You might read this and be able to relate, or you may feel you’ve become grumpier the older you’ve gotten. Or maybe you know of a male friend or relative who has. Here are 18 reasons why men get grumpier as they age.
Changes in Hormonal Levels
According to the Nu Life Institute, once a man is over the age of 30, testosterone levels drop by 1–2% each year. Between the ages of 45 and 65, men will most likely feel the effects of low testosterone. This can mean they have lower energy levels, are more likely to gain weight, or struggle with sleeping.
Health Issues and Chronic Pain
The older we get, the more likely we are to suffer from illnesses, as our bodies and immune systems aren’t as strong as they once were. These aches and pains can often make men frustrated. It can affect them mentally, as they’re not as able to complete certain tasks as they could before.
Loss of Social Connections
The older men get, the less they tend to socialize. After retiring, it’s likely that social interactions will be reduced, which can increase the onset of loneliness. The older they get, they may start to see friends and family pass, which reduces their social connection but can also affect their mental health.
Financial Concerns
Retiring is often seen in a positive light, as you have more time to do the things you love. Unfortunately, for some men, retirement is scary. The concern of wondering whether you have enough money to get by with the cost of living is constantly increasing.
Cognitive Decline
The older a person gets, the more likely they are to have a form of cognitive decline. Even the slightest memory loss can be a frustration for men, like forgetting why they walked into a room. This can make them irritable and difficult to deal with at times.
Changes in Sleep Patterns
The importance of getting enough sleep at any age is paramount. Better Health states, “Studies show people who are sleep deprived report increases in negative moods (anger, frustration, irritability, sadness) and decreases in positive moods.” The older men get, the more likely they’ll have difficulty sleeping.
Age-Related Stressors
As men age, they’re more likely to be affected by age-related stressors. These stresses can include feeling unfulfilled with what they have achieved in life and worried about how long they have left to enjoy life. These feelings or worries have a knock-on effect, often making them grumpy or frustrated.
Decreased Mobility
Men often like to be active and on the go. The older they get, the more this slows down, which can have a negative effect on their mental well-being. They’re unable to do things as quickly, to the same standard, or at all, which can make them feel at a loss.
Increase in Stress
The more a man matures in life, the more responsibilities he may have, which can result in an increase in stress. As men settle down and start a family, they feel more responsibility to provide for and protect everyone. This can be physically, with a duty of care, or financially, by working more hours at their job.
Lifestyle Factors
HuffPost reports that men can become grumpy due to “stress, toxicity, a poor diet with too many bad fats, autoimmune diseases, and some drugs that can also lead to a drop in testosterone levels.” Reflecting on their lifestyle and actively making changes is a good place to start to improve a man’s mood.
Role Changes
Throughout a man’s life, their roles can change professionally and personally, which can have a negative effect on their mood. They may become parents and their priority becomes their children, or they may go from full-time employment one day to retirement the next. These drastic changes can negatively impact them, as it’s a new, unknown scenario to deal with.
Generations Change
A man’s mood can be affected by anything, including the way the world is. As a man grows older, generations change, and so does the world. In his view, it can change for the worse. The constant change in technology can be hard to grasp, and the social interaction with a stranger on the street isn’t there anymore.
Loss of Independence
There comes an age where a man can’t do everything he used to do on his own. This can really dent his pride and be hard to mentally deal with. With age, men require support and assistance to do daily tasks, which can make them feel useless as their bodies begin to slow down.
Changes in Relationships
As people grow older, their relationships change and aren’t what they used to be. Often, the longer you’re in a relationship, the more you take it for granted. This leads to more arguments, which can put a strain on your relationship. This is a struggle for men to deal with emotionally and mentally, which can cause a decline in their mood.
Aging
As reported by NPR, “Good feelings about life begin to decline for men at the age of 70.” The concern of how many years of life they have left starts to creep in, and the thoughts of their best days are behind them. This has a negative impact on their mental well-being.
Lack of Exercise
As men start relationships, families, and generally age, they seem to prioritize themselves and their bodies less. This lack of physical exercise has a negative impact on their mental well-being and can make them more irritable. Finding time for themselves and exercising is very important for their overall mood.
Lack of Purpose and Meaning
As life changes around them, men can begin to lose their purpose or meaning in life and struggle to replace it. They may see their children grow up and leave home, and their purpose of looking after them daily is no longer needed. These transitional periods can be tough and lead to a decrease in their mental well-being.
Environmental Factors
As men have aged, the environment has changed, and it’s not the same as they used to know it. There are more cars on the roads, meaning more traffic, pollution has increased, and towns and cities have larger populations. These changes aren’t viewed as popular by older men, which can make them grumpy and wish for the old days.
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