Maybe right now life couldn’t be better for you. You are enjoying your work in a fulfilling career. You might be earning a decent wage and having fun living life to the full. In everyday life it can be quite difficult to see beyond the here and now, and when you do you don’t like what you see. I think this is down to there being a lot of stereotypical misconceptions about what getting old means to someone.
Have you ever stopped and wondered what getting older meant for you? For most people they can see hitting retirement age but then what? However, I see the true value in planning ahead for your twilight years. Thinking about that future should be exciting and not worrying. With that in mind, I thought I would share with you the most common misconceptions of getting older and how things are not what they seem. I hope it enlightens you and inspires you to plan ahead.
You will struggle with your finances
Getting older means that at some point your career will come to an end, and you will retire. This can scare a lot of people. How will the bills get paid? Where will income come from? The truth is, without careful planning now your lifestyle may have to change. Which is why it’s so important to think ahead to the future. Especially for your finances. Most people will finance their retirement years with things like equity release from a property Even considering investments or pensions. A lot of people will be paying into a workplace pension of some description which is great as you will hardly miss that money. But if you have become accustomed to a particular lifestyle then those funds are just not going to cut it.
Retirement is an opportunity to do some of the things you have no time for now. So funding those experiences is vital. Consider getting a personal pension in place or purchase your first property. Getting on the property ladder soon is a great investment into your future. But is also something good to do in the present. This gives you the chance of equity release, which means taking profits from your property as a cash sum, for when you retire. Getting old doesn’t have to be mean you struggle financially, it just requires a bit of preparation to get you the lifestyle you deserve.
Your health will deteriorate
While a natural experience of getting older means you health is going to deteriorate, it would be a lie to say that it won’t. It’s bound to happen at some point. But not everyone struggles in the same way, and I believe this is down to your current lifestyle. If you have a fit and healthy persona now, then the chances are you will take that through the years. Therefore having an active retirement when the time comes. So how do you get to that stage? You start to think about your lifestyle now.
Those twilight years offer you the chance to explore and see the world. Or socialise within the community doing different activities. But if you don’t take care of yourself now, then what chance does your future self have? Not much. You need to give your body the best chance against inevitable health issues. This is where incorporating a healthy balanced diet could be one of the best things you do. This enables you to ensure that your body get’s all the nutrients and vitamins it needs to function. A healthy lifestyle isn’t just about the food you eat; it’s about being more active in general. While heading to the gym might not be your cup of tea, walking more and making better choices could be a great alternative. Some people like to track their steps and take this habit well into their later years. Most retirees will say increased activity keeps them looking and feeling younger. A healthy lifestyle is all about having a great positive mindset and hydrating your body regularly with water. Taking good care of yourself now leaves you with the best possibilities in the future.
Getting around won’t be easy
The perception is that your health will start to flounder. In your mind, that will automatically make you think that getting around won’t be easy. You may think that walking will become harder, or socialising won’t come easy. The fact is that many of us imagine older people to be sat in an armchair watching daytime TV and not doing much else. This is a blatant misconception of what getting older means. You don’t automatically lose you ability to walk around just because you have hit a certain age.
Of course, it’s inevitable that health can deteriorate, and one way can be through your muscles and bones. Things like arthritis can strike and yes, at some stage, getting around won’t be as easy as it was when you were twenty years younger. But thanks to mobile aids and also services offering lifts and rides to destinations it is still easy to go about your day. Ride Right has it covered, along with other options available.
Not only are their aids to helping you get out and about, but your home will still be accessible. Adding things like chair lifts and mechanical chairs and beds are all possibilities. They are all designed to make life easier within the home. Making it much accessible for older people to carry on living their lives at home, instead of having to consider care homes or care workers. Getting around may get harder, but it won’t stop you living your life.
You will lose your looks
Yes, old age is going to present itself with some problems in the looks department. Your skin is going to age, and things will start to go south. But that doesn’t mean we don’t see older people looking fabulous. Right now we have celebrities like Sandra Bullock who is rocking her fifties looking like she’s still in her twenties. This is down to good care as early as possible. Are you are worried about how you will look as you get older? Then taking steps now with a consistent skin care routine and good care will help prevent those common signs of ageing appearing.
One great tip is to consider applying sunscreen every day. Sun damage is the biggest factor of aging skin, and will cause the most damage in your later years. They can add wrinkles and dark spots to your skin tone. Sometimes taking the right steps now will help create a brighter, better looking future.
There won’t be anything to do with your spare time
A big worry for many is what you will do with your spare time. Getting older inevitably means retiring from the day job, so without a place to be what do you do? The answer is simple. Anything you want to. Many older people consider using this time to do all the things they have had no time to do before.
You may want to consider an older hobby. Perhaps one you couldn’t put time and attention into before. Many retirees enjoy a round of golf. Or use a new hobby as an opportunity to socialise with like minded people within the community. Other retirees consider ticking of experiences and destinations from their bucket list. Seeing these years as the chance to travel. A lot of older people like to try their hand at cruising and embark on long voyages lastings weeks and even months. It’s a great way to travel the world and see new places.
At this stage, you need to bear in mind that you may have had a family yourself. They may have gone on to have children, and you could now be a grandparent. Retirees love the chance to spend time with their grandchildren and do all the things they didn’t have time to do with their children. The misconception is that you will have too much time on your hands. The reality is that you won’t have time for everything, and this can be a fun and busy time of your life.
You will get bored easily
Finally, a big obstacle younger people face is boredom. So there is a huge misconception surrounding boredom and old age. With so much time on your hands you are bound to get bored at some point, right? Wrong. The beauty of this time of your life is that there is always something to be doing. It might mean tinkering around in your house or the garden. Trying your hand at something new. Jetting off to some faraway shore for the second time that month. There isn’t much time to feel boredom. It’s common misconception, and I think that is down to us leading full on lives right now. Work and family stress can seem never ending. But for many people, they can thrive off that. What’s great about now is that you have a chance to plan for it. If you think that boredom could be an issue, then take some time to consider what you want to do will be a sure fire way of avoiding it in the future.
I hope this has diminished some of those common misconceptions of getting older and inspired you to take a bit of action now.