The benefits of getting older

Life should get better as we go along – as with all things in life, if we have practiced enough we should be really good at it in our latter years.

In the meantime, it’s a given that we should lead our life as though there is no tomorrow, with a few exceptions regarding bad behaviour, so don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. Don’t put off living the dream, because life is there to be enjoyed and you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour later on.

A large Gallup Poll done in 2008 confirmed that adults near 85 years old are even more satisfied with themselves and their life than they were at 18. Even further, this Gallup Poll reported that stress and worry gradually decline from teenage years and reach a low point when a person turns 85 years old. So, welcome to the good news and unlock the secrets to the benefits of getting older.

The secret to a great life as you get older? Start now

Why wait? When we are young, we pay very little attention to the fact that we may get older. We often look upon older people with something resembling pity, little realising that one day we will, with luck, be those people. We tend to rush through life when we are young, always striving for the next big opportunity – a bigger house, a better job, holidays for our children. All of this is fine, as long as we are enjoying ourselves along the way.

If you lived your life to the fullest in your youth, and continued to do so right through adulthood, you will enter your 60s and 70s knowing you have so far had a great life. If you worked and strived, without stopping to enjoy yourself along the way, you may not feel so good about having creaky joints, decreased mobility and failing eyesight in later years. Enjoy yourself and make every day count.

Simplify your lifestyle

If you simplify your life early on so that you can have more ‘experiences’ rather than material things, you will have the benefit of fabulous memories rather than a roomful of expensive antiques. (If you can manage both – good for you.)

The secret to enjoying your later years is in making the most of every opportunity when it presents itself along the way, so that when you are older and no longer able to take advantage of these opportunities, you can say to yourself, “Well, at least I gave it a go”. As Edith Piaf sang, “Je ne regrette rien” (I regret nothing), having no regrets really is the secret to being happy in your old age. All the flash cars, fabulous houses and job opportunities in the world won’t make up for the time you didn’t spend with your children when they were young.

Make a list of all the things that make you happy. Birdsong, a beautiful flower, stroking your cat, baking a cake for your neighbour – all these small pleasures add up to a happy life. A life well lived will be a life worth living at the end.

Make the most of friends and family

The happiest people are those surrounded by a loving family and a coterie of good friends, and those who foster these relationships can always rely on someone being there for them when needed. However, keeping friends close takes time and effort, and understanding when a friend who doesn’t seem to be returning your calls may be going through a difficult period in their life. This is when the strength of a friendship can be tested, so you need to work hard to come out the other side together, stronger than ever.

Staying close to your family is even more important and we all know that our brothers and sisters can drive us mad at times, but there are huge benefits to having a close family in our old age. There is nothing sadder than family members carrying on a silly feud and not having the benefits of the warm and loving relationships that can be afforded in old age. In the end it really does come down to love and relationships, with money and material objects coming a very poor second.

Simplify your lifestyle so that you spend plenty of time with friends and family, especially on important occasions. Continue making new friends and keep your old friends too by being kind, generous and interested in others.

Good health is everything

Without your good health you have nothing when you are older as your freedom is seriously curtailed. As you get older you have much more time to engage in all sorts of activities and hobbies and in order to make the most of it, you need to feel well enough to indulge your passions.

It’s good to know that even when you get older, you actually don’t think you are, so it is important to stay looking and feeling young, and being fit and healthy is paramount. A fit older person can ignore the conventions of old age and have the luxury of living their life to the fullest, offering their advice and wisdom to those around them.

Don’t worry about what others think

Finally, not worrying about what other people think is a goal that’s a lot easier to achieve when you are older. This really is one of the greatest freedoms of later life. It shouldn’t mean that you become selfish; it just means you are free to do very ‘un-grandmotherly’ things when others are nodding off in their rocking chairs! Listen and learn from your grandchildren – their fresh outlook on life can open your eyes to the wonders that you have all the time to enjoy now you are getting older.