Embracing Change Once You Hit 50

Reaching the age of 50 is a major milestone, signifying the start of a new life chapter. Whether you’re focusing on your career, health, or personal development, turning 50 is the perfect opportunity to let go of certain habits and behaviors. This decade is about prioritizing your own well-being, especially if you've spent years putting others' needs or opinions ahead of your own. It’s a time to establish healthier boundaries, enhance both your physical and mental health, and embrace a lifestyle focused on your own happiness and fulfillment.

For many people, turning 50 is a wake-up call. It might be because their health isn’t what they thought it would be at this age or they might be starting to worry about retirement. No matter what you’re currently dealing with, your 50s are a time to live life to the fullest. Here are 12 things to quit doing once you turn 50.

Once you turn 50, you start to think about your age a lot more. You might find that the wrinkles and grey hairs bother you more than they used to. No matter how you look when you turn 50, now’s the time to stop fighting the aging process and start feeling comfortable in your skin again. If there are things about your physical appearance you don’t like, the solution isn’t to avoid aging — it’s to accept that you’re getting older and make the best of the stage of life you’re in.

The days of your youth may have been filled with risky financial decisions as you navigated your early 20s, but your 50s aren’t the time for making rash decisions when it comes to your money. Depending on when you plan on retiring, most of the major financial decisions you make in your 50s will likely be made with retirement in mind.

Even if you feel like you’re physically fine, it’s still essential for you to get regular screenings and check-ups. If you’ve taken care of yourself and your body, you might still feel physically healthy well into your 50s. Even still, it’s important to get regular screenings for things that you’re more at risk for in your 50s. No matter how you feel about going to the doctor, once you turn 50, it’s time to take your physical health seriously.

Over-the-counter medications are a great way to temporarily relieve pain or unpleasant symptoms. It’s important to be mindful of every over-the-counter medication you take and how it might interact with any prescription medications you’re taking as well, especially in your 50s. With every medication you take, there’s a risk, and the risk of adverse drug effects is greater for older adults.

When you’re in your 20s and 30s, it’s easy to compare yourself to others and become discouraged if you’re not as accomplished as those around you. However, the same thing can happen in your 50s. You might start to compare yourself to those who are financially better off or closer to retirement. No matter where you’re at in your life, remember that your path doesn’t have to look the same as everyone else’s. Try your best to enjoy where you’re at in life instead of comparing yourself to others.

It’s easy to think that your physical health is the only thing you need to care about in your 50s, but your mental health is just as important. It’s never too late to take care of your mental health, even if there are things that you’ve dealt with most of your life that have gone unresolved. Your mental health can also have a significant impact on your physical health and overall well-being, so if you haven’t already, now is the time to start prioritizing it.

If you eat a balanced diet, you’ve probably spent a lot of time restricting some of your favorite foods. While even in your 50s it’s important to eat healthy and take care of your physical health, you don’t have to stop yourself from eating everything you love. Moderation is key when it comes to living a healthy life, so it’s okay to have your favorite ice cream or cookie every once in a while.

By the time you turn 50, you likely have a lot of accomplishments you’re proud of. Whether the things you’re most proud of are your own career accomplishments or the accomplishments of your children, there’s no reason to spend all your time boasting to others about them. There’s a big difference between being proud of what you’ve accomplished and being prideful, so try to find that balance, especially when you’re talking to others who are still trying to meet their goals.

Many people get in the habit of constantly apologizing at an early age. Apologies are powerful when they’re necessary and sincere, but you don’t need to apologize for everything. Apologizing even when it’s not necessary doesn’t come across as sincere and it’s often an indication that you’re a people-pleaser. If you haven’t kicked the habit of constantly apologizing already, now is the perfect time to quit.

Taking care of your physical and mental health is about more than exercise and self-care. Limiting interactions and scenarios that physically and emotionally drain you is just as important as you enter your 50s. This might look like setting boundaries with your time and only committing to things that you know you can realistically do. There’s no doubt that you want to do everything you can to help others, but stretching yourself too thin at this point in your life will do more harm than good.

Maybe you’re the kind of person who enjoys a fun night out or maybe you’re the kind of person who prefers a quiet and cozy night in. If you’re the former, you’ve probably realized that partying in your 50s isn’t the same as when you were young. There’s nothing wrong with having a little bit of fun with friends or family, but there are some activities that should be left to those in their 20s. A night of drinking too much is bound to leave you feeling a lot worse once you turn 50.

It may not have taken you this long to realize that you can’t change other people, but as you start the journey of being in your 50s, it’s time to stop trying to change other people. There’s no doubt that how you treat others can have an impact on them and might even convince them to work on themselves, but you can’t force someone to change if they don’t want to.