Middle adulthood: what it is, characteristics and how it affects us

Let's take a look at what middle adulthood is and how it influences our lives and relationships.

Middle adulthood, also known as middle age, is the period between the ages of 40 and 65.is the period between 40 and 65 years of age, after early adulthood and before late adulthood.

This period is characterized by being less vigorous than in previous periods, but also by having a more stable life, forming a family and having a well-established professional career.

There are several characteristics that stand out in middle-aged people and we are going to see them in detail below.

What is middle adulthood?

The intermediate adulthood or middle age is the period between early adulthood and late adulthood, or what is the same, young adulthood and old age. As with all other stages of life, there is some debate about when it begins and when it ends, but as a general rule, it is considered to be from age 40 to 65, but, as a general rule, it is considered to be between the ages of 40 and 65..

In general, this stage has not been studied as much as the previous ones. Middle adulthood has not received as much research attention as childhood and adolescence. However, in recent decades, more and more experts have been concerned with understanding the changes that occur during middle age, especially as life expectancy has been increasing in developed countries.

Among the aspects of most importance to the lives of people in middle adulthood are their careers, the care and education of their children, and preparing for their future retirement..

Physical and psychological characteristics

Among the characteristics and noteworthy aspects of middle adulthood we find:

Physical characteristics.

Throughout the period between 40 and 65 years of age, some signs of aging appear.. Most people reach middle age with some feature that shows that they are getting closer to old age, although they are not necessarily symptoms of disease or health problems, but rather signs that the years are passing.

It is around the age of 40 when the sensory organs begin to lose acuity and it will be necessary to use aids for vision and hearing, such as glasses for eyestrain or hearing aids to increase the volume of sounds. The external appearance will also change, with certain signs of aging appearing, such as less smooth skin, wrinkles or age spots. Hair will have grayed and, in many males and some females, alopecia will appear.

In terms of energy levels, it is normal for people in middle age to be less vigorous than when they were young, it is normal for people in middle age to be less vigorous than when they were younger.. In some cases they begin to notice joint pain, less strength in the extremities and greater general fatigue.

Psychological characteristics

For a long time, developmental psychology believed that intelligence and cognitive abilities in general reached their peak around the age of 20 and, after that point, began to deteriorate without remedy. This belief has been called into question as more research has been done on this issue and as the idea of fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence has been conceived.

It is true, however, that as we age, certain capacities such as memory, attention and orientation are reduced, this does not mean that one is less intelligent in general.. The original belief that as we get older we are less intelligent was due to the fact that only fluid intelligence was taken into account, that which is used to solve new problems with more or less success, and it was discovered in the 60s that the peak of this ability is at the age of 20.

However, it should be noted that crystallized intelligence develops throughout life, as long as there is no neurological disorder.. This type of intelligence is defined as the capacity that has to do with the acquisition of knowledge throughout life and the degree of mastery when applying it. It could be understood as a synonym of experience and wisdom and, as people over 40 years old have lived more than a 20 year old, they have more knowledge and therefore more crystallized intelligence.

And it is as a result of having more experience with life that middle-aged adults tend to show more confidence and self-assurance than when they were younger. Having lived through many experiences and having a better understanding of how the world works makes them feel that they are more confident, they understand what their true capabilities are and they know in which situations they will have no problem showing them off.

But it cannot be overlooked that it is at the beginning of this stage that some it is at the beginning of this stage that some individuals begin to show certain difficulties.. It is not uncommon to enter a period of identity uncertainty, known as the midlife crisis, when the psychological barrier of 40 years of age is surpassed. This crisis is characterized by a strong stress produced by the fact that the person realizes that he/she has not achieved some of his/her vital objectives and is already in the middle of his/her life.

The midlife crisis makes some people want to relive the best years of their youth.. This is evidenced by a change of style and behavior in general, wearing new clothes, taking up risky activities or trying to get along with younger people, and even trying to make friends with their children's friends. Although these behaviors should not be seen as pathological, they can be interpreted as symptoms associated with a process in search of a new self-identity, also known as "midescence" or "middlescence".

Physiological changes

As we mentioned before, the body manifests a series of changes at the beginning and during middle age. In fact, this is the aspect that changes the most in people in middle adulthood. As the body ages, certain vital functions begin to deteriorate and cause certain problems, which may be more or less serious depending on the lifestyle, habits and genetics of each individual.

It should be noted that development experts differentiate between primary aging and secondary aging.. Primary aging would have to do with all the changes associated with age that are inevitable and occur equally in all people, while secondary aging would be what would mark the difference between some people and others, related to having led an unhealthy lifestyle or having some genetic condition that makes aging more or less pronounced.

Among the symptoms of primary aging we find slight circulatory problems, lower levels of some hormones such as testosterone, some loss of muscle mass and bone mass... In the case of secondary aging, lack of physical exercise, an unhealthy diet and the consumption of harmful substances can lead to serious consequences such as advanced sarcopenia, diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases or cancer.

For these reasons, it is already important to take care of health in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood to avoid the development of long-term problems, but when middle adulthood arrives, it is important to take care of health in the early years of life.in middle adulthood, it is even more so. It may be a little late, but not enough to avoid major problems.

• Related article, "What is Physiological Psychology?"

Sexuality and relationships.

Sexuality, of course, has its particularities during middle adulthood. Sexual desire is still intense, but it is not as high as it is during early adulthood.. As they gain years and approach old age, people feel less and less sexual desire, although this does not mean that it is completely lost.

Sex is still enjoyed, but its intensity and frequency is less, and it is experienced in a different way. Men and women have greater self-confidence, because of their life experiences and greater maturity, they enjoy their sexuality in a less passionate but more profound way during middle age.

However, it should be said that there may be certain problems associated with middle age that hinder the enjoyment of sex, or directly make it impossible to have sex with a partner. One of these problems is the loss of intimacy, related to an excessive workload, lack of moments of solitude for the couple because of having to take care of the children or high levels of stress.

On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that other more other more physiological problems can also prevent the enjoyment of a full sexual life.. Among them we can find the lack of erections, difficulties to lubricate in a natural way or even premature loss of libido. Fortunately, all these physiological difficulties, as well as those of a more relational and psychological nature, can be solved by consulting a specialized professional, such as a couple's psychologist or a doctor.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the relational aspect. Unlike in the previous period, people in middle age are looking for some stability in terms of affective relationships.. This is a trend that is usually suggested at the beginning of the thirties, a decade in which people are no longer so interested in having the maximum number of sexual partners and are looking for the definitive one, the one with whom they will spend the rest of their lives and form a family, at least in most cases.

Life expectancy

Thanks to advances in biomedicine and improved quality of life in developed countries, life expectancy has increased. People living in the West and other welfare state societies such as Japan have foods available to them that meet their nutritional requirements, allowing them to live longer. In addition, there is greater awareness of the importance of taking care of one's health through a healthy lifestyle.The main objective is to reduce the risk of heart disease, regular exercise and the avoidance of unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

This not only means that people live people live longer, but also look younger.. In popular culture it is often said that 40 is the new 30, and so on with the rest of the age groups, and there is a reason for this. It is not uncommon to find people who look up to 10 years younger, not only from a physical or physiological point of view, but also psychologically.