Most of us think that our young adulthood will be the peak of happiness and older adulthood will be the time for everything to go down the hill. But research suggests a complete another story. It is believed that our life’s satisfaction curve is like a U-Shaped Curve.
We generally start off in childhood pretty happy and then as we progress into adulthood, our happiness actually descends in mid-life. This is usually associated with work stress, striving, taking care of our children and our parents, the challenges of marriage increasingly of divorce. There are various elderly home care services which one can seek to in case there is a need.
Qualities that should be adopted to achieve Happiness
Well, some are in the opinion that there are things associated with old age that contribute to a better sense of well-being even as the body ages, such as:
An increase in Self-Acceptance
It is believed that the older we are, the less worried we are about perfecting ourselves. We then develop a tendency to hold a realistic view of our strengths and weaknesses and an attitude of acceptance toward any flaws. So, instead of constant self-improvement, we tend to relax into who we are.
Understanding you cannot please everyone
Whole life many of us strive to please spouses, bosses, our parents, our friends, etc but as we age we realize the futility of pleasing everyone. Trying to please everyone can just lead to failure and mental distress.
Ability to live life in the present
It is assumed that we spend much of our adulthood either getting over a terrible childhood or worrying about the future. Also, for older adults, living in the present is often easier. In the case of old age people, things of the past have often been accepted and resolved and the future is no longer a far-off thing to ponder, look forward to, prepare for, or fear. Various research shows that those who live in the present are far happier than those who dwell in the past or the future.
Don’t take life for granted
During our youth, it is so easy to make other things more important than our basic happiness and joy. At this age, we easily push aside our own joy for work, status, pleasing others, financial striving, family, etc. when we reach our old age there is a tendency to recognize how short life really is and not only be grateful for each day but also for whatever current health we have.
Gaining wisdom
After years of life, trials and experience many older people have a view of life that includes the wisdom to know how to handle many obstacles. The lessons they have learned offer older adults more ease when they are faced with challenges. Hence, they have acquired some mastery and skill at coping.
When you start adopting the above skills and attitudes in old age, it can make the difference between a happy retirement and an unhappy one. No doubt old age certainly comes with challenges like physical complaints. Nevertheless, this is also a time to shine and use all those terrible learning experiences in life to your advantage.
Physical Self-Care
It is a fact that the healthier you are, the easier it is to be happy. Who would want bad knees and stiff joints or a chronic illness? So, the major factor in happiness is to do everything possible to stay healthy. Here is the list of obvious things to do:
- Sleep well
- Eat well
- Socialize
- Exercise
- Get some sun
When you inculcate these obvious lifelong habits, it promotes well-being and happiness no matter what chronic diseases or other health problems you might be suffering from. After this, if you still feel you need extra support you can take the help of various elder care services. Also, when you start doing everything you can to keep your habits healthy, it sends yourself the message that you matter. This, in turn, boosts your sense of self-worth. So, in case you still have stiff joints or more serious physical challenges, the simple act of taking care of yourself can boost your mood even if it does not take away all your physical pain. The small step of taking the time to do good things for yourself is a positive mood enhancer and treating our bodies well can help keep us in good spirits.
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