Five Reasons Why You Are More Confident & Happy Post-Retirement

Aging is scary to most people. After all, you will be losing your good looks and youth, your hair will be turning grey, and slowly, you will be approaching the end of your life – it’s quite understandable why some people try their hardest to delay this natural process. But if you delve deeper, you will know that like every phase in your life, this one also has its own charm. Experts have found that this is the time when you feel most content and confident. Yes, your outer appearance might be dwindling, but age will make you wiser and you will know not to worry about trivial matters. Here are five reasons why we seem to be happier with ourselves and everybody around us as we age.

We Trust More

Research has found that the trust factor increases as we get older. Moreover, when we trust more, we are happier from the inside simply because when we trust more, we tend to be less stressed about our surroundings. In a study where 200,000 people were studied in over 83 countries for about 30 years, researchers found this relation between trust and age. The paper that was published in the journal, Social Psychological and Personality Science, said, “We know that older people are more likely to look at the bright side of things. As we age, we may be more likely to see the best in other people and forgive the little letdowns that got us so wary when we were younger.”

Our Economical And Social Conditions Have Improved

When we are over 55, both our bodies and our wallets are a lot healthier than they were in our 20s. A 2015 survey among Americans revealed, “Older Americans express more satisfaction with their standard of living, worry less about money, and say they have enough money to do what they want to do — all at higher rates than their younger counterparts.” Probably because they are at the twilight of their lives, they have learned what is good for them and what isn’t. Hence, they smoke and drink less and eat more fresh produce — in a nutshell, they’re more aware of their health and continue to seek ways to improve their lifestyle for the better. In fact, science has found that people above 64 has a reduced risk of obesity and depression.

We Are More Emotionally Intelligent

Older people have more emotional intelligence than youngsters. That is probably the reason they balance their emotions better and have more control over them. Because of this, they can brush off the small stressors easily and without fuss.

We Are Older And Wiser

As they say, the older you are, the wiser you get. As we age, our brain becomes more mature. It is easy for us to rise above our negative feelings and focus only on positive thoughts. It is also probably because our wisdom lets us rise above small disagreements, failures, and complications. Older people seem to be happy with what they have and feel more connected with others. Turns out, our brain gets tuned to focus only on happier thoughts. Growing older may sound terrifying to you, but the mere fact there’s an assurance of happiness makes the whole ordeal quite exciting as well!

We Are Happy With Small Things

You might not always have time to enjoy a cup of coffee with your loved one in your 30s as you are constantly busy. But something as simple as that might bring you a lot of happiness in your 60s. Small things matter more when you are old, and this trivial stuff keeps you happy all the time. A walk with your dog, seeing your garden in full bloom, watching your grandchild take their first step – these are small joys that bring huge happiness.

If you feel depressed, lonely, or anxious in your old age, you just need to adjust your attitude, that’s all. Let go of your past and accept your present as best as you can. Also having a purpose in your old age helps in knowing which direction you want your life to move. Finally, learning to forgive people and removing hatred from your heart helps in keeping your heart healthier. Despite the common myth that older people are crankier and always angry, they are actually in a much better position than us. So, embrace aging because things will get better!