8 Signs Of A Gen X & Boomer Woman Who Has Become Increasingly More Difficult To Impress
oneinchpunch | shutterstock As people age, they typically step into a more secure mentality, with more self-esteem than they had early in life. This is one of the best things about aging.
Gen X and baby boomer women were raised to be agreeable and docile, often at their own expense. But every year it becomes easier to let go of that people-pleasing. They set boundaries and become exactly who they want to be. If that makes them difficult to impress, that's just fine by them!
Signs of a Gen X or baby boomer woman who’s become increasingly difficult to impress
1. They're seriously relieved when plans get canceled
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When someone truly enjoys their own time and company, canceled plans can be a relief, especially for the kinds of women who aren’t interested in small talk. They're not impressed by a lot of invites to events they aren't deeply invested in, and that's why not having to go to a party or socialize on a day when they're not in the mood is a big win.
While they might still feel pressure to put others before themselves, these kinds of canceled plans give them immediate freedom to do whatever they want. Without hurting anyone's feelings. They just get to bask at home or go out and do their own adventure.
2. They stop feeding into dramatic situations
Drama can feel like a fast-track to bonding with other people when you're trying to form a connection, but when it comes at the expense of someone else or clings to chronic negativity, it’s draining for a secure person. That’s why secure women tend to avoid drama as they get older, not only because they’re more mature, but also because they care about protecting their own energy.
They know that negativity and drama are contagious, and they’re unwilling to put their energy at stake to feel like a part of the group. They simply aren't as impressed by that friend who knows all the chisme.
3. They say ‘no’ and actually stick to it
To have great boundaries, you need to be able to stand up for yourself. You also need to have a general sense of what your true values are, which can feel strangely difficult for someone who’s been socialized into pleasing everyone else before themselves.
However, as they grow into a place of self-security and become less easily impressed by others, Gen X and baby boomer women can also learn to set boundaries and actually maintain them. It’s not about policing others anymore, but truly creating a guideline for what they’re willing to tolerate and what they’re not.
4. They stop pretending to enjoy things they don’t
Women often feel the pressure to be way too accommodating, even when it comes to things they don’t actually enjoy. Not only do they betray themselves when they overlook their own needs, they get pushed away from their authentic selves.
Growing into a more secure identity means they stop pretending and performing, at least most of the time. They can prioritize what brings them joy and feeds their life quality, instead of constantly protecting the peace by doing what everyone else would prefer.
5. They actually enjoy being alone
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The attitude we carry into spending time alone makes all the difference in how much we actually enjoy it. Someone dreading it entirely and using mindless entertainment as a distraction from their own thoughts is more likely to feel lonely instead of refreshed. However, someone who intentionally crafts a relationship with themselves and leans on energizing habits in solitude gains a lot more from it.
It also takes a certain level of inner security to appreciate your own company. This is exactly why women tend to become harder to please as they get older. They know just how valuable their own time is, and they don't want to squander potential time doing what they love by wasting it with people they don't enjoy or who bring them down.
They spent their entire lives doing what other people wanted them to do, now Gen X and baby boomer women are going to put themselves first.
6. They can sense fake people
When you grow more secure and comfortable in who you are, you also often become more observant. Instead of living in your head and doubting what your gut (and intellect) are telling you aobut someone, you trust your instincts.
Women who become less easy to impress have gotten to this point where they’re finally noticing people’s energy and allowing their natural pattern recognition skills to alert them when someone is shady. They can sense a fake person or a manipulator in the moment, and then protect themselves from being taken advantage of by the deceit. It's honestly one of life's greatest gifts, for those who truly can harness it.
7. They act on their own values
Living a life that reflects your values is one of the strongest predictors of happiness, according to Gallup. However, too many women who grew up in the 1960s through the 1990s were taught that being agreeable was more important that standing up for what is right when it's unpopular. But over the decades, Gen X and baby boomer women got to discover what they stood for, even when it differed from their families or even their husbands.
The kinds of middle-aged women who become difficult to impress live by the moral compass that shapes their identity and informs their choices and they genuinely do not care if someone disagrees. That's because those values were forged with fire, not based on a silly whim.
8. They’re okay being disliked, and sometimes even enjoy it
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They understand that a lifetime of making sure other people had what they needed and were happy can come at the expense of their own identities, which can be a difficult realization at first. Part of breaking free from those confines means allowing people to take care of themselves and even to disagree.
Her self-worth is growing from the inside rather than a reflection of how much other people like her or how happy her children or partner are. She gets to decide her life, which makes her not only difficult to impress, but difficult to impede. She will do what's right, get what she needs and she doesn't care if it ticks people off. In fact, if the person who's annoyed is someone she dislikes, she might even enjoy it.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
