After you turn 40

[nesser1981]

Anyone else had this experience, after turning 40, you can’t see to read anymore, birds are way more interesting than they’ve ever been, you want to garden or make your yard pretty, and reading becomes one of your new favorite things to do? lol!

Seriously, I’m 43, I turn 40 the height of Covid so I was working from home and started feeding and watching birds like crazy, I’ve been thinking about getting one of those feeders with a camera. And even stranger, I actually have a pretty healthy fear of birds.

I started needing reading glasses almost instantly and have never had issues with my eyes.

I have never liked to garden or even do yard work, but every year now, I’m getting better at keeping everything alive! lol! I’ve even started thinking about a house plant.

I’ve really loved listening to audiobooks the last 5 years or so, but just the last couple months I’ve become obsessed with reading physical books too, either on my kindle or the actual book. I don’t think I’ve ever read this much in my life.

Getting older is a funny thing. I won’t even start on the physical changes I’ve noticed. lol

What about you, anything you’ve noticed after hitting a new decade?

[LynnZant]

My joints are aching after 50, but that might be to the extra weight that I'm hauling around. I forget EVERTHING! I can't make it to my list to write something on it before forgetting what it was. A plus is that I'm more calm now than I ever was. I used to get so riled up, but I'm in "whatever" mode most of the time.

[LJSDesigns]

The closer I get to 60, the more I feel everything physically. I fell a few weeks ago and man, you hit harder when you are older, hurt more and feel it longer.

I worked in a fish factory for over 20 years, lifting and flipping 40 lbs boxes of fish everyday, and boy do I feel that now. I have carpal tunnel, tendonities and trigger finger in both arms and am wearing braces almost all the time now.

That factory work, along with my age, has also impacted my hearing. I can hear most things, but not well enough to understand them way too often. It is pretty frustrating. And as weird as it sounds, I hear someone better if I am looking at them while they talk.

Reading glasses have been a must for a long time. It is so bad for me that I can't even see to pluck my own eyebrows any more, much less the random chin hairs you get when you are older. I have to get that done in the saloon these days.

As for the memory, I lose words a lot. I can't think of what something is or call it by the wrong name. Since most of my mom's family has had and passed from dementia that one worries me the most, but is not something I dwell on, because there is no purpose in that.

But I think what bothers me the most, and what I feel the most, is that the older you get, the more people tend to dismiss what you think or say. I face this a lot in the work place and it really depresses me.

But there are the good things too, like being a grandma. Being more at peace with myself and my flaws. Recognizing the positive things about me and my life more readily. Being willing to say I can't or won't do something because I just don't want to. LOL

All that said, I don't mind getting older, I just wish I would have given more thought to body preservation when I was younger. The accumlative aches and pains suck on a daily basis.

[laurabobaura]

i just turned 39 and i hear you on the birdwatching!

[HavaDrPepper]

Not into birds at all. Had one in my garage a couple weeks ago and tried getting it out with a broom (it was on top of the open garage door). It ended up falling into a corner and never moved. None of my neighbors were home so it stayed there over night. The neighbor that cuts my grass got rid of the definitely dead bird for me the next day. I couldn't even stand to look at it!

In my early 40's I did try to do some of the yard work around the house. My dad had moved permanently to another state so it was up to me. Even with a bad back I did mulching every couple of years. Even tore out some old bushes and planted some perennials. But eventually I could no longer do it due to summer allergies. I've never been able to mow the grass. I have a hard time just walking in the neighborhood when people are mowing. Thankfully I have that good neighbor that mows for me (I do pay him). He and his wife took time to do some trimming for me a couple years ago. 7 years ago I did have all my landscaping redone so there isn't quite as much work to be done. That company also comes every December and does a clean up (cutting down wheat grass and getting rid of the leaves that fell after the end of the neighborhood leaf pickup). I do try to get all the leaves off the patio and into the yard in the fall. The guy that mows then picks them up and puts them by the street. We have a neighborhood leaf pickup that comes through once a week for about 8 weeks from October to December. Last year I was unable to do it so the neighbor did it for me. Happily this spring, I was able to get those leaves that got onto the patio after the cleanup by the landscaping company off of the patio. I put them in the yard and the neighbor mulched them when he mowed that night.

