Life Gets Better Post Menopause

For women of a certain age–the age that follows menopause–life gets better. That’s the verdict of researchers at the University of Melbourne, who tracked the happiness of 252 women over a 20 year period. A University of Melbourne news release reports that researchers found that rather than becoming moodier as they age, many women get happier in later life, particularly in the 20 years from 50-years-old through to 70. The researchers found that negative mood scores in Australian women decreased significantly as they transitioned from midlife (between the ages of 50–64) to late-life (over the age of 65). Depressive symptom scores also reduced significantly between the ages of 60 and 70. Why? The researchers think the improved mood is related to the positivity around more “me” time as women wind down from full-time work and family responsibilities. “Women feel more in control of their lives and are still physically capable of enjoying their hobbies and traveling,” the researchers wrote. “They are often more financially stable and have less responsibility for children. They are free to enjoy the fruits of their hard work and are able to prioritize their own needs and wants. Most of the women we worked with were financially independent and lived in their own home.”