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The secret of ageing

Cher_Alumni

Today (1 October 2020) is officially International Day of Older Persons. This is a day recognised by the United Nations (UN) that aims to highlight the health needs of our older generations.

The UN tell us some facts about how our elderly populations are growing in number:

By 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years.

Over the next three decades, the number of older persons worldwide is projected to more than double, reaching more than 1.5 billion persons in 2050，and 80% of them will be living in low- and middle-income countries.

Elderly man kissing his partner stood on a beach with the sea in the background

How can we age healthily?

Although we can’t prevent all illness, there are things we can do to better protect our wellbeing in the future.

Age UK and the NHS have an online practical guide to healthy ageing that lists various tips, including:

Taking care of our feet, eyes and mouths
Making our homes safer
Practising small amounts of exercise regularly
Having medication reviewed and getting vaccinations

The benefits of getting older

We all too often hear about the downsides of being an OAP but there is much to be said for the up sides!

According to BBC Women’s Hour getting older can mean you are more able to live in the moment, you have more confidence to say it like it is, you can learn new things from younger people and you have built long-lasting quality friendships.

To that, I would add having more time to pursue hobbies and spend time with loved ones, the wisdom of lived experience and the joy of a free bus pass

This UN video speaks with older people to ask them about their experiences and thoughts about ageing and the benefits its brought.

Over to you:

What have you enjoyed about getting older?
How do you think you have changed as a person over time?
What tips do you have for keeping well?

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Comments

leeCal

Now I’m older I don’t have to bow to peer pressure about how to be. I can wear any clothes I like and have my hair any way I wish.
Another benefit of getting older is I find I’m calmer generally speaking and don’t get so het up about little things, which is nice. Balance is a great thing. I also find I’m more patient and I probably care more about others than I used to, ie empathy has increased as I’ve learned more about myself I have by extension learned a little bit more about others too,
lastly being semi retired or more I’ve found I don’t miss work much, maybe the odd bit of fun we had sometimes at work but not the relentless treadmill work can be.

As with all things there may well be an optimum age to be, whereby you still have a modicum of good health but also some of the benefits of being an older person but I don’t regret getting older.

janer1967

Good topic

I think with age I have become a lot more patient, more street wise, and more calm

I didnt have my son till I was 39 and this had advantages and disadvantages, yes I was more patient but I also didnt have the energy required for a young child I also often am referred to as his grandparent rather than his mum by people who dont know us

As for the rest I like to be able to make my own choices, like my own space

I think being around young ones makes you feel younger

I know I wouldnt have been able to cope when I was younger with some of the challenges brought over the years but I also believe those challenges have made me the person I am now

Cher_Alumni

Gosh, things you have both said have struck a chord with me.

I definitely agree with - caring less what others think, being able to be my authentic self more and losing some of the self-consciousness that plagued my early adult life. I'm also at that 'nothing can surprise me now' stage, as life has definitely had its ups and downs.

Otherwise I think getting older is a gift and we should embrace it as much as we can.

66Mustang

I was never really that bothered about being judged by other people, peer pressure, etc. but I agree that with age I now care even less.

This may be only relevant to me but with age I have learnt that people are mostly decent. At school I was bullied a lot but also saw other children bully each other and that taught me that humans are fundamentally malicious, but growing older I have realised that the bullying was mostly as a result of immature peer pressure and that in the adult world most people just want to get on with each other.

That said I am 26 but I think I’ve always been about 65 really.

I don’t really enjoy technology - social media etc, my views (e.g. social, political) are shared more with older people, I am into watches and classic cars, I prefer peace and quiet, etc. I actually was having a little look at properties recently and decided I want to live somewhere full of old people because older neighbours would suit me better!

leeCal

There’s nothing wrong with preferring older people @66Mustang, I used to myself. When I was a child I think I preferred them because they were more predictable and pleasant than my peers. I was very shy and could talk easily to older people but not my peer group. I had selective mutism.

My friends are still mostly older older than me even now.

66Mustang

That’s interesting @leecal and thanks. I’m the same, I am quiet and awkward at the best of times, haha, but have always found it easier to talk to older people and when with people of my own age I say almost nothing. I never really thought about why that is, but the reasons you give, I can relate to.

I don’t think it is ageism as if I found a younger person with some of the qualities commonly found in an older person I could easily talk to them I think. I guess it boils down to that I prefer a certain type of personality and it just so happens that most of the people with that personality are older?

Sorry for rambling haha just thinking out loud (well on paper).

Topkitten

Being over 60 myself I find it strange that the way I have behaved all my life is something older people finally agree to do for themselves. That said I think that society has become less and less caring of others and more and more selfish. I notice this especially due to my road (not that I can get out safely). I suppose that some might think I am lucky in some ways as I have always worn whatever I wanted and behaved with brutal honesty and compassion (where possible) without spending most of my life compromising with other people's perceptions and dishonesty. The only times I was any different was when I was married and tried to compromise to keep it together.

I live in a small cul-de-sac which varies in width from 3 cars wide to little more than 1 and yet people visiting still manage to thoughtlessly completely block the road at times just so they don't have to walk a few extra yards and then get stroppy if god forbid someone complains about their parking. Unfortunately, living at the very end, means that when I do go out on the very odd occasion it can be very difficult to get to the top of the street, let alone go anywhere.

Sorry for not being around or answering messages / comments but new medication didn't agree with me and I found a new game to play.

TK

[Deleted User]

I'm mid 40s nearly but definitely don't look it.

Although my theory on that is as long as I look old enough to get served in most Pubs (when they're open due to constant local lockdown measures) or buy Dad's annual bottle of Whisky from Tesco, I don't mind. Although I did get questioned at the checkout last year, I wouldn't mind but the Assistant knew I was definitely over 18, I worked with her when I was 20! And I started the College Placement up at the Netto 24 years tomorrow ago.