In recent decades science has done a great job of improving the physical health of all, experts have studied a myriad of diseases as well as different treatments to cure them, although much remains to be discovered, as a result, Life expectancy has increased significantly over the past century, but there is something that has been systematically overlooked : the well-being of the elderly.
Since our life expectancy has increased, wouldn’t it be good if this extra time were of quality?Read on and find out how to improve mental health at this stage of life!
“Aging is always the only way to live a long time. “Charles Augustin San Beuve?
A first key factor for the well-being of older people is self-ception, but what is it?It is the knowledge and acceptance of the positive and negative aspects of oneself, in this sense, to have positive attitudes towards our own person will bring greater psychological well-being.
In fact, older adults with little self-acceptance are more dissatisfied with themselves, as well as wanting to be different and show greater disapproval of their past compared to those with strong self-acceptance.
The well-being of older adults also affects their independence, i. e. their ability to sustain their convictions with determination and behave according to their scale of values, in this way they are more resistant to social pressures and are more independent in decision-making.
“The young man is not happy, but the old man who lived a good life. “Samos’ epicurean?
The goals and goals that give meaning to our existence are our purpose of life, when we reach a certain age, to find something that gives meaning to the years we have lived and those that remain to come functions as motivation to move forward, in addition to helping us fulfill the obligations that we all have and face complicated situations.
As for the goal of life, there is another factor that influences the well-being of the elderly: personal development, which includes both the openness to new experiences and the development of one’s qualities, that is, the ability to grow and continue to grow. evolve as we face challenges and set new goals.
This desire to overcome as a person increases their interest in the future, and motivates them to acquire and develop new behaviors and skills, avoiding the deterioration of some skills and improving their dexterity in others.
“When they say I’m too old to do anything, I try to do it right away. “Pablo Picasso?
It is important to mention two factors that influence the well-being of older adults and are related to their environment: the positive relationship with others and the control of their environment, being able to establish stable, intimate and satisfactory relationships with others is essential to have good social support at this stage of life.
In fact, these people have high levels of empathy and concern for others, as well as being trustworthy and others consider them welcoming and accessible, so they can initiate and maintain strong bonds for a long time with those around them.
Finally, we must take into account the ability to manage the environment and create favorable contexts that allow us to meet our own desires and needs, people who are able to influence and improve the environment in which they live show less insecurity than those who do not. .
Images courtesy of Nick Karvounis, Fabrizio Verrecchia and Roya Ann Miller.