LIFE NO LONGER BEGINS AT 40 !!!!!!!

[Daanyeer]

Life no longer begins at 40... as Baby Gloomers have to wait until they're 54 for true happiness to arrive
By Becky Barrow
2nd September 2010

If you're still clinging to the hope that life begins at 40, you could be in line for a long wait.
If, on the other hand, you are pushing towards 54, there may be a pleasant surprise just around the corner.
Contrary to popular belief, that is the age when we reach true satisfaction in life.
Indeed, the latest research shows that those in their mid-40s are more unhappy than any other age group.
It suggests that 54 is a golden age at which people are happy and content, rather than stressed and self-conscious.
But they have to endure a long period of disappointment before they reach this magical time.
Researchers have rechristened those aged between 45 and 54 - from the Baby Boom generation - the 'Baby Gloomers' because they are so fraught with worries, particularly about money. More than half of this age group defined themselves as unhappy in the poll conducted by the bank First Direct.
When asked why they were feeling so miserable, the most common answer was that they were concerned about their wealth and future prospects.
One of the biggest concerns was that they would never be able to afford to stop working because they either do not have a pension, or would have to rely on a paltry retirement pot.
At this age, the reality of their pension problems start to sink in, and many realise they face having to work until they die - or for much longer than they had planned.
To add to the financial pressure, many are also coping with the massive costs of being stuck in the so-called 'sandwich generation'. This means they are likely to be paying the private school fees for their own children and also footing the care home fees for their ageing parents.
These costs are enormous, with the average price of a year at boarding school for a child over the age of 11 now nearly £24,000 a year.
For a care home, the cost is about £540 a week, where the average person spends four years - resulting in a bill of around £112,000.
The report describes the Baby Gloomers as 'over-worked and over-stressed'.
Levels of unhappiness peak for the 45-54 age group, and fall for each older age group.
For those aged 55-64, the figure is 36 per cent, and it is a quarter for those aged 65 and over.
The report found people are most likely to be happy if they have made at least four 'key changes' to their lives. These include switching to a different career, ending an unhappy relationship, ditching a 'poisonous' friendship, travelling for three or more months, and 'down-shifting' to achieve a less materialistic lifestyle.
The research also shows what those in the younger age groups have done to improve how happy they feel about their lives.
One in four aged 35 to 44 said they have made new friends or 'severed unhappy relationships'.
Nearly 30 per cent of those aged 16-24 interviewed said they are hoping to lead their own version of 'The Good Life'.
And more than 40 per cent of those aged 25-34 said they are planning to change career.
Paul Say, of First Direct, said: 'People are gaining satisfaction in their lives from much more than just money. Even in their late 50s and early 60s, Brits are undertaking a raft of changes to make their lives richer, more colourful and ultimately happier.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0yNWGdJln

[zulaika]

what? and i thought 50+ is when midlife crises hits..

[Keyse_0208]

i dont know why they say 50+ is midlife, probbaly to make themselfes feel better, but the truth is midlife is at 30. and at 60 you die

[SultanOrder]

i dont know why they say 50+ is midlife, probbaly to make themselfes feel better, but the truth is midlife is at 30. and at 60 you die