Transition from middle age to seniors

Psychological adjustments required for the transition from middle age to seniors.

Middle age is generally considered to occur approximately between the ages of 40 and 60 years. Physical symptoms of middle age include loss of skin elasticity, graying of hair, declines in fitness and increases in body fat. These physical symptoms become more conspicuous after 60 years as adults enter the golden age. As these changes occur, psychological adjustments take various forms, ranging from graceful acceptance of aging to complete denial. The ability to accept the changes that one experiences during such transition appears to be an important ingredient of happiness. While each person has his/her own way of dealing with the changes that occur during the transition, some practices are known to be more successful under different scenarios. Examples of these practices are presented here under their corresponding scenarios.
Scenario: retirement. Some people experience serious difficulties as they face retirement, exhibited in the form of depression, boredom, loneliness and lack of purpose in life. Others get involved in hubbies, volunteer work, physical fitness and social activities. These retirees often say: “I am busier now than I have ever been. I wonder how I had time to work before I retired”. These are the happy ones and generally live long enough to enjoy retirement and their pension benefits.
Scenario: facing old age. Some people have difficulty accepting the symptoms of getting older and will try hard to look and act younger, often making absolute fools of themselves. Others, on the other hand, accept old age gracefully without getting frustrated with the reduction in stamina and the changes in the physical appearances. They proudly accept the senior’s discounts in stores and dress appropriately. But the most importance sign of acceptance involves scaling down on previous activities and finding happiness in new ventures, such as enjoying a good meal with loved ones and friends, getting involved in social activities appropriate for seniors and focusing on family values. These seniors find happiness in relatively small things and events and appreciate that each day is a new beginning, grateful for the opportunity of being alive and having good health.
Scenario: becoming grand-parents. Some find it difficult to accept reaching the grand-parent stage in life, including having active young ones around who disturb the peaceful afternoons and evenings on the weekends. Other fill their wallets with pictures of the grand children and proud to show them to anyone willing to listen to the stories that they are the most wonderful little people ever been born.
Scenario: personal. I have chosen to deal with the transition from middle age to seniors in my own way. I have accepted with grace that I have put on a few pounds and feel less energetic than I used to feel 20 years ago. I am grateful that professionally I can do assignments much faster than when I was a know-it-all young graduate. So I decided that I will never retire but may slow down after age 80! When I reached 70 I started to use a powered golf cart and changed my focus of getting “exercise” to playing a good game of golf. I am privileged to have 6 grand children, ranging in ages from 5 to 22. I am very proud to admit that I have a grand-son who is a college graduate, I usually qualify the puzzled looks with a statement that I started to have a family when I was only 23. As a grand-parent, I am very lucky. I have the opportunity of looking after the two youngest grandchildren every day for a couple of hours after work. We have fun and I am getting to know these two wonderful young people on a daily basis. I now understand the saying: “If I knew grand children would be this much fun, I would have had them first”. I am just a happy senior.