Forget Your 40s And 50s, Life Really Begins At 60

Life begins at 60 and middle-age is nearer 50 years old than 40, according to new research.

Improvement in diet, medicine and technology now means many people are living to an average age well into their 80s, which has made the old phrase @life begins at 40’ redundant.

A survey for Co-op Funeralcare and Co-op Legal Services has found those aged in their 50s are the most stressed and unhappiest generation.

Researchers found that they were more likely to juggle looking after their children and their parents while working.

The survey revealed 57% were stressed and unhappy, compared to 29% of those over 60.

Life’s like wine – improving with age

The findings also showed that life improves with age.

Only 5% of those over 61 years old were unhappy and just 1% of those over 70.

More people feel content as they grow older because the stress of work and family falls away and they can spend more time doing what they want.

Researchers distilled two lists from the report – the top 10 achievements and top 10 regrets for the over 50s, which are:

Top 10 achievements of the over-50s:

• Travelling (76%)
• Having children (67%)
• Meeting a partner (65%)
• Watching children grow (65%)
• Marrying (62%)
• Owning a home (62%)
• Having good friends (57%)
• Watching grandchildren grow (46%)
• Enjoying a successful career (40%)
• Seeing their children marry (39%)

Top 10 regrets of the over-50s:

• Relationship regrets (56%)
• Putting on weight (34%)
• Worrying about unimportant matters (34%)
• Worrying about what others think about them (21%)
• Not telling loved ones how much they meant to them (19%)
• Not managing their health (17%)
• Not saying no to things they didn’t want to do (17%)
• Working long hours (16%)
• Not taking a job they really wanted (15%)
• Not spending time with children as they grew up (13%)

Co-op director David Collingwood said: “It’s only natural for people to look back over their lives as the years go by, but many do not realise until they pass their 50s that the best is probably still yet to come.

“Plenty of people in the 60s and beyond have ambitions to fulfil, and while obstacles such as poor health or lack of money may make this more difficult, they realise it’s unimportant to agonise over decisions or put something off for tomorrow, because tomorrow may never come.”

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