Happiness U Curve : Between 30-50 things get tough

Have you heard of the happiness U-curve of life?

Im not making this up!

All over the world, human happiness slumps between 30 and 50.

Those years that we ride the rollercoaster of relationships, parenting, elder-caring & working can be a tough slog and feel never ending – some of us are just more willing to admit it than others.

On our tiny little piece of real estate here online we are committed to taking our spotlight and shining it on the joy of family (even though it is legitimately hard, challenging and stressful to be a working parent FFS) because… we choose to.

In a Harvard Business Review article written by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox it was mused that “We all want to be wise elders to our children”.. and we smiled at the power of that simple statement as we prepared to dive head first into another working week.

The article goes on to talk about how important it is to make sure that as individuals we prioritise OURSELVES so that we may be well rounded, sustainably happy and able to offer the best of who we are to our families.
Wittenberg-Cox goes on to share :

Looking back at my years of peak working parenthood, there are four things I wish it had been easier to remember when I was in the thick of things:

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. One bad week doesn’t make you a bad parent. When they grow up, your kids probably won’t even remember it.
2. Don’t burn out being a perfectionist parent. Instead, invest sustainably and regularly in yourself and your kids.
3. Love them a lot, but keep your ambition focused on your own career, not theirs.
4. If you are married, love your spouse, and don’t demote your relationship to the bottom of the priority pile. No one will thank you. Your kids are learning relationship skills from you. Inspire them.