To feel utterly depressed that 40 is my next big birthday

[Menarefrommarsitwouldseem]

I have only just turned 35 but that past few days I can't shake this feeling of being unhappy that 40 is looming.
I know it's 5 years etc but time goes by so quickly.

I just don't feel like I'm ready/old enough to be 40 if that makes sense? I seriously cannot get over the fact I'm not 25 anymore let alone 35!

It's everything that comes with it.
My eldest dc I'll be 19 when I am 40 and youngest 15 and that stresses me out.
My parents will be elderly and that worries me.

I've just come out of a shitty relationship with my exh and feel like I'll be passed it in terms of meeting people

I feel like I look old.

I feel achey already

I feel like my childbearing days are over.

Eurgh I could carry on!

Please tell me it's not so bad!

I’m really enjoying my 40s. Much better than my 30s which were taken up with babies.

To the pp who mentioned today's 40s being very different to the 40s I saw as a teen. This is also so right.

I remember at 17 speaking to a teacher at sixth form about her upcoming 40th and thinking "god that's old" she did seem old though if you see what I mean.
Now I have friends well into their 40s and they're so at one with themselves and young in mind and body that I find it hard to believe they're over 10 years older than me.

I did a sky dive to celebrate my 60th birthday. Age is what you allow it to be. The rampant ageism on MN doesn't help. .

YANBU turning 40 sucked!
But my next big birthday is looming so I'm trying to see the upsides of 40. My Mum died 2 years ago and most of my friends also have worries or caring responsibilities for older parents - that part is hard. But having slightly older kids is great and once you hit 40's you realise it's not that bad really.

I object to worship of youth so I am not with you.
I was scared about turning 20 but a wise friend told me to savour every age for what it is & I haven't looked back (31 yrs ago).

Moaning doesn't seem to be a preserve of only older people on MN, all ages join in, you'd just have something different to moan about if age 25 forever.

I was speaking to my mum about it this morning.
She said she felt like I do when turning 30 but loved turning 40.

She thinks it's because I did so much so early on. By 25 I was married with 2 children, uni was done and I loved my career, I moved to a house I love recently And completed my post grad.
The children are growing up and less dependant on me already etc

She thinks it's because I am a busy kind of person and that it's probably the panic of what next as opposed to being older. I do kind of feel as though I've ran out of the big things i guess.

I'm going to start making plans to go travelling further afield now the children are older. I've dismissed certain holidays while they were younger but I think they'd appreciate them more now and I would love it.

Don’t worry the 40s are brilliant x

I’m 41 and I love it. I do a lot more now than I did ten years ago and my children are still really young, so they take up a lot of my time.
I write. I go to the gym a lot, I sing in a choir and I’ve just started singing lessons (I’m going to work my way through the exams!).
I look good. I’m better at knowing what suits me and I’m comfortable in my own body. Yes, I obviously look older, but older women can look great without Botox and fillers. (Though I must admit, I do avoid watching/ reading about things to do with beauty/ cosmetic surgery / celebrities, as it brings on the negativity).
Embrace your coming 40s OP! It’s good from where I’m standing.

Yes OP I think you might be looking at it as being.all downhill from where you are now. You have a good job, home and family now and think things will either be the same or worse. So as you say looking forward to some new goals should help.

I'm 39. I'm not looking forward to my birthday. The grey hair has ramped up something shocking in the last 2 years. I've just realised I've spent the last 9 years a bit overweight (had my first baby at 29 and haven't stopped eating since). I have just over 11 months to get fit before 40. I probably won't though.

My parents are both 75, and my mum certainly isn't elderly. My dad has had heart issues for 30+ years so he looks a lot older than she does. Still, he has his wits about him, loves his tablet and my Netflix.

My next big birthday is 60. It's brilliant.

I don't care about grey hair, I don't care about wrinkles. I'm slim, healthy, active and happily busy.

Last night I was out for a run. I passed two couples who had just come out of the pub. I'm guessing they were about mid-30s. One of the men made some joke and started to run next to me - I speeded up and left him about 100 yards behind. I don't think he was expecting that. Made me feel good though