Last year I could do nothing outside but thankfully this summer I can! Those 3 surgeries over the winter have been a blessing. I still can't bend down to weed because of the bad knees and back (neither bad enough for surgery) but I have been able to pull a few after using good old Roundup on them

As for reading, I was in bifocals before I reached 40. But not long after hitting 60, the cataracts started. They still aren't bad enough for surgery though. I also have chronic dry eye so some times have to really cut back on computer or screen usage. It was extremely bad in May and early June. My worst allergy is walnut trees blooming and that's when they bloom. My neighbor has 4 of them in their yard maybe 15 yards from my house. With taking allergy meds, my dry eye was really bad. Thankfully I'm through that until the ragweed pollen starts flying around (August for me).

My hearing isn't great either but not bad enough to have aids. I have less hearing in one ear than the other. The good ear has to work harder and now I have tinnitus in that ear. I also hear better when I'm face to face. I also can't be in large crowds where lots of conversations are going on. Groups of 10 or less is OK.

But, yeah, things do start going downhill after hitting 40....

[JillW]

Pushing 64 here ... things definitely change as the years fly by!!

Physically, some days I just can't do what I want to ... I've suffered from weakness and fatigue for years now and I feel like's getting worse. I truly need to change my eating habits and have been trying to make changes the past few months. Small steps.

As for memory, I (like Lorrie) find words hard to remember ... trying to describe something can sometimes be challenging. I've mentioned this to many friends that are my age, and it seems to be common (at least I'm telling myself that so I don't worry so much - lol). One of my dear friends and I have quite the conversations sometimes when neither of us can think of the words we're looking for ... I'm sure if someone were to listen in, they'd think we were both crazy.

I feel the older I get, the less I care what others think. I'm happy with who I am and if someone doesn't appreciate me, that's their issue, not mine. I also find that I treasure "the little things" much more now (watching birds / taking a leisurely drive to nowhere / working in my flower garden)

I guess all in all, I don't dislike growing older ... I'm really enjoying this chapter of my life.

[lorigaud]

I just turned 59 and agree with a lot of what Jill shared.

I'm definitely finding it hard to pull out a word for something sometimes - like it's right there on the tip of my tongue, but argh!

I also am less concerned with what others think and I don't have a problem sharing my opinions about things either - my teammates at school gave me the nickname NFL for "No Filter Lori" hahaha!

I am also much more inclined to enjoy the little things and travel as much as possible - I've lost several people in the last few years, and my parents both passed in their 60's - so I want to enjoy every moment I can. I have made it my goal not to say "no" to any offers of fun adventures, walks, impromptu trips, etc. - if I'm available, I'm doing it!

Definitely not into birdwatching though... I love to listen to them, and I love it when I see a pretty one... but that's as far as that is going to go lol.

[nietis]

I am turning 40 in November and, honestly, I don't feel like I am 40. I am not in denial of my age, but I do have a mindset that 'I am young' regardless the number.
I do experience to some of the things mentioned here, though... like I become the person who tries to enjoy life as much as I am given the opportunities and becoming less calculating on 'what if' and 'what not'.
I have been a person, who does not really care what people say about me from the beginning, and I am becoming even less caring on that department.

Physically, I want to sleep more if I could haha... with a teenager and a toddler, I am always tired.

[Kimberly27]

Oh my goodness yes! I am 45 and it can be rough. LOL
I have the bird feeder with the camera now (my boys got it for mother's day). I have to increase my reading glasses almost yearly...can't see a thing. My memory is shot and weight has gone up (this may be perimenopause or menopause). I can't sleep in anymore and am up before hubby and even my inlaws lately...I used to sleep in if given the chance. I like my naps though and read all the time. This post made me laugh because I feel it all.

