stressors. Self-care and breathing methods are only a handful of things you might employ to help you relax and calm down. Think about the message that stress is sending you. It could be telling you that you need to learn to set boundaries or that you’re taking on too much work. You can use this information to make changes that will help you cope with some of your daily stressors. While initially, it may not seem that these practices are working and feelings of doubt may be there. But eventually, these small practices will add up and make a significant difference to your life. 

8. Look after yourself

Despite the fact that your early years have an impact on your physical and emotional health. You can still make changes that will stay. And what you do in your midlifemidlife has a big influence on how you age.
Eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep, exercise daily, and stay away from drugs and alcohol. Go for a day out with your friends or enjoy a stroll in the park with your pet. Manage your stress and see your doctor on a regular basis. Do what you love and find ways of indulging in such practices that bring you happiness and joy and revitalize your spirit for life and living. 

9. Practice Gratitude

When gratitude is practised on a regular basis, it has been shown to boost happiness as well as feelings of life satisfaction. It draws you more into the present moment. Allowing you to appreciate the good things in your life that you may or may not notice and give thanks for usually. Analyze what you are grateful for, and then feel the emotion that comes with it. Doing so helps in lowering the activity of your brain’s stress regions and helps in boosting your feelings of happiness. 

10. Keep things in Perspective

Sickness, the death of loved ones, and other life transitions can be painful or challenging as you become older. And there is a widespread belief that happiness and struggle cannot coexist – but they can and they do. Whatever life throws at you, whether it be good or bad. You can still find joy and levity while working towards solving the issues at hand.