Midlife Stress is on the Rise

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Midlife Stress is on the Rise
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Midlife Stress is on the Rise

Modern life is stressful, and it seems that stress and mental health challenges are increasing daily. While nearly every age group feels this added pressure, the people who seem to have experienced the greatest increase in stress from the 1990s to the 2010s are those between the ages of 45 and 64.

Researchers at Penn State interviewed a group of adults of all ages in 1995 and a different group in 2010 to compare stressful experiences. Middle aged adults showed the biggest increase in stress and decrease in reported well-being in that two-decade span.

The increase in technology, including smartphones, and the way it has sped up life and created 24-hour access to news and other stress-inducing sources affects all age groups (take our online stress test). Additionally, people in midlife have increased responsibilities to many people, including their young-adult children, aging parents, and people at work and in other areas of their lives. The stress is taking a toll on mental health.

Self-care is perhaps more important in the new decade than ever before. While responsibilities to others is intense in middle adulthood, people must remember to take time for themselves to destress. Some low-pressure ideas:

• Pause every hour to breathe deeply for one minute
• Keep a journal to record times of gratitude
• Exercise, even just 20-30 minutes a few days a week
• Turn off technology and screens at least an hour before bed every night

Source

Middle age may be much more stressful now than in the '90s. (2020). ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 2020 from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200507094745.htm.

Related Articles Dealing with Stress and Self-Care

• Self-Help Stress Management
• The Different Kinds of Stress
• How Does Stress Affect Us?
• How to Maintain Healthy Relationships Despite Work Stress
• Why Self-Care is Important for Your Physical and Mental Health
• 6 Types of Healthy Self-Care Activities (video)
• 26 Self-Care Activities to Help Reduce the Effects of Stress

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: What increases your own stress, and what do you do about it? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

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Challenges of Recovering from Self-Harm – Instagram Live

Our guest, Hadley, landed in a psychiatric hospital due to self-injury. Now she’s sharing the challenges she faces in trying to recover. Join us Thursday, July 9, at 4p ET / 3 CT for our Instagram Live. Psychologist, Dr. Kristin Norwood, will also be providing coping strategies that may help you. Ask our guests your questions. Share your personal experiences. I hope to see you there.

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From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• How to Stop Feeling Numb
• Craft Life Goals to Build Self-Esteem
• Supporting Mentally Ill Family Members in Differing Ways
• When a Dysfunctional Family Triggers Your Addiction
• Vacationing with Schizoaffective Disorder During a Pandemic
• Does Anxiety Make You Too Passive? Stop Being a Doormat
• What to Know About Self-Stimulating Behaviors and ADHD
• Coping with PTSD in the Workplace
• How to Build a Healthy Rest Ethic to Avoid Depression
• Why You Need to Talk to People About Your Bipolar Disorder
• Anxiety in the Summertime
• Practice Courage to Build Self-Esteem
• The Intersection of Racial Trauma and Eating Disorders
• How Time-Blindness Affects Mental Health
• 4 iPhone Apps to Help You Remain Grounded and Stable
• How Learning to Love Exercise Helped Me Stop Binge Eating
• I'll Miss You, HealthyPlace; Goodbye from Miranda Card
• Intermittent Fasting in Eating Disorder Recovery
• Using Meditation to Cope with Anxiety

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

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Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Never Tell a Person with Depression to Lighten Up
2. On Overcoming Mental Health Stigma
3. Unhealthy Relationships: Recognizing the Signs While Dating

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

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Mental Health Quote

"Your life isn't yours if you always care what someone else thinks."

Read more bipolar quotes.

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That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook or stumbleupon) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week, follow HealthyPlace on Twitter or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook. Also, check out HealthyPlace on Instagram and YouTube.

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index