Those nearing 40 are often told tall tales about what life in the fourth decade is like. Many of these are exaggerated, and the truth is that life continues unabated for the most part.
Day-to-day routines may stay the same. However, turning 40 is a milestone that often signals the rough midpoint in a person’s life. From here, you could begin to feel old or irrelevant to the younger kids on the block. At the same time, around 40 is when most bodies begin to start changing and showing signs of age that weren’t previously there.
This may sound depressing or like a sentence to calm down. The reality, however, is that your forties could be the best time of your life. If you’re interested in keeping your mind young and having endless fun while doing simple tasks, this article is for you.
Learn Something New
Whether you’re just starting your 40s or have been in them for a while, learning something new is one of the most significant ways to keep your mind active and improve your overall knowledge. This doesn’t have to be something you can monetize, but it can be something you’ve always wanted to know about simply because it grabs your attention.
Aiding your ability to do this, modern technology unlocks endless resources and possibilities for learning. From online courses like those on Udemy to uncovering games of skill at the PartyCasino now available in Ontario, you can expand your knowledge in endless areas.
Another benefit of learning in your 40s is the physical advantage. Studies have shown that challenging your mind with tasks like learning can activate the mechanics of the brain that maintain individual cells. At the same time, communication between cells is stimulated. This keeps your brain healthy and your mind clear, ready to lead into later years.
Stay Active
Growing older inevitably comes with some wear and tear on your body. While you may have been able to jump out of bed in the morning to start your day, you may need slightly more time to do this as you age.
Reaching your 40s is pivotal as this is when most experts agree your body (and mind) begins slowing down. Staying active and exercising regularly can help mitigate the natural physical effects of aging.
Alongside keeping your body in tip-top condition, exercising has also been proven to help your brain stay healthy and alert. Because almost any form of exercise can be chosen, staying active can also be a great way to have fun, especially if you engage in unique workouts like goat yoga.
Socialize
There are definitive stages in every life cycle. After school, people may head directly to the workplace or tertiary education. Then comes a season of marriage as you and those around you tie the knot. Weddings are soon replaced with baby showers, birthdays, and, eventually, funerals.
Many people struggle to balance a heavy workload and busy family schedule between these milestones. One of the most prominent things that gets cut to accommodate these things is social events and catching up with friends or extended family.
When hitting your 40s, ensuring you make time for these social appointments allows you to keep your brain (and social life) active. Interactions and discussions with those outside your immediate family can be intellectually rewarding and, depending on if you’re meeting for coffee or on the golf course, can be fun to undertake.
Watch What You Eat
Many think that what you put in your mouth will have little effect on your mental capacity. This is simply not true. In fact, food has such an impact on your brain that there is a study of medicine called nutritional psychiatry that deals exclusively with the relationship between your brain and what you consume.
When you reach your 40s, carefully curating what you eat extends beyond ensuring your body stays healthy and keeping things like your sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure in check. It can also help keep your mind young and fresh, ready to tackle your next adventure.
As such, studies have shown that diets like those found in Japan and the Mediterranean are best suited to high cognitive ability. Emphasizing consuming fruits, nuts, vegetables, and a careful balance of various proteins can help you stay on top of your game physically and mentally.
Drink Responsibly
In younger years, drinking can be an enjoyable pastime among friends. At this point, your metabolism is in its prime and handles this easily, allowing you to have a roaring night out and awaken the next day for work.
As you age, however, your metabolism slows, and excessive drinking can lead to intense headaches and hangovers. More than this, drinking excessively can cause significant mental changes, including a heightened risk of developing cognitive conditions like dementia.
While having a drink with friends or family in your 40s is an enjoyable way to unwind and socialize, drinking responsibly and limiting yourself to a pre-decided number of drinks is strongly advised. Doing so will keep you alert and prevent you from waking up feeling less like yourself and more like someone double your age.
Get Enough Sleep
The average age among couples having children has risen to between 27 and 30 in the US. At this age, dealing with little sleep as you tend to young children is manageable, and while you may be more tired than before, your body can cope without too much hassle.
This changes when you hit your 40s. By this time, your children may be slightly older, and you’d have ideally settled into a stable career that you schedule appropriately. These two factors allow you to get more rest, which is vital to your physical and mental state.
Getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each evening gives your mind a chance to unwind from the day, push short-term memories to long-term storage, and prepare you for the new day. Reports from 2022 show that people in their 40s are sleeping the least of any age group, so ensuring that you protect your sleep schedule will help you be healthier and more alert.
markmunroe
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