Getting older doesn’t have to mean you are going to take large volumes of pills, stay in a rocker, and vegetate away your final years. In fact, this kind of mindset can lead to premature death and missing some of the best years of your life.
There are many advantages to getting older that can make these years more pleasurable and exciting than even your younger years.
Here are ten great things about getting older that will help you recognize the advantages you can now reap once you reach “that certain age”:
1 – Sex can be better. When you no longer have to worry about getting pregnant and the risk of STDs goes way down, you can enjoy sex with your partner more now than ever. Kids are out of the house so that sex can be more spontaneous, free, and longer lasting than it ever was when you were younger.
2 – You don’t have to get up and go to work. While retired, you can enjoy sleeping in and engaging in hobbies and doing anything you want to do, as opposed to when you were younger and had more responsibilities. After retirement is the time to start new hobbies, take college courses, travel, or engage in community education activities that will fill your time and make it seem like work was just a distant memory.
3 – You receive more discounts. In many cases, you can get into venues and eating-places with cheaper rates for those who have reached a certain “senior” age. This means you can enjoy more things for less money than you did when you were younger. Take part in them, as they can be fun and stimulating, which can keep your mind and body active.
4 – Your kids are grown. This is the time when roles change and children start giving back to their parents. This means you can trade in things you did for them when they were younger with favors they can do for you so you don’t have as many things to worry about. You don’t have to be infantilized in order to reap the benefits of having children who care about you and will check in on you regularly.
5 – You know what priorities are most important. As you age, you come to realize which things are more important to you and which things can be set aside for another time. Older people have time to think about the important things in life and will stress less over things that don’t really make any difference in the end. When you know your priorities, you will be under less stress and will be more focused on those things that really matter.
6 – You care less about what people think. As you get older, you will care less about what people think of you and will spend more time and effort on how you want to be regardless of what other people think. Older people are freer to say what they want to say and behave the way they want to behave because there is more tolerance for older people so they can let go and be themselves.
7 – We get less trapped by our emotions. Older people don’t dwell on negative thought patterns and emotions, knowing that all things pass with time. As you get older, you realize through life experience and the wisdom that it brings that some emotions are a waste of time and don’t change anything. You are freer to let go of negativity and more available for being optimistic and living in the moment.
8 – Some illnesses actually decrease with age. Things like migraine headaches and stress-related diseases tend to decrease with age. When you no longer have difficulties with chronic headaches or with stress, your body can relax and you can enjoy day-to-day life much more easily.
9 – You can develop a greater sense of self-worth. As you grow older, you have a lifetime of positive experiences to draw upon and know what you have been capable of over the years. You can use these abilities to create a sense of self-worth that stands the test of time.
10 – We have grandchildren to learn from and enjoy. Even if you didn’t have children, many of us can benefit from the technical knowledge and youthful experiences of younger friends and relatives. These are people that can help you figure out your computer and can keep you in the technical age where many things depend on knowing how to operate the latest technical devices.
