Advice for somebody turning 40?

Live life to the fullest. At the same time, don’t forget to sort out your pension now so that you do not have to keep working up to your state pension age, which for your generation will be in the 70s.

My daughter is in her mid thirties and I keep reminding her of this.

Psmithy

I’ll be 40 on the 5th January. As the year turns and I contemplate a new decade, does anyone har any wisdom to share?

With thanks and happy new year to all.

Come off it Psmithy😄 40 is not old. It just isn’t. It is 2026 not 1926!
My advice though would be just enjoy the little things in life, be yourself, be kind where you can, and don’t fuss or fret about things that won’t matter in another 10 years time. Have a contented new year😺

Happy 40th Birthday for the 5th 🥳🎶💐 Sound advice here. I hope you will be celebrating with family and friends. Live for today, but be wise regarding your financial future. If it is affordable, don’t put off something you yearn to do. Enjoy your 40s.

loopyloo

Look after your feet, your teeth and keep your weight down.
That's what I wish I'd done...

I'd agree with that one. Wishes I'd not had a spell of a couple of years where I wasnt paying regular dentist visits.

Re the weight - be aware of the points where you are at risk of it piling on. Two things I'm aware of that are the reason I'm still 3 sizes too big currently were 1. moving from the city to a more rural area/small town - that causes weight to go on because you walk a lot less (unless you are a "walker" by inclination). Cities mean there are lots of things to get to and you walk here, walk there, etc going to all those things 2. Lockdown (like a lot of us - I allowed myself to go into despair about just how much longer They would keep up having a Lockdown and I did still dance, ie at those illicit parties in the wild we held but the "in despair bottles of wine" were not helpful).

I've had quite a bit of bad luck, accidents and illnesses since I was 39 - although I have had great times too, BUT my main advice would be to get in tune with your body and look after it as well as you can - exercise, rest, good nutrition etc., get to know it and what it likes and doesn't - keep it fit and it will look after you for decades to come.

That makes me feel old, I have adult children older than the OP.
My advice would be you are young enough to enjoy life to the full and old enough to avoid the pitfalls. A wonderful age to be.
😀

40 is a great age- you have accumulated much life experience and learning. Yet it is still quite a young age on the other hand so hopefully you are in good health.

Some excellent advice already on here- but most importantly love yourself, be kind to others and live your best life- you are in your prime!

My advise enjoy your life and don't dwell on your age, as you can see many of us are well past that milestone😍 I know at the time it can seem an enormous milestone but honestly it isn't and can be a good or as bad as you make it. My DD was late teens when I reached 40 so we were just starting to get our life back as a couple but she was just starting out in motherhood so that seemed a big deal for her.

LadyGracie

I’m 40 in my head but almost 4 decades more in body.

Me too.
Psmithy When you are our age you will look back at photos and realise that you were young and beautiful then, so make the most of every day and, hopefully, enjoy good health while you can.

I’ll be clickety click this month 66! Oh how I loved being 40!

I agree with so many of the things written here. I know I seem to have approached 70 much faster than I approached 40 - the years are flying by so fast now.

I agree wholeheartedly about sorting out your finances and health - state aid is disappearing fast and you may need to investment some time, effort and money in making sure that you have a reasonably secure older age.

But thoroughly enjoy whatever life brings in the meantime.

Make the most of your beauty and your energy ; they go !!!
At 40 you are literally " no age" at all.
Loads of options and choices ae still available to you.
Intention is everything. If you don't know what you intend at present , try and get it into focus.
best of luck.
Happy 2026.

madeleine45

I am now 80 and look back on my life, and am grateful for happy memories of travelling and living in various parts of the world, making the most of opportunities to try new things and never putting money as the main goal of my life.

