Are you a woman over 50 who wonders whether you want to enjoy living your life alone so as to simplify? Or do you miss partnership and often consider online dating or other ways of meeting someone?
Now is your time…there are so many choices.
The decision for women over 50 to be alone or in a romantic relationship is a new trend. I meet with baby boomers in my psychology and relationship coaching practices who are creating new retirement lives for themslves. According to a recent article in Huffington Post, many women feel overwhelmed with all their choices yet want to explore all their options.
The article shares how one single woman is enjoying her life,
“I do not need men any more, like I did in my 20s and 30s. I was obsessed with my dating/mating life. Now, I have to say, my feeling is: love is great, sex is necessary and if you find a “click” it’s delicious… but I don’t need it. Beautiful icing on the cake! Also, getting that we all have “issues.” When young, I was looking for the “perfect.” There is no perfect. Duh! That just took 35 years to get.”
But not everyone feels the same way. Some boomers wonder whether or not they want another partner. Others have current partners who need mothering but the woman feels resentful of this because she should finally feel free from caring for “children” after many years. Some women are in relationships in which both partners miss their children who have left the home and need to learn to be a couple again. Finally, I meet with women who are widowed and divorced, yet want to learn how to live happily on their own.
This time of transition can be frightening, exciting, or even exhilarating. Plus there are so many options available to women today in terms of how to build their most healthy and happy life. So much so, Huff Post also recently launched a special Sex After 50 series that includes weekly blogs, videos and stories about sex, love, and dating after 50.
Many of my clients admit that they love having their “own space” because it gives them the freedom to work, meet friends for dinner, or make a gourmet meal for herself and her partner. So much freedom can feel incredible but finding balance between alone time, partnership, and friendships can be challenging. Some women tell me that they just want to take a glass of wine to bed with her laptop to watch her favorite Netflix movie without interruption from children or a partner. “It just feels like a peaceful blessing,” a female client shared with me.
How do you approach this time of your life? A relationship coach can be a great asset in making decisions about how you want to live, how to increase what you enjoy, decide whether relocation is an option, how to include children or grandchildren, and possibly find a partner or start dating. I can help you evaluate how best to choose what to bring into your plan for a healthy, happy, and passionate lifestyle.
Jean Pollack is a life, relationship, and parenting coach as well as a psychologist with more than twenty years of experience coaching women and men on their relationships and life goals. Contact her to schedule a free online fifteen-minute consultation today!