Age Anxious.
Do you sometimes get a kind of undefined age anxiety? A lot of people have it- a vague sense of needing to fix something in themselves to forestall life’s inevitable changes. But how do you tell which are real things that need attention, and which are culturally induced and manufactured inadequacies?
Culturally, for example, there’s a concept of midlife beauty being less desirable. It comes with a common corollary concern around becoming invisible. This can show up as a worry about being left out or left behind. It’s a state of mind that creates fertile soil for products that play to our fears, lighten our wallets, and suck up our time.
There are real aspects of aging that can truly lower our quality of life. These include bone density loss as well as changes in metabolism—which can add up to a few pounds a year, and can be quite uncomfortable over time. Psychologically there can be bitterness, jadedness, or stuck-ness. Organ wear and tear is common with aging, and can show up in all kinds of ways: from seeing less clearly and hearing fewer whispers, to peeing your pants during jumping jacks, to thinning lashes.
But some conditions aren’t specifically age-related, and young women often have such concerns. They can be caused by life experiences (such as vaginal birth, joint damage from exercise, trauma), or genetics. Other issues are lifestyle induced, and simple changes like drinking more water, good nutrition, and better blood flow (e.g., exercise or massage) go a long way. And some changes, of course, are induced by the decline of hormones.
In women’s health, particularly vulvar and vaginal health, we know that people complain about these four concerns 1) Drying, thinning and lax tissue, 2) Lowered arousal and lubrication levels 3) Chafing, overheating, irritation, and itching, 4) Freshness and perception of odor. We at Rosebud Woman crafted a formula for each of these concerns.
Treat yourself
There’s nothing wrong with dyeing your hair purple, or melting tension in your face and jaw with a good shot of Botox. But we can create a new portrait of getting older that, rather than causing anxiety, reflects the incredible joy of it. Personally, my direct experience is that life after 50 has been the best time of my life- healthy, free, and mobile.
I believe that if you are loving, self-confident, appreciative, and curious—no matter your age—you will in turn be loved, appreciated, and included. This kind of happiness is unrelated to eyelash extensions, the perfect pout, and the narrow waist of the maiden. So take care of your systems, and cultivate your best inner qualities. Be healthy, be happy, be free! And above all, don’t worry. You are nature, unfolding just fine.
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