When you look back, the cost of something is rarely remembered but the things that you did, and the people you met last all your life, and if things turn out that you are not able to move about so well later on you have those wonderful memories to enjoy. I have a treasured programme from the one time I went to Glyndbourne to see Cosi van Tutti. It was a very special wonderful day, and I remember the people the music the clothes the picnic to this day. A very special memory and I took my mother there too so added family memories. Cant remember what it all cost, but I saved up for it and that day has stayed with me for all these years. No amount of money in the bank would give me such a marvellous memory.

Treasure your friendships, if you move make sure that you keep in touch with those you leave behind, pay your bills and try not to get into debt but dont make money the most important thing in your life. I would also say if you have not tried it before get into gardening of some sort or another. Growing your own things can be very satisfying, there are many gardening clubs which bring lots of interest and wherever you go there will be a gardener somewhere about, and treat yourself to the Yellow Book every year - that is the national open garden book which is definitely my go to luxury every year. They are gardens open to the public in aid of the charity, written in order of counties and wherever you go, there will be wonderful private gardens to see and enjoy. That keeps me travelling and interested and has done for over 30 years.

Finally dont become a creature of total habit. It can be a sensible way of organising your life but always be prepared to go mad on occasions and ignore the jobs and go on an impulse and enjoy a walk or journey to somewhere special to you while you can. Hope to hear from you when you are 50 that you have had a good 10 years and enjoyed what you are able to in life. All the best in whatever you do

Thank you Madeleine for taking the time to write this thoughtful reply x

Thank you everybody, I have read every post and really value your advice. I look at my nieces in their 20s and have so much I feel I want to tell them (although I do try not to give unsolicited advice!) so I knew I would find plenty of wisdom and perspective here. Thank you!

May I just add - say YES more!

Psmithy

I’ll be 40 on the 5th January. As the year turns and I contemplate a new decade, does anyone har any wisdom to share?

With thanks and happy new year to all.

As soon as you can, get on HRT. Works wonders.👍

Nothing special about being 40 or 50.

Old age starts at 60, and that is also when we start to decline physically.

I suppose I would say that at 40 you need to start leading a healthy life. Get your weight down (if necessary) eat a healthy diet low in UPFs and make sure you keep active physically and mentally.

20 years of that will give you the best chances possible of living healthy and well into extreme old age.

Madeleine ‘s advice is excellent. You are so very young, Psmithy, although you can’t see that now. Make the most of every opportunity, and enjoy life. Have fun!

Live your life to the full. Do all the things you want to do now don't wait if you have kids until they are other . We did that. Unfortunately my husband died aged 47. So never did the things we wanted. But I won't do or go to the places we had planned as they where our plans.

But I live my life to the full once I had no one dependant on me . And moved to the north west and live the life my husband wanted for me .

No one knows what will happen or how long we have to live . So make the best of every day .

It’s not the end of the world. At 45 I changed career and had the time of my life. Oh, and make sure you have a private pension. You will need it.

My advice to my 40 year old self would be to value yourself, your body, your health, your mind, and what you put into them and take out of them. I see too many people stuck in dead end relationships with dead end people who they are trying to fix but who will never be fixed and they waste years being the good egg when, in reality they should be looking after themselves. We should ask ourselves why am I involved in this situation? What is in it for me? Also, be wise as to the environment you introduce your children to. They did not ask to be here so why should they have to suffer your bad choices? You are the adult. Be an adult and be mature.

Start doing Pilates if you're not doing this already. As other GNs have said here, look after your teeth. I'd add "look after your feet". (Thank goodness I could only ever wear "sensible shoes" and no high heels: my feet are in good condition in my old age.)
Be sure to earn your own money and secure your own pension. Keep up strong, good friendships. And have fun! You're still young.

Look for the good in everything and everyone but-
"Don't be so clever you forget to be kind,
don't be so kind you forget to be clever"

Just enjoy turning 40 and have a party, 🎉 Turning 60 is nowhere near as fun.😁

I still have a couple of years to go but looking 80 in the face is even less fun. I am still up and about but turning 40 is a walk in the park. Or even a run.
It used to be said that life begins at 40 and in many ways it probably does.