Introduction
No one can really predict what will be the hardest years of your life, many things could go wrong no matter the age, nonetheless there are plenty of studies that reveal that at certain points of our lives there are common challenges that we all face.
You have probably heard about someone having a mid-life crisis, they might buy a new sports car in hopes of feeling younger. Or perhaps a teenager might be suffering from what is commonly known as “teenage angst” because he is suffering from bullying in school.
Even in your 20s you might feel like taking more responsibility is something you’re not ready for. But then at old age you start facing some difficult challenges like incurable diseases and friends and family passing away, or just feeling like your time is running out.
In this article we’re going to talk about which age is difficult in life, first we’ll define each stage of life, and then we’ll tell you what we think is the most difficult stage of life.
Childhood – (0-13 years old)
Let’s start out with what we think are the easiest years of anyone’s life. When you’re a young child you might not even recognize how hard or easy your life is, and most of the time your parents will protect and guide you through life no matter what.
While it is true that some small percentage of people live in broken homes, where aggression or sexual abuse are common. The reality is that for the vast majority of people being a kid is great, school is generally not that hard, your body is great condition and you can spend a lot of time with your friends, engaging with different hobbies and your entire family is probably alive and well.
It’s no wonder nostalgia is such a popular feeling nowadays, depending on when you were born most people remember things from the past being straight up better, and while it might not always be the case that things were objectively better, to your brain they were because you were enjoying yourself.
Teenage – (13 to 19 years old)
This is when things start getting difficult, it’s not uncommon to hear from teenager all over the world things like: “I hate my life” or “I can’t wait to get out of school”. It’s a common theme and why its also called adolescence (from Latin adolescere “to mature”).
But for everyone who has gone through adolescence we know that it’s easier than what’s coming after.
So, while teenagers might think that their life sucks right now thanks to: having to deal with the social ladder at school, going through puberty, dealing with physical and psychological changes, and more. The reality is that things are only going to get more difficult before they get easier.
Adults – (20-45)
Now we get to what many consider the hardest years of their life, their 20s. These are the years when you “might” get married, get a career, buy your first car, move out of your childhood home and finally deal with any problems you might be carrying from your childhood and much more.
The biggest problem with this stage of life, is the fact that because all of us come from different backgrounds results in this stage vary wildly. While some might already be set up for life with lots of money, a family and a dog by age 25, some might not have moved out by then.
It’s possible that you feel “left behind” while scrolling through social media in your 20s, some of your long lost buddies from high school might be traveling in Europe with their family while you struggle to pay rent for a single bedroom in a bad part of town.
You can quickly realize why this is probably the point where most people struggle, this is the first time you are really an “adult” and must come to terms with everything that entails.
Success and failure can be totally out of our control at this point, and while it might seem like everyone is having the time of their life at this point (especially if you scroll through Instagram) the reality is that these are some of the most difficult years for most people, so don’t be too harsh with yourself!
Middle Age – (45-65)
This is when things can get really bad or really good. Most studies show that this is the stage of life in which most people kill themselves.
It might be that you watched your life go by, you didn’t follow your passions, you made a bad decision and let the love of your life go, or you kept drinking too much and your body is letting you down.
Whatever the reason might be these can be very difficult years for some people, this is when the consequences of our actions really present themselves. If you didn’t take care of your body, this is when you really start feeling it, most people over 40 will not feel half as good as they did as when they were young.
On the other hand, these can also be some of the best years in life, with a lot of people reporting very high life satisfaction if they made good choices before. As we mentioned earlier for people who “did everything right” this can be some of the best years of their life, with enough money to do anything they like, a good chance of being healthy enough to still partake in most hobbies and a great chance that they have an extended family and a secure career.
Late Adulthood – (65 and more)
And finally, we get to the latter years, when even the most physically active people slow down. When we start forgetting stuff, our knees give in, our backs are painful and more.
For younger people it might look horrible to get old, and yes for some it might be, pretty much everything we said in the middle age section applies here just the same. It’s not uncommon to feel like others achieved more than us, and we might feel regret.
But on the other hand most people over the age of 60 have a had a lot of time to think about things and even if they didn’t make that much money, or have establish a perfect family they have come to accept themselves and their part in the world.
Some of the highest life satisfaction can be found in this stage of life, with people as old as 75 reporting very high life satisfaction, at this point most people do learn what really makes life good.
It’s friends and family most of the time what will make these old timers feel content with their life, money while important doesn’t guarantee happiness at this stage of life, so keep that in mind!
Which Age is Difficult in life
Alright so what’s the verdict, which age is the most difficult in life?
We sincerely believe that your twenties are going to be the most challenging years for the vast majority of people. The uncertainty and the challenges of finally striking out on your own in the world can be distressing to us.
Even the most successful or happy 20-something will probably enjoy a bit more their later years, when they have much more experience and skill to do their job well, when their relationships are more stable or when they don’t have to deal with young children and a difficult living situation.
Some people might argue that a difficult childhood, full of abuse is more difficult. To that we say: yes it surely is but for the common person their childhood is something to be remembered fondly.
Likewise, some might say that being full of injuries and disease on our later years is much worse than the difficulties most able bodied young adults might face. While that might sound right, studies show that generally people are happier the older they are, with most people achieving peak life satisfaction in their 70s!
So for all those reading this article that are either, teenagers or young adults don’t worry, while things might get harder for a bit, you can look forward to eventually settling down and accepting yourself for who you are in your later years.
With some effort, planning and luck most people can fully enjoy the second part of their life much more than their younger years! Don’t rush and feel like you HAVE to enjoy every single day in your twenties.