The common term of “middle life crisis” that many take for granted may not be what majority of the people perceive it to be. Psychologists classify middle adulthood between the ages of 40 and 65 years. While aging is inevitable, many try to defy the natural cycle of life to maintain their youthfulness. Despite it seems easy, it is difficult to maintain youthfulness and the pressures to be young and active is putting a strain on them. On the other hand, the sandwich generation is believed to be in their thirties and forties with the responsibility of taking care of both their children and their aging parents ( Newman & Newman, 2017) . Given that they might be confusing to distinguish between the two, understanding their cognitive and physical features will reduce the confusion and properly classify people.
Physical, Social, and Cognitive Changes in Men and Women in their Middle Adulthood
Physical
While aging is inevitable, visible signs at age 64 such as gray and thinned hair alongside wrinkles are common for both men and women. Both might also undergo hearing loss or weakened eyesight as some major body organs such as the heart decline in their normal functions. However, women undergo menopause between ages 42 and 51. The primary changes occur regardless of the ethnicity, race, or nationality. Secondary aging due to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, lack of exercise, unhealthy eating, and obesity contributes to cancer which is the leading cause of death for women in this age group. On the other hand, men lose their muscle strength when approaching 60 years ( Newman & Newman, 2017) . Despite them being able to have children, their sexual activity and potency will reduce. Men are also more prone to hearing loss and may be unable to perform their previously physical tasks.
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Cognitive
While intelligence is mostly associated with younger people, older men and women are uniquely more capable and qualified than younger people. Their vocational expertise enables them to have more job responsibilities while being at the peak of their careers ( Newman & Newman, 2017) . Both men and women also have higher levels of intuition and adaptability.
Social
While aging may place older women as being unflattering, men are thought to have a state of maturity that enhances their status. Therefore, older women will have a more social problem, particularly when interacting with others ( Newman & Newman, 2017) . Nonetheless, due to their slow reactive capabilities that are brought about by weakened hearing and sight, social interactions become limited in both men and women.
Psychosocial Stage: Generativity Vs. Stagnation
During this time, Erik describes the stage of nurture and creating things that will last. For instance, parenting or helping other people. People at this stage seek to leave a legacy or do something that would make the world a better place as recognized by the generativity principle. On the other hand, they may feel disconnected from society and may feel unproductive if they fail to contribute to the community as described by stagnation ( Syed & McLean, 2017). In this case, generativity includes making commitments to others while mentoring them. In contrary, stagnation is being self-centered and non-productivity.
Impact of the Physical, Social, and Cognitive changes in the Psychosocial Stage
Physical and social degradation of people in the middle adulthood causes them to be less involved and participatory in community work. Their capabilities are limited and others may be sick to mentor or help others. However, their cognitive capabilities due to years of exposure make them excellent mentors for younger people ( Newman & Newman, 2017) . They also become more nurturing to their children since they would often spend more time with them due to their aging .
Challenges of the Sandwich Generation
Parenting is difficult and most parents spend more time and energy in raising a generation of responsible adults. However, the sandwich stage of development involves also taking care of aging parents. From time to time, individuals between ages 30 and 40 have to look at their financial, physical, and emotional needs of their parents. Therefore, balancing between children and parents is difficult and demanding. There would be no financial independence as parents would need to have their money managed (Cross, 2012). They also need to take care of the vulnerabilities of their children and aging parents. As a result, people may run out of money or get drained.
Recommendations for Survival
The risks of loneliness and stress are high at this stage and would be suitable to join a support group that would help in sharing the frustrations. Others in similar situations would give encouragement and motivation that would relieve the stress. At the same time, looking for supportive care to aid aging parents would relieve some pressures (Cross, 2012). Most importantly, people need to take care of their health and take enough rest to relieve them from the frustrations.
Historical Changes in Middle Adulthood
Older men and women were valued with respect in the past since they symbolized power and maturity. Currently, the pressures to conform to modernity is putting a strain as they struggle to maintain their youth ( Newman & Newman, 2017) . At the same time, lifestyle diseases and harsh economic times is further draining them emotionally, physically, and financially.
References
Cross, J., (2012). Survival tips for sandwich generation caregivers. Medicare. Retrieved from https://medicare.com/caregiver-resources/survival-tips-for-sandwich-generation-caregivers/
Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2017). Development through life: A psychosocial approach . Cengage Learning.
Syed, M., & McLean, K. C. (2017). Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development.
