Anti-Aging Strategies

The midlife passage has such a variety of negative effects on the male psyche that it has become a long-standing joke. You knowthe one about the 45 year old who buys a toupee and a sports car, ditches his wife of 20 years, and starts wearing several large gold chains at a time.

But it's no joking matter. Midlife can be very stressful. The experience can be frightening at best, torturous at worst.

Although there are a number of themes and problems common to all men, the stress you feel ends up being very real... and all your own. The particular mix of stress, anxiety, and life events that affects your feelings may be similar to those of other men, but they're never exactly the same.

So how do you feel about the 40th milestone?

If the stresses on your middle-aged psyche are unique, so too are the steps you can take to deal with them. You can adjust your own perceptions. The best way to reduce your stress may be to deal constructively with your feelings.

One of the cardinal points to remember is that certain stress points are beyond your control. For example, if your boss happens to be a jerk, you'll have to eat crow at least for a while until you take his (or her) place or are able to move on to another situation. Nevertheless, I will offer strategies to make your stressful situations less so and will offer physical and mental exercises for making such stressors less harmful to your health.