[AmieN1]

Lol- yeah- 43 here. I'm a pretty avid hummingbird watcher & feeder, read/listen nonstop and am a bit obsessed with planting flowers outside and houseplants inside! And while my eyes are still good- most of the rest of my body is broken. Pretty sure I have frozen shoulder, constant back pain & hip pain from my job. I'm hoping to make it to 45 before I 'retire' from dental hygiene- but that means I have about 2 more years left! I'm currently in the "is this symptom perimenopause or work related or side affect from my xolair shots" continuum....

[Memaw2Wm]

Originally Posted by LJSDesigns

And as weird as it sounds, I hear someone better if I am looking at them while they talk.

Not weird at all, I hear better if I can see the person talking to me too. I think it's because I am sorta kinda lip reading.

At 70 things hurt ... achy knees and feet, I have issues with trigger finger/thumb in both of my hands, and what's with all the leg/feet cramps??? Thankfully it's usually one thing or another, not everything at the same time.

And then there's the "word" loss ... thankfully my sisters and friends all seem to have the same intermittent issue of not being able to retrieve a word or name from the overstuffed file cabinet brain of ours.

[JillW]

This is an older post, but I saw this meme tonight and am still laughing ...

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

Originally Posted by JillW

This is an older post, but I saw this meme tonight and am still laughing ...

Oh my goodness! I'm dying laughing!

It's so true! And really it's only my left one that's at risk. I had a lumpectomy and my right one is almost perky. That poor left one is definitely in danger most of the time if I'm not wearing restrictive equipment.

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

I just turned 54.

I've been wearing glasses since I was 34, and now I'm in trifocals. I use magnifying glasses that clip onto my regular trifocals when I'm cross stitching. It helps to reduce eye strain. I also use a bright light that helps as well.

I love to have a pretty yard, but my chronic back issues keep me from doing anything out there. My hubby is super about keeping the yard up. We moved into my grandma's 1940s cottage in February, and he's been working so hard this spring and summer to do lots of trimming and making the yard more retirement ready.

I don't have plants in the house as my cat eats them. I do have fake plants and flowers. She even at the fake wheat grass that I had put out when we moved here.

I love birds (I use them in decorations in the house, along with nests and eggs). I love sitting on the porch and watching them flutter around the bird bath and feeders.

I've always been an avid reader, so that hasn't changed for me at all, other than I do find myself longing to read like I did when I was super passionate about reading in my early teens.

After my breast cancer, I started taking a hormone treatment that reduces estrogen in my body since my type of cancer feeds on estrogen. I'll hit the five year mark early next year. One thing that happened was that I finally FINALLY finally stopped have a cycle, and that was a true godsend.

The symptoms from the hormone treatment are very similar to menopausal symptoms, so I'm not really sure what will happen when I stop taking it. I have had the usual laundry list of physical symptoms that women face as they age.

The best part of getting older is like what others have shared: I don't care so much about what people think anymore. It's not totally gone, but it's way better than the severe anxiety I had about others judging me. I'm more assertive and less people pleasing. I enjoy my own company and don't need to be entertained or always be on the go.

[Stefanie]

I love the internal calm, the lack of caring what others' think/say.
I too have some word loss. I hear better when I can see someone speaking.
I need glasses for the chin hairs. But having said that I am happier with grown kids and the smattering of self esteem I have now than when I was in my 20s and 30s. And isn't 60 the new 40?

[TraceyM]

I'm 20 years past you at 63. The brain remains a little younger but the body defies me.
While 40 is the young side for reading glasses, one of my best friends needed them the year she turned 40.
Oddball memory oopsies turn up and your friends too are generally complaining of them - they generally start in peri-menopause or during menopause.
Things you did to your body in youth turn up in worse and arthritic ways as you age.
Birds - I simply think that as we come outside ourselves, we start to notice all the cool stuff in the world around us. My hubby has 4 different bird feeders set up in my view from the chair I design in. Love watching their antics. Squirrels too!
Gardening - totally a sign you have grown up - LOL

If you don't regularly move your body and stretch your body. Start now. It is vastly important to healthy aging. Find your way to make it interesting so you can stick to it.

Aging is indeed not for the weak and few tell you all the things that start going wrong. But there are many things about it that are great too - well the main one is that you are aging and not dead. LOL.