The 3 stages of adulthood (and their characteristics)

Adulthood is a stage in the development of people that begins after the passage of adolescence, being the stage in which fullness is reached both physically and psychologically, as well as also in other areas of life, being a stage in which people try to take advantage of different opportunities that arise along the way to direct their lives in the desired direction.

The three main stages of adulthood are the following: early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood, all of which are differentiated from each other in various aspects; It should be noted that we will talk about the characteristics of each stage at a general level, since they can vary from one person to another.

In this article we will talk about the three main stages of adulthood, but first it is convenient to speak in general terms about what adulthood is and what this broad stage in people's lives entails.

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What is adulthood?

Adulthood is that stage of people's lives that begins when they reach their majority, approximately, being a period that begins with the end of the development of people on a physical level above all, although there are also some notable changes on an emotional and psychological level. psychological.

However, it should be noted that the age of majority does not strictly mean the arrival of adulthood, but the fact of being a person considered as a responsible actor before the law, since adulthood could come a few years later because, in many Occasionally, when a person reaches the age of majority, they have not yet reached a sufficient level of maturity to be considered an adult, although they do It is true that both adulthood and coming of age begin around the same ages, depending on the country and culture (between 18 and 21 years old). approximately).

Furthermore, adulthood an important step towards the construction of an independent and complete being, thanks to the beginning of the development of a certain maturity, being marked by the values and the beliefs of each person. Also, at this stage people begin to have greater financial independence, either to a greater or lesser extent depending on each particular case, a sense of responsibility, the development of commitment in various fields and also the completion of the academic stage and/or the beginning of development at the professional.

Another important aspect of adulthood is that people generally tend to develop more stable relationships, both on a sentimental level and also in terms of their friendships.

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The different stages of adulthood

Adulthood is a much longer phase of life than the previous ones (childhood and adolescence), so around it there is a wide variety of circumstances, as we will see later go ahead.

It is important to point out that this phase is the one in which full intellectual and physical maturity is reached, as well as a fullness of social duties and rights is usually obtained, being the stage in which people usually carry out the most important objectives of their lives (p. g., developing a professional career, raising children, learning constantly and about a wide variety of fields of knowledge with great use for oneself, traveling, etc.).

In short, it could be said that in adulthood human beings usually reach fullness at different levels: physical, biological and mental, being also the stage in which people have the greatest load of responsibilities and chores.

However, adulthood is a very long stage and can be divided into 3 stages, all of them quite different from each other in various aspects, so it is convenient that we explain them in greater detail.

1. Early adulthood (18-40 years of age)

The first of the stages of adulthood is what is known as early adulthood, a period that begins after the end of the developmental stage of the adolescence, covering an age range that goes from 18 years, coinciding with the beginning of the age of majority approximately, up to 40 years. However, many experts consider that adulthood in an evolutionary way begins at the age of 21, being the age at which the period of adolescent development normally ends. Therefore, the beginning of adulthood ranges between 18 and 21 years.

At this stage, people are in a period full of expectations for the future, being a period of their lives beginning with training at the higher education level and/or entering the world labor.

Therefore, during this stage people often find themselves wanting to discover what fills them enough to dedicate oneself to in the long term, although it can also be a stage to experiment in different areas until finding the one that best suits oneself, depending on

Some of the main characteristics of early adulthood are the following:

• This is the stage in which people reach their physical fullness; being when they have more strength and energy.
• It is the stage in which the greatest development is achieved at the cognitive.
• In early adulthood, the full development of one's identity is also reached.
• People in this stage begin to become independent from their parents.
• It is a stage of change and evolution towards a lifestyle and surrounded by companies that are related.
• The foundations of one's own moral values, beliefs and opinions begin to be laid.

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2. Middle adulthood (40-60 years)

Another of the stages of adulthood is middle adulthood, which begins when people turn 40 years and ends when approximately 60 years of age is reached, being the stage prior to late adulthood or the old age.

Broadly speaking, in this evolutionary period of people's lives they characteristically focus on their children's education, on their work, and even preparing for a future retirement, in the last years of this stage. However, this can vary from one person to another, as well as from one generation to another.

The most notable characteristics of middle adulthood are the following:

• From this stage, people's capacities begin to decrease at a cognitive level.
• Physical decline also begins little by little (loss of strength, weight gain, etc.).
• At this stage they usually begin a decline at the sensory level (p. g., loss of sight).
• On the other hand, during this stage moral values ​​are established based on what has been learned throughout life.
• People tend to have greater flexibility to adapt to the environment.
• It is a stage in which people are better prepared to face adversity.
• There is usually a greater inclination for the search for well-being and tranquility than in previous stages.

It is noteworthy that both cognitive and physical decline that typically begins in middle adulthood can vary considerably from person to person depending on a variety of factors, including It is worth mentioning their lifestyle, their eating habits, the level of physical activity that they usually carry out on a daily basis, as well as other very important habits to keep the mind active, such as daily reading or having a job that requires a lot of exercise mind.

For all these reasons, to prevent the progressive decline that normally tends to develop throughout the stages of middle and late adulthood, it is crucial to reinforce both physical training and mental.

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3. Late adulthood (ages 60 and up)

Finally, among the main stages of adulthood we can find late adulthood, which begins around 60 years of age, a phase that by some theorists is considered as that of old age and, in the most advanced ages as the stage of old age or the third age.

This stage begins with preparing people for retirement, a transition experience that is not well received by everyone, since many people do not find a way to occupy the free time that they have left after finishing their work period. For this reason, it is essential that people prepare themselves little by little during their last years of working life and finding enjoyable activities to stay active and busy.

A good way to enter late adulthood optimistically and in high spirits is by enjoying time together people close to you, staying physically and mentally active, and practicing activities that keep people busy and with delusion. Therefore, it is important to try maintain a daily routine that keeps people active and on track, in order to find a purpose to maintain a stable life until the end.

Also, just like in middle adulthood, mental and physical decline can slow down considerably if the person maintains a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet, getting enough rest, practicing routinely physical exercise and exercising memory through reading, learning new skills or through mental games, among other factors.