Photo by Vlad Sargu on Unsplash
Take charge and do things that create wellbeing regardless
of your age.
While minding my own business, reading
a book review on-line, up pops an ad, “Finally, A Great Lipstick For The Mature
Woman.” Later, on a weather app, “Trendy Dresses for Older Women.” Google,
as always, was minding my business.
It’s not just the internet pointing out
your age, it’s other people. From the physician telling you after a fall that
hiking is something to reconsider, to the endless griping about the gerontocracy
in our government, people tell us we’re old and there’s stuff we just shouldn’t
be doing anymore.
These rules about the dos and don’ts of
aging have effects. Ageism
abounds and so does its negative impact on your health. It can literally
shorten your life.
If you believe the ageism messages
saying you can no longer do certain things and be a meaningful member of
society, it’s the self-fulfilling
prophecy on steroids. The self-fulfilling prophecy is the
idea that when you think something is going to happen, then it’s pretty easy to
alter your behavior to align with that belief—Oh, I’m too old to learn a
language? No point trying to learn Italian.
In fact, research
has shown that, as we age, we tend to experience higher levels of
wellbeing, greater satisfaction with life and even more emotional stability.
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