Life Check Yourself Episode 402 Should You Date Younger? with Dr. Sarah Hill
Marni welcomes Dr. Sarah Hill in the Life Check Yourself studio, where they discuss a myriad of topics including how hormones affect your identity and how you can stay sexy regardless of age. Dr. Sarah is an award-winning research psychologist and professor with an expertise in women, health, and sexual psychology. She was also featured in the Netflix documentary, The Principles of Pleasure and is a consultant for the dating site, Cougar Life.
Takeaways from this episode:
- How do your hormones affect your identity?
- Inner beauty is sexy
- Is taking hormones bad for you?
It’s not you, it’s your hormones [01:50]
Hormones not only affect our bodies, but our psyche as well. The hormonal transitions that women go through, which span from puberty to menopause and everything in between, have a cascading effect on their entire body including how they experience the world, and the ways in which they think and feel. Hormones can also cause an identity crisis because they are a part of what our brain uses to create the experience of being the person that we are.
You are your hormones. They aren’t just something that happens to you. They are a part of who you are.
Aging is the new 20s [08:58]
Culturally, there has always been this belief that ties women’s sexiness and attractiveness to youth. But these stereotypes are shifting as women are gaining more financial independence and embracing themselves at whatever age. As women gain more resources independently, and as a consequence more power over themselves, they become more attractive to men.
For a very long time, we were dependent on men. And what we’re starting to see [now] is that we have women who have access to their own financial resources and good jobs – and that feels powerful.
Bringing Sexy Back [14:30]
Beauty is only skin-deep…or so the old adage goes. And it turns out, it’s true, to an extent. Beauty comes from having value and feeling valuable. So, it’s important for women to find out, when they’re younger, what is it that they contribute and what is it that brings them value. Whether you’re a career woman or a stay-at-home parent, find out what it is that makes you come alive. People are at their most beautiful when they come alive. And that is something that lasts forever, regardless of age.
