Pre-fifty jitters

[lolawasashowgirl]

I'm currently 49.99 and feeling slightly weird about being 50. I know it will pass but I'm determined to make the most of my fifties and not let them drift by like I have with other decades. You lot are super wise; if you're fifty something and above what advice / wisdom would you impart to me?

@LarkDescending you're not being boring! I don't think anyone's input is boring! I know I need to have a serious think about HRT at some point. Do you mean that focussing on healthy living in general ie sleep / good diet/ exercise has a far reaching impact on other stuff?

I can relate to all of those. My actual birthday made me realise that having ditched a couple of people finally , I am actually very lucky with my friends. There is no point engaging with people who cause you hassle.

My plan is to address 1-3. I think there is still time for us in 1 and hoping people will come along to give hope on that front. Not on HRT take lots of supplements which I think help and my joint pain which i’m Fairly sure is hormonal is receding. Sleep a big topic amongst everyone I know at the moment..

Yes I mean exactly that.

I don’t want to project my own issues, but I had a rather desperate thread somewhere on here a few months ago. Fatigue, insomnia, deep bone/muscle aches, struggling at work and in friendships because any demands or commitments felt so overwhelming, and my emotional resilience had disappeared. Getting on top of basic health needs, hormonally and nutritionally, has helped immeasurably.

Yes what lark said.

I know it’s such a cliche, but if you don’t have your physical and mental health, you don’t have anything.

You don’t have the emotional energy to make the changes you need in your job, or to cope with the fall out of dumping selfish friends or a dead end relationship. Because it takes all your strength just to get through every day.

So many of us spend our 40s completely devoted to other people . Bringing up our kids, caring for elderly relatives, facilitating our partners career, health and hobbies. While neglecting ourselves.

Time for some self care now, otherwise it will all catch up with us in a big way in our late 50s and 60s.

I loved being fifty, hope you do too. My birthday is next week and I'll be seventy!

Happy Birthday for next week @Bluerussian! Thanks so much to you all for your comments - really helpful. The OTHER thing that is getting to me is I seem to live in a world surrounded by a lot of ....ahem.... high achieving women who are quite vocal about their career / sporting achievements and I feel quite inadequate in comparison.