Life after 40 is crazy. In your midlife, you’ve transcended various periods of growth. You’ve loved and lost. You’ve made some genius moves and some mistakes. You think you have everything figured out but that’s not always the case. And once you realize there’s a lot you still haven’t figured out, you feel unworthy and wasted. Contrarily, a 2018 meta-analysis of age and self-esteem reveals that peak chutzpah doesn’t hit even after 40. Do you know why? It is because the “self-empowerment” you’re looking to achieve is not in your surroundings but within you. Before 40, you’re too busy growing in life to actually seek self-worth. But as you age, encounter new challenges, and struggle with personal style, body, and purpose – you’re lost. In the quest for empowerment, you have to connect the mind and body. By embracing how you FEEL on the inside and how you LOOK on the outside, you get to lead a balanced, fulfilling life where you’ve take charge of your destiny. Here’s how to do it.
Refining The Internal Expressions of Self
Self-empowerment begins with self-care. When you’re feeling good, you operate on a higher level and move through life confidently.
1. Mindfulness
Take a pause from your automatic pilot of life, some deep breaths, and ask yourself this question, “Just why am I doing this?” Standing back allows you to consider all options and carefully choose your next priority. That’s empowerment. For women over 40s, mindfulness helps ease menopausal and aging symptoms.
2. Nutrition
Whatever you eat impacts your body but when you’re in midlife, they have an exponential influence on physical and mental health. Balanced nutrition is the key driver for confidence, self-esteem, and well-being. Mindful eating and a healthy diet revitalize your physical and mental strength for self-empowerment.
3. Movement
Working out regularly in the 40s or 50s benefits just as much as people who start early, according to a massive 2019 survey. It can be jogging, exercise, or even meditation early morning to lead a more active, healthier, and empowered lifestyle where you take full charge of your well-being.
Refining The External Expressions of Self
The power in empowerment is secondly in your expression of identity – what you wear, how you dress, keep up your posture, and communicate. In 40s, you ought to feel more autonomous, self-assertive, and independent. Your personal style should be about you, and you alone!
1. Identify your new self
Your midlife is the ideal time to reconnect with who you are, your new sense of self, and who you’d like to be from this stage onward. You have to select your styling choices without being influenced by your surroundings. Think about re-branding yourself, choosing a style that best reflects your image with a new role or position.
2. Be empathetic
The first person you should be empathetic towards is yourself. Feel good in your own skin. Spotting some wrinkles? Embrace the scars! A few strands of grey hair? You’ve got silver in your hair! These changes mark the time you’ve spent on the Earth, and sets you apart from the “wild” crowd. Truly connecting with your outward appearance empowers you to respect, and simply like yourself more.3. Be communicative
Transform your external thoughts and expressions of self to communicate your personal objectives. At every life transition, goals change. Are you aware of the impact that your clothing and accessory choices have on others? Do they give the right first impressions? Do your outfits exude self-confidence? By making appropriate styling choices, you’ll feel empowered to give your best. The internal and external expressions inevitably go hand-in-hand. After all, what is style if you don’t feel good inside? And what’s a healthy body got to do if you don’t like the way you look? The power in empowerment, thus, is within you.