By Duncan Rinehart, Ph.D.
When I turned 70, I finally stopped pursuing a career. My daughter was succeeding in her career and had started her family. They lived on the other coast so I couldn’t see them much. I found a freedom that I didn’t expect. With it I found that turning “old” really brought a number of benefits – gifts, if you will. I was surprised.
So much advertising seems focused on remaining young. Through advertising and other media, we get messages that being young is great and getting old is not. But those messages are wrong about getting old. This post will help you explore some of the positive aspects of aging.
Some benefits
While there are disadvantages to growing old, there are advantages and opportunities as well. Here is a list of some of them I have gleaned from the web.
Senior discounts!
Declining allergies.
Better sex: a survey of people over 60 found that 74% of men and 70% of women reported greater satisfaction than when they were in their 40s.
Greater perspective of what’s important and better ability to problem-solve after years of practice.
More time to help others and plenty to offer in terms of skills and experience.
More time to learn new skills or try new hobbies/activities.
More time to spend with people we love – friends and family.
Seniors are among the happiest groups of people because they:
Have better coping skills,
Are better able to deal with hardship or negative circumstances,
Are more comfortable being themselves.
Grandchildren – get to experience the joy of little kids without changing diapers and sleepless nights.
Opportunity to pursue your dreams that might have been on hold while building a career and raising a family.
Opportunity to find fulfillment and completion of our lives.
Longevity advantage
In her book Breaking the Age Code (2022) Yale professor Becca Levy discredits some of the stereotypes and myths about growing old and spotlights the ageism in our society including health care, government, and media. She also exposes our inner ageist – the negative views on aging that many of us have. She found that seniors with positive views on aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative views.
Some questions
So, given the benefits of aging and the longevity advantage of positive views on aging, how can you incorporate the positive aspects into your life? Here are a few questions that a certified health and wellness coach might ask you to consider.
What has been your best experience so far as a senior citizen?
What strengths have you found in yourself in this stage of life?
What gives you meaning and purpose at this time in your life?
How can you use your experience and strengths to live your purpose?
What aspects of yourself did you neglect while having a career and/or family and how can you reclaim those aspects now?
What would you like to do in the years remaining to end this life with as much peace as possible?
Final words
Growing old does bring decline and loss. It also brings freedom, depth, and opportunity. This post invites you into the positive aspects of aging so that you may gain the wellness you have earned.