Although it’s frequently the subject of humor, a midlife crisis is no joke, it’s real. And it’s not just something we in America face–it seems that in countries around the world, people experience a drop in happiness around age 40.
There’s no way to guarantee your happiness, but a smile makeover can have many benefits, including an increased mood, as well as improved health for now and years to come.
Charting Happiness Internationally
So how do you go about verifying something like the midlife crisis? Well, in this case, researchers looked at data from three countries: Australia, Germany, and Britain. This included happiness ratings on a 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied) scale from over 50,000 individuals. Data ran from childhood up through their 70s and beyond.
According to the data, people were happiest in childhood. Then happiness experienced a slow decline until it reached a trough around age 40-42. Then it began a slow climb back up, reaching a second peak around age 70. Mathematical analysis confirmed that the trend was real and not due to random fluctuations or researcher bias.
Causes and Solutions to the Midlife Crisis
But what causes the midlife crisis? The authors of this study don’t propose a cause, but others have put forward possible explanations.
One reason for the midlife crisis might be that people are working their hardest in midlife. As children we are taken care of, and as seniors we are retired, but in the middle of life, we are caring for both our parents and our children.
Another possible explanation is that people in the middle of their lives might be reconsidering choices they have made. Possibly inspired by their work, they may feel that they have made bad choices in life and may be considering alternatives that could potentially have made their lives better, as well as what decisions they might make today to make their future better.
But we offer another explanation for the decline in happiness: your smile. We’ve already noted that adults don’t tend to smile very much, and this could be a part of their problem. Smiling isn’t just something you do because you’re happy, it’s something that makes you happy. If you’re not smiling very much, you’re more likely to get depressed. And if you’re self-conscious about your smile and suppressing it even when you feel like you want to smile, it could be making you unhappy.
An Investment in Health and Happiness
It’s part of the joke that many people make specific purchases related to their midlife crisis. But unlike many purchases you may make, a smile makeover is a great investment. Long-lasting and beautiful, a smile makeover can also have health benefits, whether it’s related to replacing missing teeth or eliminating metal fillings as well as mood benefits.
To learn how a smile makeover might help you enjoy life no matter your age, please call (912) 234-8282 for an appointment with a Savannah cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
