Middle age is not what it used to be. For many young people, the hallmarks of a contented midlife are likely to remain out of reach for longer than they did for previous generations – along with the stereotypical coping mechanisms of a midlife crisis. At the same time, as life expectancy goes up and more people expect to live in good health for longer, the very idea of when the middle of a life arrives has shifted.
So, when are you officially middle aged? Gen Z writer Anjola Fashawe, 47-year old Tammy Burns and health writer Lucy Gornall give their perspectives.
I pride myself on having friends of all ages. I recently turned 47, but I have friends in their mid-sixties and friends in their early thirties. I take Pilates and spin classes with uni students and attend book festivals with pensioners. And my partner Robbie is only 29.
Admittedly, when we met in a Glasgow pub, I did think about our ages. Or, more specifically, my age. At the time, I was a 43-year-old digital nomad jumping around Greece, Italy and Czechia, with six weeks in Scotland before flying home to Canada. He was 26, setting up his home and starting his career as an architect. Would a young, ambitious man really see a connection with an older woman just passing through as anything more than fleeting?
