Is it my age, having a child or the pandemic maybe 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Allthepettythings]

Recently I’ve started to become really aware about ageing and time flying so quickly.
I’m 44, is it this? Sort of like a mid life crisis?
I had my dd a little later, pregnant at 39, had her at 40. Before this I never thought about age or time going quickly and felt fairly young and free.
The last year or two it’s really been in my mind, especially recently. I keep thinking of my parents, even though they’re fit and well, they’re early 70’s and I keep feeling anxious about how much time I have left with them.
Time just feels like it’s really been flying since the pandemic really

*On my mind

As somebody who lost my parent in my twenties I'd say you've already had a pretty good innings not realising until now tbh.

I agree - time seems to have speeded up massively. Months just slipping by.

@jamoncrumpets So sorry 😞

Yes, I mean I’ve always obviously thought about it, but I’ve sort of pushed it to the back of my mind. Now I seem to be thinking about it a lot and feeling anxious.

I feel the same and I’m in my early 30s. :( I was happy to turn 30, no worries at all. Suddenly I’m worried about ageing and how I look (never used to!) about time speeding by and death. Having a child and pandemic for me I think.

I feel like life goes by so quickly atm

I think becoming a parent at any age makes you more aware of your mortality really. That feeling of responsibility and wanting to be there for your children.
parenthood also makes you reflect on your own relationship with your parents too, or it did for me certainly.
plus the pandemic has highlighted how vulnerable we can be.

I think it’s quite a combo for reflection and perhaps a bit of anxiety too.

My eldest DC starts senior school this year! I was 19 when I had him - I feel so old and really notice the time slipping by now.

I don’t know about you but for me at least, having a young child is so exhausting and time consuming. The months really do fly by and you can feel like you’ve achieved nothing.

I hear you OP.

I do think the pandemic played a part - all that time, not much to show for it.

I'm nearly 46, a single parent to 3 DC, busy f/t job & life is nuts. I feel I'm so busy but often wonder what I have to show for all of the busy-ness.

I also have started to feel old - not in looks or disposition, just that a decade has gone by in a flash, and in another decade I'll be heading towards 60.

Im so lucky, healthy, 3 healthy kids all that, but I am finding the whole time going by thing very anxiety inducing.

I feel the same and I'm 27!

I think that’s parenthood for you. I had three kids by the age of 26.

i am 33 and consider myself too old now. I would worry about how long I could stick around and my anxiety couldn’t take it so therefore definitely no more babies for me. I know you can get ill at any age but it’s just the way I feel.

I also had a baby just before the pandemic and am the same age as you.

Time just flies, I've got three kids and every week I can't believe it's time for gymnastics or beavers or whatever again, it just all goes so fast. I can't believe it's may already and feel like we took the Christmas decorations down about two minutes ago.

No idea the reason, but I totally feel the Adams!

I know how you feel....just wondering what the point of life is when it can be do brutal at times and yet so beautiful. Definitely looking my age at 44...feels like im watching myself wrinkle!

It's really common to have these type of thoughts. The realisation can happen at any age but it does happen to pretty much everyone at some point, sometimes multiple times. Reaching major milestones like having children can trigger it as you realise that part of your life is now in the past.

Most people move past it as they accommodate this new reality into their understanding of the world and their individual place in it. If you find yourself dwelling on these thoughts to the point it's interfering with your day to day activities or relationships then it's time to speak to someone, local IAPT services would be a good start.

I think ~I lived my life backwards. I worried a lot about aging & mortality when I was young, and not at all now. I'm amazed I made it this far. Every day in good health is a great day full of opportunities.

I agree the last couple of years with the pandemic seem to have flown. Even though at the time it felt like a long time we couldn't see our families etc but now I feel the last couple of years have flown.
My son starts school in September and it seems like only yesterday I found out I was pregnant even though that was 5yrs ago!
The weeks and months fly by. I also have ageing parents in their 70s and have worried about them more since covid.

I feel like I’m physically ageing so quickly now too, since Christmas really I have multiple grey hairs and will have to start dyeing it. Before I had the odd silver stray hair that I yanked out 🙈

I’ve just turned 45. I have kids between 28-14 and I have really been very aware lately that life is passing me by. Maybe as my mums 70 next year and she was 40 soon after I had my son. That was nearly 30yrs ago and it’s gone in the blink of an eye, then I think of 30yrs from now and I know there’s not a guarantee I’ll be here. I am not dwelling on this, but it’s definitely came to my mind a lot, also the mirror tells me I’m not getting any younger. You’re not alone