The Secrets of Successful Aging

Not everyone alive today will reach old age. However, it’s hard to see aging as the gift and privilege it is because society is geared toward youth and the young. The beauty and wellness industry, advertising, entertainment, and professional sectors have drilled it into our thinking that old age equates to mental decline, disease, and unhappiness.

Not only is this insulting to those who are aging, but it’s incorrect. While there are new challenges to face as you age, it is entirely possible to learn the secrets of successful aging and make your senior years the best you’ve ever had.

The Struggles of Aging

It often takes a strong mental attitude to handle getting old. Some of the struggles people face are natural, like dealing with a changing body and adjusting to things not working as well as they once did.

However, the larger reason people struggle with successful aging is that society doesn’t make it simple for them. In some cultures, the elderly are treated with high regard and given much dignity in their communities. Sadly, that is hardly ever the case in Western societies.

One of the most significant challenges you will face as you get older is feeling like you are being left behind in life. In the United States alone, over 55% of people in the 50-80 year age bracket report feeling loneliness and social isolation.

Seniors have to face life changes like losing a spouse, experiencing chronic illness, and having to face retirement due to laws about age. They frequently have to navigate these things alone, without any social support from their families or government.

There are striking similarities between seniors and teenagers. Both age groups need to adapt to rapid lifestyle changes and body changes, all while trying to find their place in society. Obviously, seniors have the benefit of insight and experience on their side, but it’s difficult to enjoy your old age when you feel unseen and uncared for. One of the first and most important ways to ensure successful aging is to adjust your mindset.

All About Attitude

If you were to guess what percentage of the elderly currently live in retirement homes, you might guess the vast majority of them do. In reality, only 2% of the population aged over 65 currently live in retirement homes. It’s surprising because society has conditioned us to think that living in an old-age home with assisted living is the ultimate goal for everyone.

While this is far from being a bad option, it’s also far from being an elderly person’s only option. This is just one of the many misconceptions people have about aging, even those who are close to retirement age themselves.

Then there’s the use of the phrase “senior moment.” This is a lighthearted way to describe a moment of forgetfulness or clumsiness, but it has come to define many people’s attitudes toward the elderly. It’s not only older people who are forgetful, clumsy, or oblivious to pop culture references, and yet there isn’t a term like “junior moment” for when someone younger makes a mistake.

There are many subtle instances where older people are prevented from successful aging simply because society has placed them in a box labeled incompetent. There might be a lot to learn as you age, and your physical and cognitive abilities might not be what they once were. But the idea that you “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is wrong. For a start, you’re not a dog!

Recent research shows that people with a positive attitude can live nearly eight years longer than those with a negative mindset. It’s quite understandable to have a negative attitude about getting older, because society does everything it can to make you believe that youth is desirable and aging is not. However, the faster you can reconcile all of the changes you’re going through and learn to adapt, the faster you will get around to enjoying your senior years.

All About Community

If loneliness and isolation are the main issues affecting the majority of seniors, then community is the answer and solution. Not that finding community is simple. Many seniors experience a dip in confidence after losing a spouse, close friends, their job, or their family members. One of the upsides of aging, however, is that you have less time to worry about what others think of you. You are freer, braver, more compassionate, and more accomplished than ever before.

As unappealing as the idea of retirement homes is to many, they still offer the opportunity of being part of a community. If you don’t have the opportunity to easily join a community, you have to be intentional about finding one.

The exciting thing about community is that it often centers around hobbies, sports, activities, or niche interests. When you find a community that centers around something active and creative, you automatically find another key component of successful aging: purpose.

Purpose and community often go hand-in-hand because happiness is best when it is shared. You don’t have to be skilled to be part of a group, and if they require that, it’s probably not the right community for you. There are countless groups to get involved with, with a variety of interests.

Whether you want to pursue singing, dancing, theater, cookery, flower arranging, painting, pottery, nature walks, or more, you will only find outlets for these interests when you look for them. Not only will you meet people with common interests, but you’ll find a new outlet, something to look forward to each week, and maybe an activity that helps keep you healthy on every level.

Happiness Is a Curve

You might have feared getting old, and you might not be enjoying the experience now that it’s happening. Believe it or not, as a senior, you are in one of the happiest times of your life, according to science. There is research known as the “U Graph of Happiness.” It shows that between young childhood and old age, people are at their most carefree.

Between our 20s and 50s, we spend much of our lives struggling with issues like housing, careers, marriages, and financial problems, among others. After retirement, it’s as if you have earned the right to do nothing but enjoy your life. You might have increased financial or health issues, but the trick to successful aging is to find the things that bring you the most joy and simply focus on them. so much of life gets better with age.

Successful aging is the new “senior moment”

The first Black woman to reach the North Pole was Barbara Hillary, doing so on April 23, 2007. There were many goals to reach before the big one, including learning how to ski and raising over $25,000 for the trip. Not only did she achieve all of these historic goals and work against expectations that she would succeed, but she did all of this at the age of 75. You might call this her “senior moment.”

Not everyone is a Barbara Hillary, and not everyone has to be. Everyone has their own North Pole to reach, goals to meet, and barriers to overcome. Life gets better if you allow it. Despite the trials we all face, especially as we age, there is still much of life to enjoy and new things to discover.

Not everyone has access to community, and some people have baggage from the past that they need to deal with before they can move on. If you are trying to pursue successful aging but need some help along the way, consider meeting with me or another Christian counselor in Texas for support. Contact us today for more information.