Study: We are at our most relaxed at this age

study shows
At this age we are at our most relaxed

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Our stress levels vary greatly throughout life. But how we deal with it is not the same at every age. A large-scale study has now found out when we are most relaxed.

How well we cope with aging varies greatly. Some people find it very difficult to accept that after a certain age their fitness decreases, that more and more wrinkles appear and that certain things just take more time. Other people don’t particularly mind, they may even look forward to retirement.

Study on stress in different phases of life

With good reason, because the “rush hour of life” between 30 and 40 is often the most stressful phase: we are very busy at work, many people have children and buy homes, at the same time we may be looking after our aging parents. One study has now examined in which phase of life we ​​feel the most relaxed – and indeed: with age we become more relaxed.

For their long-term study, Penn State University in the US state of Pennsylvania accompanied around 3,000 people between the ages of 25 and 74 over a period of 20 years. The researchers primarily looked at the days in the lives of these people that were particularly stressful. In the case of the 25-year-old subjects, this was almost half of all days, while the 70-year-olds only felt stress on a good third of their days.

Social roles at a young age create more stressors

Study leader David Almeida, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State University, explains the study’s findings as follows: “There is something about aging that leads to fewer stressors in life.” This could be related to the social roles that we fill in the course of life. “As younger people, we have to juggle more things at work, in the family and at home. All of this creates daily stress. As we age,” says the researcher, “our social roles and our motivation change. Older people want often making the most of the time they have left.”

Another aspect that caught the attention of the research team: the younger people were in a much worse mood when they were feeling stressed, while the older ones still showed a sunny disposition even on stressful days. So they were able to deal with the stressors more relaxed.

Study shows: Mid-50s seems to be the most relaxed age

Overall, it was found that people in their mid-50s were the least stressed and showed the greatest resilience in dealing with challenges. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a slight increase in daily stress levels – primarily from the physical and mental challenges of aging. However, on average, people in this age range were much more relaxed about such stressors than people in their 20s and 30s.

On the one hand, the results of this study are perhaps a reason to look forward to the time when we feel less stress – and, above all, can deal with it better. On the other hand, we can also take away from this that it is often not necessary to put yourself under so much pressure, even when you are younger. Maybe we can manage to be a little more relaxed about some things in life – and that ultimately helps us as we get older!

Sources used: mindbodygreen.com, psu.edu

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Bridget

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