Carolyn Worthington, editor-in-chief of Healthy Aging® Magazine and executive director of Healthy Aging®, is founder of September is National Healthy Aging Month. The annual celebration has the mantra, “it is never too late to reinvent yourself.” I call this “rewiring” your personality and skillset.
Worthington champaigns those 45+ to take charge of physical, mental, social, and financial well-being. As she highlights, U.S. attention is no longer predominantly directed to the Baby Boom generation (born 1946-1964), with 76 million Boomers over age 50 today. Gen X individuals (born 1964-1980), 65 million strong, recently streamed into their 60’s.
Consider each take-charge goal (actually for everyone, not just Gen Xers and Boomers):
- Physical well-being
As U.S. Gen Xers age, health-related decisions become crucial. According to the Mather Institute Gen Xperience Year 2 Report, stress levels run high – nearly 69% of Gen Xers reported moderate-to-extreme stress in the previous 3 months. A majority (67%) reported “good”-to-“very good” physical health, while 9% reported “excellent” physical health. However, research from Ohio State University indicates that risks for metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and chronic inflammation are higher in Gen Xers compared to Baby Boomers at the same age. Compared to previous generations, Boomers are reported to have 1½ times more cancer, lung disease, heart problems, diabetes and high cholesterol as they reached their 50th–60th decades.
- Mental well-being
My labeling, Midlife Maze — the squeezed generation caring for children alongside aging parents — is upstream challenged in work-life balance and job security; nearly 60% reported these factors affect well-being. Only 45% of Gen Xers rated their mental health as “very good”-to-“excellent,” compared to 57% of Boomers.
- Social well-being
Gen Xers and Boomers report increasing rates of loneliness. An AARP study found 46% of U.S. adults ages 45-59 identifying as lonely. A Cigna Group study found Boomer loneliness rates to be 44-45%. Ben Franklin was 29 when he penned these words: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Let’s prevent social isolation for both groups.
- Financial well-being
Nearly 40% of Gen-X households have no retirement savings, while 27% of Boomers have zero personal retirement savings. There are misperceptions about who picks up the retirement tab. Without savings, many retirees assume Social Security will bankroll retirement. However, average 2026 S.S. checks for retired employees run about $2,000 monthly with average households headed by an individual 65+ incur monthly expenses of approximately $5000 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey).
Worthington’s advice is to treat September like “back-to-school” season for adults. She proposes asking, “What was your best year so far? 28? 40? Now? Picture yourself at that age and be it. Some…may say this is denial, but…it’s positive thinking and goes a long way toward feeling better about yourself.”
Tip: Don’t keep swimming in thrashing thoughts about how you look in the mirror. Make well-being plans.
Pearls of (PoP) Quiz
536. How do you rate yourself on these 4 indices of well-being?
537. What steps might you take TODAY to leverage better self-care?
