If you are in your mid-30s look away now because growing old never looked so gray.
Relationship pressures, career burdens and financial woes make the mid-30s the start of many British people’s most miserable decade, a survey by the British counselor group “Relate” shows.
Of those questioned, more people aged 35 to 44 said that they felt lonely or depressed than other age groups. One reason? Blame the difficulties of dealing with relationship rejection, which are as relevant at 35 as they were at 18. Some 21% of respondents admitted they suffer from constant loneliness. The results also show that finding a happy ending may prove impossible, as 40% of respondents between 35 and 44 confirm that they have been the victim of a love rat.
More reasons for angst: A third of 35 to 44 year olds left a job because of a bad relationship with a colleague, with a similar amount thinking their family relationships suffered because of their commitment to work . A quarter also wished they had more time for their family, and 23% wanted more time for their friends.
“Relate” boss Claire Tyler said her counselors see more 35 to 44 year olds than any other age group. “Traditionally we associate the mid-life crisis with people in their late 40s to 50s, but the report reveals that this period could be reaching people earlier than we would expect,” Tyler said. “It’s when life gets really hard – you’re starting a family, pressure at work can be immense and increasingly money worries can be crippling.”
So where’s the silver lining? Check your hair.