—
Getting older is something that happens to all of us if we are lucky. Why, then, is it so difficult to cope with and accept this reality of life? Men especially get a bad reputation for their attempts to hang on to their youth when they reach 40 years old. This is deemed a midlife crisis period.
It’s the time when men decide to get into a theoretical time machine and recreate the fun and excitement of their teens and 20s. They may start drinking more, hanging out with people from their youth, or buying a fancy sports car. Some of these decisions are costly financially, and spouses and kids are affected by these choices.
Supercar insurance can be expensive, and those who buy one of these vehicles should do their research and talk to their insurance agent about how to get the best deal. If the car is expensive, you might as well try to save money on the other parts of owning it, right?
We’ll talk about the ways middle age can be joyous and rewarding instead of scary and depressing. This can range from staying active and healthy to speaking with a mental health professional if the anxiety of aging becomes too much.
Try to Relate to Your Siblings
Getting older can make you feel alone. Only you can understand what thoughts are running through your mind. Something that should be comforting is that your friends and siblings that you have grown into middle age with might be feeling some of the same things. Men are afraid to show emotion, but they should call these loved ones and talk about their stress levels.
There is a difference between sympathy and empathy. Sympathy can be given from your children to you during your mid-life crisis, but they can’t fully understand what you are going through.
Empathy can be given from people your same age to you. They understand exactly what emotions are hallmarks of getting older. They can tell you how they are getting through this trying time.
If you try to talk to people who are older than you, like your parents, they may be able to shed some light on the situation. Still, they are a couple of decades older than you. They are going through their own fears of getting older, as many of them may be having health issues and seeing their friends and relatives pass away.
We all feel sad when we get to mid-life. Talk to the people who have always loved you and understood your struggle. You might just find that it makes everything seem a little better.
Buy Something Nice
They say money doesn’t buy happiness, but it sure is nice to verify this age-old saying personally. There are many luxury items that make people feel younger. One of the stereotypical ones for men undergoing a mid-life crisis is to buy a fancy supercar like a Ferrari or Lamborghini.
If you are going to buy something like this, check on the insurance prices for the vehicle before you purchase. You will usually need to buy a special insurance plan for supercars. They are higher risk vehicles and therefore insurance companies are going to charge more for these policies.
Factors like how often you are going to drive the car and where it is stored will have a heavy influence on your insurance costs. Decide whether this is a car that you are going to drive just until your crisis is over, or if it is an investment that is truly going to last for decades. This will go a long way in determining whether you should buy a sports car and get it insured.
Maybe get out of your comfort zone and buy an experience that you always wanted to when you were younger. That month-long trip to the Caribbean may be more in your price range now that you have more money in your pocket in your 40s than in your 20s.
Vacations create lifetime-lasting memories, and they make you feel truly alive. Seeing the world brings the youthful exuberance needed for men struggling with a mid-life crisis. Ask your friends and family members what some of their favorite getaways have been through the years — the ones that made them feel refreshed when they returned.
Stay Healthy and Exercise
Mid-life crises are usually defined by a worry that there isn’t that much time left to live. Do you know what the best way is to make sure that you get more time? Stay healthy. This means both physically and mentally.
Figure out what your body can handle as you get into middle age. The large pizza you scarfed down in college is probably no longer good for your heart. Adjust your diet accordingly while still maintaining some of the snacks and treats you love in your routine. Food brings people together, and it can keep you living for a long time.
Talk to your doctor about how to supplement your new diet with an exercise regimen that reflects your middle age. Playing basketball is hard on the knees. Running a marathon may no longer be in the cards.
Think about activities that can be tolerated on your older bones and joints. Think about Pilates or yoga classes with your spouse. This is a great time to connect socially with your loved ones and friends if you find a gym partner to achieve these things with
That’s where we get into the mental health aspect of your mid-life crisis. Talk to your doctor if your depression during these times borders on the unhealthy. You always know if what you are feeling is more than a couple of days of sadness on your 45th birthday. If getting older is making you withdraw from your usual lifestyle choices for weeks, this is a serious problem.
Men should take this mid-life crisis time to think about how they can become more emotionally connected to themselves and the people in their lives. Men hardly ever think it’s OK to be vulnerable, but getting older puts these attitudes into greater perspective. Now is the time to look into life insurance for those over 40 and think carefully about the future.
If you control what you can, and let the rest fall where it may, there’s really nothing else that can be done as we get older. Just be glad that you have seen middle-age; not everybody gets to be so lucky. Life is a gift. Getting older is supposed to be a present from nature to you, so accept it with open arms.
—
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the car insurance site, CarInsuranceComparison.com. He wants to help drivers see how buying vehicles affects other aspects of their life.