If you have - when have you stopped feeling young?

[Pacoean]

Out of curiosity.
When did you stop feeling young (if you ever stopped)? What age and why?

I recently turned 25 and don't think I'll feel carefree and young again. My life looks a lot different to what it used to just a couple of years ago, although I'm grateful for all the fun time I had.

What about you?

That’s such a good one, so true.

About 45, a few years ago. It was when I realised I was regarded as experienced/senior by the younger women at work, the way I used to think of older women when I was 20s-30s.

And yesterday when a bloke was relentlessly bantering at / chatting up the young woman next to him on the train. She was politely, laughingly, deflecting but eventually I said, charmingly but agedly, knock it off mate. She mouthed "thank you" at me. I thought, yeah, time I embraced being the older woman and stepped up. There was no aggression but she clearly wished he'd stfu.

45 for me. Not only the physical issues with Perimenopause but other things like parents getting unwell, MIL passing and other family issues meant I had to become the ‘grown up’ and the responsibilities of that has made me feel old.

Health issues. Aches and pains now are regular. I’m tired. I now have gum problems potentially related to hormone changes in peri menopause. I picked up my HRT today and I’m praying for a miracle.

56 when I starting looking after my granddaughter one day a week. She’s 18 months and I find it exhausting. I have to go and have a lie down when she’s gone 😂

I have never felt old before that. Some of you are so young!

I would also say mid-40s. Menopause, face collapse, lack of energy, etc.

29/30. Second child was due and to be honest approaching the big 3-0 was the end of my twenties. I’m awaiting that mid life crisis haha. I’ve hit the at peace with feeling old and settled. I honestly don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

I'm 56. I've only started feeling old in the last couple of years. Possibly the pandemic contributed. My energy levels have plummeted and my skin looks grey.

28 too. I'm 30 now. I can 'see' middle age now whereas I think in your 20s you genuinely have this feeling those years will go on forever. I know I did!

I actually still look young and get ID'd often but inside I know the truth 😁 really though, it's quite good being 30.

I go through phases of swinging between feeling old and young. I'm 42. In my head I'm still 25. I'm short and find that some people look down on me treat me as a bit younger because of that. I still enjoy having fun and living my life.

But then I have mainly grey hair coming through at the roots. I quite like some of the clothes in Marks and Spencers. (Never mind that I actually went into M&S and looked at the clothes!). I'm old enough to be attractive actors' mother. I get excited on sunny days that I can hang my washing outside.

In the last couple of years I have lost a lot of people of a similar age through cancer and illness. It has made me realise that actually 40s is no age at all to die and hopefully I have at least another 40 years ahead of me.

I’ve felt older when I was younger than I do now if that makes sense. I thought I was getting old in my late 30’s, 40’s probably due to the full time job and 3 teenage children. At that age I thought 50+ was very old. In my mid to late 50’s I felt younger than in my 30’s despite some menopausal symptoms. I think it’s unfortunate if menopause coincides with a houseful of teenagers, luckily mine were all grown up by the time mine started.
Late 50’s full of energy for looking after first grandchild and working part time.
Now Im 65 and feel young at heart but definitely noticing that grandchild care once a week is fun but completely exhausting.
So I would say that I started to feel that I was getting “ older” at about 63.
You've got lots of “ young” time left!
Im determined to keep a young outlook, my mother was “ old” in every way in her early 50’s. Being an infant teacher all of my working life has kept me with a view of the world through a young child’s eyes maybe!

I started feeling old at 40. It was the same timing I was finally able to lift my head after 8 years straight of babies and toddlers. I think I aged in those years but was too tired to notice or care.

I felt like a real grown up when I had to start solving family problems - dealing with someone getting defrauded, sorting out care for relatives and navigating the funding system.

