Be inspired by the example of elders

And what if after 60 comes the most beautiful time of life? After interviewing 2727 men and women aged 25–74 years, American psychologist Daniel Mroczek and his Polish colleague Christian Kolarz came to a surprising conclusion: the older a person is, the more often he experiences positive feelings, is satisfied with life and is happy. . Young people often talk about bad things, complain about fatigue, hopelessness and emptiness. Perhaps the fact is that age can reward us with experience and wisdom, make our expectations more realistic … and help us discover new things in ourselves and for ourselves.

They are more free

“Maturity brings an extraordinary inner liberation. At this age, we are no longer so dependent on someone else’s opinion, we think less about success. This is how psychotherapist Margarita Zhamkochyan thinks at the age of 65. In her opinion, the remaining time of life becomes a kind of bonus that you can use by focusing on your priorities. So, Rimma began teaching yoga fifteen years ago, when she turned 55. “The children grew up, and I could devote myself completely to my favorite pastime. I do a handstand, I do absolutely all the asanas, I teach classes every day. Yoga energizes, thanks to it, even at seventy I want to live, move, be attractive.

It is in the last third of their lives that some begin to travel, learn a foreign language, discover new talents in themselves. “My husband and I have always dreamed of seeing the world, but all our free time was spent first with children and then with grandchildren,” says 70-year-old Elena. Now we use every opportunity to travel. It’s a pity that my husband’s vacation is only four weeks a year!” Our Gestalt therapist expert Nifont Dolgopolov started driving at the age of 57, and the writer Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, after 70 years old, released the first CD of her own songs. “A person feels his life deeper and more meaningful when he “expands”, mastering something new, especially if he is already recognized in his field,” says psychotherapist Daniil Khlomov.

Read more:

• Find beauty at any age
• “Aging can be a rewarding experience”
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They are open to the world

Small joys surround us from all sides, the main thing is to be able to notice them and accept each new day as a gift. Olga, 65, says: “I noticed that over the years I began to feel more acutely. I began to perceive more and more whole, not scattering into many heterogeneous impressions. For example, I like to just hold my grandchildren on my knees – it’s so nice to feel them, breathe with them! Maybe this is one of the keys to successful aging: look around, and not dwell on yourself, enjoy what you have, instead of regretting what you failed. Moreover, an optimistic attitude, when “the glass is half full”, changes the quality of life for the better and prolongs it – by an average of seven years. This was proved by the research of psychologist Becca Levy (Becca Levy) from Yale University (USA). A group of elderly people were asked what words they associate the word “old man” with. Those who named the words “mature” and “alive” appeared to walk faster and better maintain balance than those who had the associations “decrepit” and “sad.”

They turn to others

If we have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, our life becomes not only longer, but also more fulfilling, interesting, and happy. Tamara, 76, has been renting a room to students for the past five or six years: “Thanks to my tenants, I get to know not only the new generation, but also a different culture. We always have a reason to laugh together.”

Katya-Ricard, a visitor to www.psychologies.ru, tells another story of finding a new life: “My mother is 74 years old. She retired about ten years ago and at first classically acutely experienced the sudden social failure that had fallen on her. Loneliness and a feeling of uselessness reached a peak, and at that very moment, my mother suddenly became interested in the Internet and mastered the computer … She suddenly remembered that she used to write poetry and took up creativity. Receiving a lot of admiring reviews from online friends, she decided to create her own online poetry community, in which she gathered both beginner poets and professionals. They discuss poetry, instruct the “greens” – my mother periodically publishes lectures on the theory of versification. At 71, she released her first collection of poems, at 72, her second. Of course, age takes its toll, sometimes mom gets sad and falls into apathy, but only until she hears a characteristic Skype call from one of her many Internet friends.

Let’s also remember Okinawa – the island of centenarians. Among its traditions is not only a special diet, but also mutual assistance between neighbors, friends, family members*. Relationships are not limited to family and circle of friends – there are many other ways to maintain intergenerational bonds that help you feel useful, pass on your experience: you can patronize other people’s grandchildren or help the young find their own way. Happy old age is not alone – interest in others maintains vitality.

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