[coffeeaddicted]

Getting 40 made me just feel old. I no longer have as much energy, keeping my weight got harder and let's not forget the annoying loss of hair. Additional experience is somewhat nice, but doesn't make up for it. Then again I spend most of my 30's getting out of debt because of a failed startup. Which might have given me a more negative view on life (last time I could afford traveling around was ~10 years ago).

[jdhendrickson]

Just some unwarranted advice, the energy thing can be changed with proper diet and exercise, I'm 35 and it's amazing what a difference eating paleo and exercising 3+ times a week has made.

[bitserf]

I agree entirely. It's amazing how tone deaf one can get to this advice, people kept giving it to me.

I'm 33 (soon to be 34), and fitter than I ever was in my 20s, with more energy.

Difference? Eating differently (low carbs, high protein), and exercising 3 times a week.

I also stopped smoking a year ago.

Quality of sleep is also way up there now.

[coffeeaddicted]

Did all of that as well. Stopped smoking (over half a decade ago, so that was around your age I guess), reduced drinking (~1 glas of wine per week), I always did excercises (just have to do it far more seriously now the older I get as I no longer build muscles that easy) and eating far more healthy by now (although somewhat more since I stopped smoking as that had replaced my breakfasts back then). Less general movement due to working from home since a few years (no more walking to a job... that makes some difference, but I still walking a lot as I live without a car).

It all helps - really does. Just doesn't stop aging :-)

[subpixel]

Nothing saps your energy like mulling over past mistakes/mis-steps/shouldas-couldas. We all have more of these as we get older, but if you do your best to let go of them you'll free yourself up quote a bit.

Easier said than done, but I speak from experience.

[mkr-hn]

I learned this one right around when I turned 29. It's easier to look forward when you don't spend much time looking backward.

[gadders]

Shave your head. That's one problem solved.

[mkr-hn]

I've gotten buzz cuts since I was little. I used to do it for simplicity. Now I do it because I think it looks better. Some people tell me I look younger than I am (29), so that's a nice byproduct.

[gadders]

I used to have crewcuts as a kid, then went longer on top in my 20's, and now I just go for grade 0.5 all over.

It looks better and saves so much time..

[nsxwolf]

You can tell the difference between a bald guy with a shaved head vs. a guy with a full head of hair with a shaved head. I'd bet the social advantages of hair still belong to the full-head-of-hair-shaved guy.

[gadders]

Ish.

But I think a bald guy with a shaved head also demonstrates a certain attitude "My hair had issues. I dealt with it. Next!"

[gaius]

The older guy will almost certainly have more experience, more confidence and more money. A young guy with a shaved head, if he isn't a Marine, is an emo or a hipster.

[coffeeaddicted]

Living in Germany shaved heads are unfortunately also a right-wing political statement. Neo-nazis are using shaved heads for recognition and are known as "Glatzen" (skinheads). Which I think is one reason that you see only very few other people here doing that. Might be good reason for more people shaving their head so the nazis start to lose this symbol, but that takes some self-confidence.

[mcv]

In Netherland it was like that when I was young, but in the '90s, shaven heads became very popular with no right-wing association whatsoever.

[datalus]

Good advice, I'm in my latter 20s and I'm already there.

[gadders]

42 now, but I think I started at around your age.

[lectrick]

1) If you are always tired and a little overweight (or more), get checked for sleep apnea issues at a sleep study center. If you have it, it is sapping your energy.

2) If you are like me and don't like exercise much (nor the time investment) but can no longer deny its benefits, do what I'm doing and do HIIT spin cycle 3 times a week for 25 minutes. It totally works. Feel free to google it, there's a lot of interesting research at this point.

[coffeeaddicted]

Thanks for the hints. I already do regular exercises and keep my weight more or less - it's just getting harder every year. With 30 I never had to think much about this while with 40 it has become an annoying regular routine I have to go through.

[amorphic]

If you're not already, look into doing a couple of resistance training sessions per week. You don't have to be He-man lifting huge weights, in fact you're better not to be. Focus on core and "all of body" movements.

You'll not only feel stronger and look healthier, you'll also burn a lot of energy. And as you get older, maintaing strength and flexibility guards against aches, pains and injury.

[coffeeaddicted]

I'm currently using variations of the 7-minute workout (7-min.com) + some minor weight lifting.

[lectrick]

Any amount helps, but cardio benefits only start to kick in at 20 minutes or above, as I understand it, from the research.