By Julie E 
Photo Credit ( Pixabay )
Numerous twin studies have demonstrated that our lifestyle and life experiences can influence not only our genetic expression but also our physical aging and perspective.
The lifestyle choices made by identical twins once they leave home impact their appearance and self-perception. Margie Lachman, a professor at Brandeis University, asserts that those who believe they are younger tend to be happy. This study demonstrates that we possess the ability to make decisions. We can make decisions that benefit us and have a beneficial impact on our lives if we decide to live more in line with our teenage selves. When we break free from the adolescent mindset, life can seem monotonous, repetitive, boring, and isolated. Is this distance another factor contributing to the clichéd midlife crisis? It is quite feasible. We lose go of the vigor of adolescence just when we are “all grown up,” and we lament that loss.
It’s such a sad perspective to feel stuck and hopeless about the future when we lose our adolescent vigor. Especially when we don’t have to, who wants to feel this way? Nobody! Everyone wants to feel happy, enthusiastic, accepted, and alive. We should switch off this negative light and adopt a different strategy if feeling like adults makes us see our lives in such a negative way.
You could be thinking, “Great idea,” but I’m horrified when I see my friends clothing and acting like teenagers. Perhaps your pals have gone too far, but even though their acts have taken a slightly wrong turn, I think there is some latent genius in them. As long as you are able to acknowledge that now is your best age, not when you were eighteen, you should embrace the vigor and excitement of adolescence. The objective is to align with your adolescent energy without making stupid, immature, or shortsighted life decisions.
The Entertainment Tonight producers once asked me if there was a psychological explanation for why celebrities appeared younger than their actual age. Celebrities seek to project an image that is always new and fresh because they are naturally creative people. They likely feel young, which is why they frequently appear young. Their ability to attain this immortal state allows the rest of us to emulate them and strive for our own perpetual youth. You can connect with your inner artist, which inspires you to be more and do more, but it doesn’t mean you can go all “actors gone crazy.” Indeed, the behavior of disobedient, rule-breaking teenagers was the best indicator of their future earning more than their peers, according to a longitudinal study published in the journal Developmental Psychology in 2015. It’s intriguing that a trait that is usually seen negatively by teenagers has been shown to have a favorable effect. Perhaps a more financially advantageous conclusion results from a greater determination to defend oneself and the status quo.
According to the study, under the correct circumstances, this kind of immature, rebellious conduct may be advantageous to both adults and teenagers. Any time you have a midlife moment, whether you’re overcoming a challenge, preparing to achieve a goal, or planning your future, you can bring out your inner adolescent. Instead of living in a state of perpetual reactivity, these skills enable you to be attentive to your aims.
Take a Teenage Viewpoint
Adolescents today are notably postponing becoming adults. They are becoming more contemplative and slowing down. What’s the rush anyway? They have determined that they still have several years to achieve their objectives. Can we take our time in midlife if we want to emulate the positive qualities of adolescence? We already do, as I mentioned in the last chapter. Even though we are all the same age, we are all at various phases of life because of this.
Consider your possibilities from the viewpoint of a teenager, and leverage their curiosity, persistence, and spontaneity to expand your own.
Play the Music
Many of us have a strong attachment to music during our adolescent years. Songs that were popular during significant adolescent events frequently had a lasting effect on us. When we are feeling emotional, creative, or searching for answers, the romance, symbolism, and mythology of music communicate to us.
To connect with your inner teenager, make a playlist of your favorite songs from high school. Choose music that motivates you or makes you happy. Consider the disposition you wish to adopt or the personality you wish to possess. Think about the traits and dispositions you admired or wished you had always possessed when you were younger. Select music that embodies these attributes or evokes them in you. Set aside time and space to frequently listen to this music. See what fresh perspectives and emotions emerge for you. Consider the ways in which this music affects your thoughts, feelings, and objectives. After that, change your playlist to suit your changing tastes.
Reach Back into Your History
Rather than the age-old query, “What knowledge would I impart to my younger self?” Ask yourself, “What could my younger self teach my older self?” in reverse. By going back to our adolescent years, we can discover a wonderful deal about ourselves in midlife.
You may be reminded of your initial aspirations by your younger self. She might advise you to stay loyal to who you are and your path and to keep fighting until you achieve your goals. She may remind you that you are valuable and that you should have faith in your future. She would undoubtedly educate you to live in the present and pursue your happiness, even if it means defying authority and breaking some laws, to fight for your yeses and not accept no. She could be able to guide you back to a successful, contented, and joyful life.