What advice do you wish you'd been given at 40?

[Tibta]

I’m turning 40 this week.

For those of you who are 40+, what is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at 40?

Or, if you could go back, what is one thing you wish you’d done differently?

God yes. And if you still have grandparents, ask them about their childhoods & the family history. Look at old photos with them, ask who the people are & write their names on the backs. I’m doing that now with my 102 year old great aunt & I wish I’d done it earlier.

Over the next decade, your kids will be fairly independence, and your parents also. Enjoy this period of ‘freedom’. All my friends in their fifties have ailing parents, and the situation seems to change at the drop of a hat. One minute the parents are going on holidays, the next you’re discussing the need for carers.

I turned 40 a few weeks after DH unexpectedly died, so my advice to myself would be around surviving that. So, my advice to you would be make the most of the people you have, don’t take them for granted, and, if you have a DH or long-term partner, make sure things are set up financially just in case especially if you aren’t married.

Being single at 40 really isn’t the end of the world. No one will think you’re a loser and it’s really not that hard to meet other people to date IF you want to. I’m 43 and have been single since I was 40 after being left by my partner to bring up our child alone, which was a blessing in disguise big time. After I grieved the dickhead I found myself happier than I’ve been in years just me and my kid. I never thought I could be this happy being single

Put as much of your pension as possible az your energy levels wont be the same after 50.

Eat well, excercise, look after your skin, physical and mental health.

I'm 39 so following, but my pre 40 take is that we have a whole 30 working years ahead so retrain, think about goals and plans you would like to have done but didn't get the chance to, and go for it.

As others have said exercise - a bit of balance, core, toning and cardio are all good - never too late. Adjust your diet is you eat too many cakes, chips, takeaways, high fat items. Also, it's really worth making the effort with friends - you don't want to get near retirement and find you've haven't got friends to meet for something fun, coffee or general support.