Middle Adulthood

Locate a peer-reviewed article from the school library that discusses a topic relevant in early or middle adulthood. Explore your textbook for some relevant topics if you are having trouble determining a topic to explore.

In 500-750 words, do the following:

1. Summarize the major tenets of the article.
2. Apply a psychological theory to the topic you selected.
3. Discuss a personal reaction statement related to the article. The length of the personal reaction should match that of the major tenets (no short I enjoyed this article responses). Describe specifically what you liked or did not like about the article and explain why you believe that way.

Use two to three scholarly resources to support your explanations.

middle adulthood

Introduction

The early years of adulthood are a time of exploration and adventure. As you get older, however, life gets more complicated and less fun. In middle-age, you may start to feel pressure to settle down and raise a family—but what does that mean for your career? Late adulthood can be even more difficult than middle age: the responsibilities of being an adult start to weigh heavily on your shoulders as you face financial hardship or health concerns. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with these challenges!

The early years

The early years are the time when you are learning, building your career and establishing your family. During this stage of life, it’s important to focus on what matters most: yourself. You want to be sure that by the end of these years, you have developed a strong sense of who you are as an individual person and can confidently navigate through life with confidence.

Middle age

Middle age is the time between early adulthood and late adulthood. It’s a transition period for most people, as their bodies change and they come to grips with how they want to live their lives.

Middle-aged adults are often busy with work or family obligations, so it can be easy for them to forget about themselves—but middle age is also a great time for reflection on who you want to be in life and what kind of person you want others around you (and yourself) to see when you look back at your life’s journey.

Late adulthood

There are many reasons to enter into late adulthood, including the following:

• Old age and retirement. Your body may no longer be able to handle the physical demands of your job, so it’s time to leave behind the stress of working full-time and start enjoying time with your family.
• Health problems. If you have chronic health conditions like arthritis or high blood pressure that make it difficult for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle, then retiring can help relieve some of these issues by giving them more attention than they would otherwise receive during an active career phase (which also helps keep them out of sight).
• Death—which could come sooner rather than later if not prepared for it!

Each stage of life has its own challenges and opportunities.

In middle adulthood, you’re likely to experience a lot of changes. You may have moved out of your parents’ house and into your own place with roommates or even an independent home. You may be married or divorced—and if you are divorced, you’ll probably have kids in tow!

The transition from being dependent on others for support to being independent can feel daunting at times. But this is also an exciting time for many people who want to travel more often and experience new things before settling down again later in life (or never).

Conclusion

If you are in your late 20s or mid-30s, you may be feeling a lot of stress. You might have graduated college, gotten your first job and moved out on your own. But don’t worry — there is still time to enjoy yourself!