Quest to look young just causes stress

“Young” is no longer a description for people who reach important milestones such as their 40th, 50th and 60th birthdays. While some people have difficulty accepting their age, a few things such as a a flirtation test or a new project can help.

For many women, getting their first wrinkles at the end of their 20s and their first grey hair at 30 are decisive events marking the aging process. Despite a good understanding of that process, when a woman realizes she is “getting old,” it is a shock.

“You can’t be 16 for ever,” said Munich psychotherapist and professor Anna Schoch. “Life means change from decade to decade.”

The art of having a happy life is, according to Schoch, the ability to accept the changes positively, even when the waistline slowly disappears and menopause takes away fertility.

“Letting go of the past and being able to take on something new: These abilities keep us in flux,” said Schoch. “People who try with all means to stay forever young miss true life and won’t achieve the desired goal anyway.”

Marcus Damm, a psychologist from Worms, Germany, believes that women who manage to free themselves from an irrational search for beauty experience a new and much more pleasant quality of life. Women who stand in front of the mirror for hours at a time and spend a lot of money on expensive cosmetics should pause for a minute and ask themselves what they are trying to prove and to whom.

In their desire to be attractive and for recognition, many women lose sight of their goal. It is actually about feeling self-actualized and accepting themselves.

Ursula Richter, a sociologist from Abensberg, Germany, has seen a reversal compared with women of past generations.

“Nowadays, an active youthful woman in her 40s is nothing unusual,” said Richter. A woman who has her own style, looks after herself and occasionally attends social events maintains an inner youth.

SHARE CLOSE
Blogger		Google+
Live Journal		Plurk
Stumble Upon

Tweet

	PREVIOUS ARTICLE
	Puff-a-day marijuana helps older rats remember

NEXT ARTICLE
Big breasts not a prob, says court

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email

Submit