It seems everywhere we turn these days we’re being told that ageing is a bad thing. We are expected to long to look and feel younger, instead of being proud of our life experience, laughter lines and greying hair.
As we celebrate our 70 years at Australian Hearing, we thought it was time to celebrate what’s good about hitting the age of three score and ten.
1. Indulging passions
The vast majority of us are retired by the time we reach 70. Usually our children have flown the nest and often we find ourselves with more time on our hands and less commitments. Now’s the time we can indulge in our passions. Spend more time baking, take that photography course or join the bridge club. The more adventurous among us can even take that trip to Africa we always talked about.
2. Enjoying ‘firsts’ all over again
For those of us lucky enough to have grandchildren or other youngsters in the family or friendship groups, we can experience the joy of new things all over again. From first steps to first words to first day at school, we can share their wonder, innocence and excitement.
3. Being wiser
It’s true, wisdom does come with age. Several studies have shown that the older brain functions more effectively when it comes to making decisions. While it’s also true our brains may slow down as we age, it’s proven that the years of acquired knowledge and experience more than make up for it. And not only do we make better decisions, we’re also more confident in them.
4. Connecting with the people we love
With life experience comes an appreciation of what truly matters, and up there among the most important is family and friends. The good news is that at 70 we’ve usually got the time to spend connecting with them. And not only with the ones who live close by. The wonder of technology means that whether the kids are next door or on the other side of the world, we can see their faces pretty much whenever we like.
5. Experiencing more positive emotions
Scientific research has proven that happiness and well-being grow in later years and that people in their 70s and over are less troubled by negative emotions like anger, stress or worry. So, not only do we have more time to do the things that bring us happiness, we’re also able to enjoy them more.
6. Knowing who we are… and being that person
Our younger years are often a lot more dominated by self-doubt than we understand at the time. It’s only as we grow older that we realise we become be more confident in who we are, what we like and what we believe in. We’re also less likely to care about what other people think of us as we’re comfortable in our own skin.
7. Having access to quality healthcare
Let’s face it, our physical health declines as we age, so access to good healthcare is crucial if we are to retain a good quality of life. Here in Australia our health outcomes are among the best in the world. However much or little healthcare we need right now, we all have peace of mind that when we need it we have access to one of the world’s most affordable, accessible and comprehensive systems.
While age affects us all in different ways, there’s a wealth of positives about getting older… there’s certainly so much more to ageing than the doom and gloom we get fed so often!