For many of us, middle age can be fraught with mental tension and stress, not to mention physical aches and pains.
The most common shocking realisation for women exiting their thirties, apprehensively tottering into their forties or finding themselves in their fifties is that aging often requires change.
This is not to say that reaching middle age means we should move to frumpy town, where sensible shoes, chopping off your hair, and wearing boring clothes are obligatory.
Here are the five most common mistakes women make in middle age – and how to avoid them.
1. IGNORING THE FACT THAT CHANGE IS NECESSARY:
The biggest mistake many women make is not changing with the times. The way you styled your hair, wore your clothes, and applied makeup probably looked wonderful in your younger years. However, these things won’t work as well once you enter middle age. The trick is to find a new style that flatters you now and to gracefully accept the fact you’re not alone in growing older.
It might be useful to take cues from other women in your age group, either in your social circles, or even those in the celebrity limelight. Compare what works and what doesn’t so that you can make informed decisions about how and where to change.
2. SKIPPING EXERCISE:
You may, or may not have exercised regularly in your youth. Middle age is not an excuse to stop working out – and in fact it’s the perfect time to start. As we get older, our metabolism changes and many women of menopausal age notice extra kilos creeping on.
Due to the surge of feel-good endorphins, exercising can actually help with many of the health problems we experience as we get older. Light, regular exercise can
relieve pain, control your weight weight gain, prevent diabetes, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure or even dementia.
Simply moving your body every day will make a world of difference to your mental attitude and your physical state. There is a form of exercise to suit everyone, even if you suffer from arthritic or joint problems. Consider taking up yoga, or swimming regularly. You’ll soon notice the difference in your mind and body.
3. DRASTICALLY ALTERING YOUR HAIR:
We’ve all heard the adage about your hair being your crowning glory. Yet many women in their forties and fifties feel they need to chop it all off because those are the “rules”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Some women just weren’t meant to sport bobs and pixie-cuts.
How you wear your hair depends on your height, the shape of your face and of course the condition of your hair. As we age, obviously our hair becomes grey, so many women choose to colour their crowning glory. But keep in mind that the colour and style you wore with confidence in your twenties or thirties may not work so well in middle age.
It’s well worth scouring hair magazines until you find a flattering shade and style you like, then see if a reputable hair salon can replicate it. Just as a lick of paint can transform a tired old wall, a new hairstyle can make you feel like a new woman!
4. USING THE WRONG MAKEUP:
A little makeup goes a long way, no matter how old you are. Makeup is designed to enhance and highlight your features. However, the makeup colors and brands you’re used to wearing often aren’t suitable once you reach middle age. Your skin’s texture changes, and sometimes you’ll find that if you’ve always had oily skin, it changes and becomes dry.
Try to resist packing on heavy powders and concealers in the hope that it will cover up wrinkles and under-eye dark circles or puffiness. Heavily applied or dark makeup can actually reveal every flaw and make you seem even older.
It would be useful to invest in a magnifying mirror to help you apply makeup more accurately. Replace your foundations, concealers, powders and eye makeup regularly, and remember that less is more.
5. LAMENTING THE LOSS OF YOUR YOUTH
If you’ve ever had a friend or family member comment on an old photo with wide-eyed surprise (oh wow, you look so young!), then don’t worry. We’ve all been through it.
Unless you happen to be a celebrity with an entourage of hair, makeup, fitness and wardrobe experts at your beck and call, you’ll just have to accept that few people look as good in middle age as they did in their twenties. Often, we are at the mercy of our genes, and if you happen to be blessed with good ones, then middle age will be a breeze.
The main aim is to look and feel as good as you can, not to try to recreate the face and body of your youth.
Walking down memory lane can be cathartic, but don’t feel bad when you constantly stumble across the younger version of you.
The passage of time is unavoidable, so instead of wasting valuable energy trying to bring back the sexy siren of yesterday, embrace the delightful diva of today.
Taking natural supplements and using top quality skin care products are great ways to slow down the ageing process and keep you looking and feeling younger. Browse through NatureBee range of health, weight management and skincare products.
