New Research Claims Forties Are The Most Miserable Decade Of Your Life… Fiji Isn’t Having A Bar Of It

Auckland, New Zealand: No longer thirty and thriving? A recent study suggests that 47 years old is the most ‘depressing’ point of your life. But with every problem comes a solution, and Tourism Fiji has collated a series of holiday experiences designed to turn that middle-aged frown upside down.

According to the research, happiness declines and bottoms out in your 40s before slowly hiking upwards again in the mid-50s. Combine tweenaged children with mortgages, high-interest rates and depleting collagen, and you’ll potentially find yourself a miserable 40-something-year-old.

Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland claims that there is a method to the miserable-ness: “Your 40s are a time in life when you feel the weight of responsibility most strongly. Many people will have dependent kids, alongside duties that come with ageing parents, plus potentially increasing levels of responsibility at work. All of these things can eat into your general sense of life satisfaction.”

“In your 40s, you look back with fondness at the care-free days of youth and look ahead to semi-retirement and enjoying the ‘good life’. You’re caught in the middle and stuck in a dangerous cycle of comparison.”

Tourism Fiji refuses to accept this bleak fate. With plenty of years left to have fun and only a smile line or two, it sees the infamous 40s as a decade full of possibilities.

So, to give Kiwis a way out of their ageist depression, Tourism Fiji is encouraging 40-something-year-olds to venture over to try out a range of holiday experiences where you can’t help but get your smile back.

Trade mortgages for morning yoga and replace responsibility with relaxation. You 40-something-year-olds deserve some much-needed downtime, and gentle strolls along white sandy beaches to replenish your soul. Not to mention endless opportunities to immerse yourself in the local Fijian culture, and feel good by giving back to the natural environment by participating in sustainable initiatives such as coral and mangrove restoration projects.

Television personality and proud 47-year-old Jaquie Brown was invited to seek happiness in the land of coral reefs and crystal clear waters.

“Your 40s are meant to be a time when you have it all together, but it's not always easy to feel fantastic when you are overloaded with family responsibility, a stressful job and are exposed to a constant worrying news cycle, ” said Jaquie. “As you run around trying to do all the things for all the people, It’s easy to lose your sense of self, which makes prioritising personal happiness more important than ever.”

“That is why I am thrilled to be working with Tourism Fiji to showcase their 40 Something Getaway, where you can reclaim your calm, one massage, one peaceful early morning swim, and one drink with a tiny umbrella in it, at a time"

Five of the happiness-inducing experiences, which are based on psychologist recommendations, include:

Tourism Fiji’s Regional Director NZ, Sonya Lawson, added: “Fiji is the perfect antidote for those in the midst of being a busy 40-something-year-old. Fiji is the place where happiness comes naturally… even if you’re in your 40s.”

To see more of Jaquie Brown trialling some of the experiences, check out this video and for more information on how to book your dream 40-Something-Getaway head to House of Travel.

© Scoop Media