Women truly know they have hit their 40s when they start sounding like their mum, are excited by the latest home appliances, and prefer baths to nights out.
A poll of 1,500 women aged 40 plus found 19 per cent didn’t accept they'd completed their fourth decade until they were at least two or more months into it.
With other moments of realisation including being unable to drink coffee after 4pm and having to explain just how big the Spice Girls were to those younger than them.
Going to bed before 10.30pm, realising their favourite album is 25 years old, and developing a tendency to complain about the price of things were similarly revelatory.
The research was commissioned by Vitabiotics Wellwoman Perimenopause, which provides nutritional support for women before the menopause when the body begins to change.
It forms part of a campaign to raise awareness of perimenopause among women in their 40s – a natural stage in a woman’s life, which is rarely discussed, helping build awareness and support with 12 per cent admitting they hadn’t heard of this stage prior to taking part in the study.
More than half (51 per cent) of those aware of perimenopause tended to think of this life stage as something which happens to women when they get older – which 81 per cent don’t consider as themselves.
Perimenopause expert Emma Bardwell, and author of The Perimenopause Solution said:
“Life is constantly teaching us new things. As you get older, these revelations can turn out to be real wake-up calls. When I entered the perimenopause at the age of 42, it was an incredibly challenging time. I couldn’t find the support I needed, and didn’t know where to turn. Women don’t always want to hear this but, if you’re in your forties, you’re likely to be perimenopausal as hormone levels are changing at that time. Fortunately, we now have so much more information and are better educated than ever about this time of life. And, the good news is, it’s never too early to start putting yourself - and your health - first."
Other instances where being in their 40s truly hit home, include having to look up slang used by younger people and having a predominantly 2000s and 2010s Spotify playlist.
With thinking your celeb teenage crush is now “getting on a bit” and feeling relieved when social gatherings get cancelled similarly revelatory.
Despite these moments of realisation, 15 per cent consider their 40s to be the best years of their lives so far.
With the top three best things about this decade including caring less about what people think, appreciating the little things in life, and knowing themselves better.
It also emerged 75 per cent of those polled have taken their health more seriously than they had before since hitting 40.
And for many, perimenopause is likely to be part of their reason for prioritising this more – 50 per cent have been or going through this stage of life.
Although 80 per cent wish they had known more about it before they experienced it.
They described the experience as emotionally draining (21 per cent), physically tiring (17 per cent), and stressful (10 per cent).
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