Challenges Faced in Middle Adulthood
Parents play a significant role in the emotional wellness of their middle adulthood children. They tend to advise their children on the various life challenges that they experience. Therefore, the connection between parents and their middle-life children is often strong. The fear of losing their parents affects middle-life adults significantly. They, therefore, tend to spend most of their time trying to think of how they will survive in the absence of their parents.
Parents and children share a strong bond that binds them emotionally. Their separation, therefore, tends to affect the parents in middle adulthood because they feel that they are losing their connection with their children. Parents feel that their children may develop beliefs that are contrary to what they were taught. The distance may make the parents feel that their children are insecure and lack the experience to fight the uncertainties of life.
Most middle-life adults often prioritize financial security as they edge closer to retirement. Most of them will explore investments for passive income to meet their financial objectives. The need for financial security makes middle adults independent, thus reducing their reliance on their children and other family members for financial aid.
Addressing Challenges in Middle Adulthood
Close family ties with the remaining family members reduce the sense of absence created by the death of a parent in middle adulthood. This enables the bereaving adult to cope positively with the loss of their parents and recover quickly. Visiting a psychiatrist for psychological therapies is necessary to develop a positive mindset and reduce the stress associated with losing a parent in middle childhood.
Parents develop a strong bond with their children from birth. When these children grow and leave their parents, most parents in middle adulthood feel they are losing the connection they had with their children. Therefore, maintaining that bond is necessary to eliminate the fears that arise when children leave.
Achieving financial independence in middle adulthood is very crucial and involves various mechanisms. It is often a collaborative decision that involves both partners deciding on the effective ways to save and spend their finances. Venturing into investments that bring passive income is one of the major ways to achieve financial security by reducing overreliance on salary.
Opportunities to Thrive in Middle Adulthood
During middle adulthood, there are various responsibilities that the person is faced with. These responsibilities require effective decision-making abilities to prevent crises. Most of the decisions one makes at this stage tend to affect their work life, family and their finances. Therefore, mental health is necessary to ensure that a person makes sound decisions with positive consequences. Mental health can be achieved by avoiding stress and other conditions, such as depression, that is likely to cause mental instability. Other than making sound decisions, mental health is necessary for a person’s overall wellness. Conditions such as depression and anxiety can cause other health conditions, such as heart disease and high blood pressure, which can be severe if not attended to early. Engaging in regular exercises tends to improve the brain’s ability to handle stress and improve memory by triggering the production of the BDNF protein that is responsible for the production of brain cells.
Family is one of the essential units in one’s life. Family gives a person an identity that they associate with. Maintaining close family relations creates a piece of mind, which leads to emotional and mental stability. As a result, one develops the ability to handle various challenges that occur in middle adulthood. When there is a strong connection with the family members, one feels comfortable sharing their challenges and receiving the necessary support to overcome those challenges. This creates happiness and optimism, which are essential in avoiding stress and other psychological conditions.
References
Kekäläinen, T., Freund, A. M., Sipilä, S., & Kokko, K. (2020). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between leisure time physical activity, mental well-being and subjective health in middle adulthood. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 15(4), 1099-1116.
Nevarez, M. D., Morrill, M. I., & Waldinger, R. J. (2018). Thriving in midlife: The roles of childhood nurturance and adult defense mechanisms. Journal of research in personality, 74, 35-41.
Kamis, C., Stolte, A., & Copeland, M. (2021). Parental Death and Mid-adulthood Depressive Symptoms: The Importance of Life Course Stage and Parent’s Gender. Journal of health and social behavior.
Lyons, A. C., Grable, J. E., & Joo, S. H. (2018). A cross-country analysis of population aging and financial security. The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, 12, 96-117.
Blieszner, R., & Ogletree, A. M. (2018). Close relationships in middle and late adulthood.