Are You Ready to Turn 50? Take Our Quiz and See

A positive view of growing older is associated with a lower risk of certain diseases, along with better cognitive function and improved sleep.

Your body often signals when something is wrong. For example, Caren West, 51, owner of an Atlanta-based public relations firm, says she pushed herself too hard at work and ignored her constant exhaustion, anxiousness and insomnia. Eventually she ended up in the hospital for close to two weeks.

Mirabai Holland, CEO of NuVue, a lifestyle wellness company based in Sarasota, Florida, recommends seven to eight hours of sleep each night and gradually building a regular exercise routine.

Turning 50 is a checkpoint for a financial course correction, not a time to panic. “It’s enough time to pull on some different levers, but not so much time that you can relax and not do anything,” says Chatzky.

Dr. Gail Saltz, an associate attending psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, says having such documents and discussions in place by age 50 reduces the emotional and logistical burdens on your family.