That would have been about 26-27. I don't feel old or young currently, and I'm trying to come to terms with the fact I may never have children which is doing my head in more than I'd like it to. I always assumed I'd meet someone and that it would happen but I haven't. There is still enough time but my job is very high pressure and I don't have the energy to doll myself up, make myself look interested in what other people say etc. Or rather I have the energy to do that but only if I have up seeing friends or going to the gym and I'm not prepared to do either of those for a maybe. I think the realisation that things won't be feasible forever is making me feel older than I am - I no longer see infinite lives with endless possibilities stretched in front of me.

I feel grown up but still young (am 42). I agree with others that it has a lot to do with how life is going. I felt truly old for the first time during the interminable Covid lockdowns, much better now life is returning ti a semblance of normality.

I’m still young (41) but I’m not young. I realised that all too well on my last holiday with h. Albania had decided (unknown to us) to agree hosting a beach drum and bass event / called hospitality on the beach. The plane was full of druggies (they were loudly boasting what they had taken) creating noise and vaping. I honestly thought we were going to land in Germany at one point. The steward was traumatised and kept saying the Albanian routes are normally quiet family routes. Anyway my annoyance just proved I’m not young anymore 🤣 oh and we avoided the area where it was hell - judging by the local news they are trying to work out if the money they made was worth the mayhem.

I am a police officer - it was when I noticed how young the other police officers suddenly were!

The infinite choices disappearing is true. One of my first realisations of getting old was when doors began to shut. 60 really is too old to contemplate going to uni for a new career I think and unlikely to gain a place.

When. i read that heading I was thinking 43/44 … definitely felt young pre-40!! Bit shocked when I read the rest of your question details!!!!!

I think some of it has to do with enforced changes during this time, like places closing either temporarily or permanently and many (including me) working from home. I have become more sedentary and at the beginning of covid I reacted against this with endless walks and whatever else I could do. Now I've become used to sitting around the house like an old person!

Also, part of being young is making plans for the future, whether that's for a wedding, a weekend away, a new job, a holiday or a complete change of direction. Even now covid restrictions have gone travel is more difficult, and it seems a risk to try and go anywhere, what with train strikes, ferry sackings, airport chaos....Brexit, war in Ukraine, inflation....I'm finding it hard to be optimistic like I used to be.

I'll be 38 this year and although I don't feel old, I did start to realise I'm not 'young' anymore a couple of years ago.

I was used to being the youngest person at work and then all of a sudden I was one of the older ones.

People were using terms I'd never heard of and I found myself googling what they meant (things like NSFW, etc.)

A radio competition recently highlighted the fact that I have no idea who a lot of the current artists are ( and I can hear myself saying things that my Granny used to say, such as "that's not music, that's noise" 🫣

@RaininSummer I get that! I’ve missed the boat with a few things, like, will I regret never having gone to a music festival? ( couldn’t go now due to my 65 year old bladder....) , too late/pointless to convert my vintage Cert.Ed to a B.Ed and wear a cap and gown at a graduation ceremony, teach overseas for a year, etc.

When I tripped up some stairs, and someone asked me if I was alright instead of laughing!

Age is a mindset. In my 30's I felt healthy, vibrant, sexy. But I knew I was in the mum crowd and felt no need to be partying or felt I was losing out. 40's definitely felt not part of the younger set, but it was ok because you gained some freedoms, financially and time-wise as children were older. 50's were definitely all about me and DH since children left home. More time to pursue hobbies and pastimes, including healthy ones.

BTW, I'm 60 now.

A few weeks ago, when I started a new job, and realised that a lot of my colleagues are almost half my age, and don't want to hang out with a 52 year-old.

Nearly 50. Apart from feeling very motherly to my young colleagues me and the DH are very much acting young and enjoying life. DH does like to go to bed earlier though

45. I work with a team of young people (I'm the oldest woman) and suddenly I see myself through their eyes...a dull frumpy bore. Even the men around my age are dismissive of me, I think the whole awful 'Karen' stereotyping has been very damaging.