Midlife is a period of transition in which one holds earlier images of the self while forming new ideas about the self of the future. A greater awareness of aging accompanies feelings of youth. And harm that may have been done previously in relationships haunts new dreams of contributing to the well-being of others.
New perspective on time brings about a new sense of urgency to life. The person becomes focused more on the present than the future or the past. The person grows impatient at being in the “waiting room of life” postponing doing the things they have always wanted to do. Now is the time. If it’s ever going to happen, it better happen now. A previous focus on the future gives way to an emphasis on the present.
Stages of Psychosocial Development as per Erik Erikson
·Trust vs. Mistrust. From birth to 12 months of age, infants must learn that adults can be trusted. ...
·Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt. ...
·Initiative vs. Guilt. ...
·Industry vs. Inferiority. ...
·Identity vs. Role Confusion. ...
·Intimacy vs. Isolation. ...
·Generativity vs. Stagnation. ...
·Integrity vs. Despair
Generativity versus stagnation is the seventh of eight stages of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. This stage takes place during middle adulthood between the ages of approximately 40 and 65. The eighth and last stage is integrity vs. despair.
During this time, adults strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them; often by parenting children or contributing to positive changes that benefit other people. Contributing to society and doing things to benefit future generations are important needs at the generativity versus stagnation stage of development.
Generativity refers to "making your mark" on the world by caring for others as well as creating and accomplishing things that make the world a better place.
Stagnation refers to the failure to find a way to contribute. These individuals may feel disconnected or uninvolved with their community and with society as a whole.
Those who are successful during this phase will feel that they are contributing to the world by being active in their home and community.
Those who fail to attain this skill will feel unproductive and uninvolved in the world.
It’s good to stay active throughout life but adopting healthy choices in adulthood has significant benefits, based on a recent study that links increased physical activity in middle age to reduced risk of death.
Using data from retired AARP members, this study looked at the impact of physical activity on mortality risk throughout different stages in life. The goal was to see how much continued activity from adolescence through older age reduces risk of death. Researchers also hoped to look at survival rates among adults who were inactive but increased physical activity later in life.
The good news, based on findings, is that both pathways can add years to your life.
The recent analysis included 315,059 participants in the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study. Through the study, participants completed surveys about their health and lifestyle in 1995 and 1996. Surveys included questions on current physical activity level and how active participants were earlier in life.
Participants were 50 to 71 years of age at enrolment and came from eight U.S. states, including California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan.
The importance of establishing and maintaining relationships in middle adulthood is now well established in academic literature—there are now thousands of published articles purporting to demonstrate that social relationships are integral to any and all aspects of subjective well-being and physiological functioning, and these help to inform actual healthcare practices. Studies show an increased risk of dementia, cognitive decline, susceptibility to vascular disease, and increased mortality in those who feel isolated and alone. However, loneliness is not confined to people living a solitary existence. It can also refer to those who endure a perceived discrepancy in the socio-emotional benefits of interactions with others, either in number or nature. One may have an expansive social network and still feel a dearth of emotional satisfaction in one’s own life.
Socio-emotional selectivity theory (SST) predicts a quantitative decrease in the number of social interactions in favour of those bringing greater emotional fulfilment. Over the past thirty years, or more, there have been significant social changes which have in turn, had a large effect on human bonding. These have affected the way we manage our emotional interactions, and the manner in which society views, shapes and supports that emotional regulation. Government policy has also changed, and had a profound influence on how families are shaped, reshaped, and operate as social and economic agents.
References:
1. Education, Society, & the K-12 Learner
2. Developmental Psychology
3. Study Confirms Benefits of Getting Active in Middle Age, May 01, 2019, CardioSmart News
4. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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