When does middle age begin?

When does middle age begin? Most of us find that middle adulthood sneaks up on us and that we really don’t recognize it at first.

In fact, few of us readily admit that we are in midlife or “middle aged.” Our culture favors the young and the strong. And we rarely see getting older as an advantage.

But middle age is an important development milestone for human beings. And it’s worth exploring when it begins so that we can effectively navigate this middle adulthood phase.

Can we define middle age numerically?

While middle age seems like it could be a numeric calculation, even age isn’t a definitive measure. The average life expectancy in the United States is currently 77.8 years. Females have a longer life expectancy, 80.5 years, on average outliving males by five years.

So in the U.S., the numeric midpoint for a person’s life span is between 37 and 40. But is that the starting point for middle age? Even ages 37-40 seems low by most accounts. While some reports say that adults begin entering middle age by 35, others default to 45 or even 50.

If not a set point, is there a date range?

We seem to have a problem with defining midlife and middle age. Merriam Webster defines midlife with just two words: middle age. Search middle age and you get, “The period of life from about 45 to about 64.” — Merriam-webster.com

Google takes it a step further and defines it as “the central period of a person’s life, generally considered as the years from about 45 to 55.” Psychology Today defines midlife as “the central period of a person’s life, spanning from approximately age 40 to age 65.”

It’s clear that middle age isn’t “just a number”

Middle age and midlife are terms that generate discussion, avoidance and dispute. But in the end, there are a few key points to help us better understand when middle age begins:

• “Middle age is the period in your life when you are no longer young but have not yet become old. Middle age is usually considered to take place between the ages of 40 and 60.” — Collinsdictionary.com
• A Chicago Tribune column written more than 35 years ago asked: When does a person reach middle age? After surveying readers, he received answers varying between 30 and 50 — and concluded that perhaps one day, though not likely, “It may become cool to be middle-aged.”
• Psychology Today writes, “Midlife or middle age is that transitional period of life between young adulthood and old age.” 
• Gail Sheehy, best-selling author of Passages, The Silent Passage, and New Passages, wrote in her author’s note at the beginning of New Passages: “The first glimpses of a midlife perspective usually begin to startle us in the middle of our thirties. Time starts to pinch.” She goes on to talk about the death of First Adulthood and the transition into Second Adulthood, defining it as a search for meaning.
• Some experts define it more as a state of mind. A Huffpost article highlights a study indicating that midlife begins somewhere near 35 and ends around 50 — and lists 25 Surefire Signs You’ve Finally Hit Middle Age.

Perhaps middle age begins when we say it does

Middle aged jokes aside, perhaps middle age begins for us when our mindset shifts. When we’re ready to admit that we’re no longer young –but we’re not yet old. When we begin to acknowledge numbered days and wonder what we will do with the rest of our one good life.

And perhaps middle age begins when we’re ready to think about what our epitaph will say or how our eulogy will read. Or, when we reach a point where we’re more interested in the life in our days than the days in our lives.

When does middle age begin?

Perhaps it’s less about when middle age begins and it’s more about how we spend these middle adulthood years! Think of middle age as an important transition, one in which we switch to living life more intentionally.

Think of it as a time when you can make dramatic changes in your life and habits. And when you can take care of your body, soul and mind so that you have room for greater experiences and contributions to the world.

Middle age means less time to waste

“No matter how you tell yourself
It’s what we all go through
Those lines are pretty hard to take
When they’re staring back at you
Oh, scared you’ll run out of time
When did the choices get so hard
With so much more at stake
Life gets mighty precious
When there’s less of it to waste”

― Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time

If you’re noticing that you’re more in the middle age bucket than the young one, you’ll find lots of resources here on this website. Here are a few to get you started!

• Life is in the transitions
• What’s my role in the middle?
• Are you having a midlife crisis?

Plus, if you’d like a little help to work through the transition, I offer coaching and mentoring to help you deal with shifting roles, face unexpected challenges, and navigate toward fulfilling your dreams.