How to improve self-esteem in old age: 5 useful tips

Old age represents a stage of multiple changes in people's lives, both physically and psychologically. It is time to accept that our role in society will no longer be the same, and even in the family nucleus things will be different.

In these lines we are going to review certain aspects related to senescence, focusing on how to improve self-esteem in old age. We will review the main changes that are experienced once this stage is reached, and how to prevent them from affecting our quality of life. These principles are also applied in psychotherapy with older people.

• Related article: "Low selfsteem? When you become your own worst enemy"

How can we understand aging?

To understand how to improve self-esteem in old age, one must know that it is a stage of evolutionary development in which we begin to see ourselves limited in certain aspects, due to the natural wear and tear of the body and mind.

Reaching the stage of old age represents significant changes at the level of our goals and the way of seeing life in general terms; in old age, people begin to make an evaluation of what their lives have been up to that moment, and the way in which they have managed them.

It may happen that the subject feels satisfied with what he has achieved and has no problems facing his stage as an older adult, but on the other hand it could happen that the person considers that he has not achieved the goals set for himself and experience feelings of emptiness and discomfort.

• You may be interested in: "Existential crisis: when we do not find meaning in our lives"

Tips to improve self-esteem in old age

Now we will see some ways to maintain or improve self-esteem in the third age stage.

1. Accept the new role

The essential thing so that our self-esteem is not diminished by old age is accept that our role has changed, and that it is time to let go of some activities that we used to do before.

The faster we accept our new role, the sooner we will be ready to start new experiences.

2. don't compare us

No person is equal to another in any respect; Similar maybe, but never the same. It is important to be clear about this not make comparisons with other people who face old age in a different way

Old age does not apply in the same way to everyone, you just have to take care of your health and stay active in what is within our reach, without overreaching.

3. be understanding

It is important to understand why our family and loved ones make efforts to change our routine and some of our daily habits. They do not do it to annoy or because they consider it to be dealing with a burden, but because we seek to improve our quality of life.

4. cultivate patience

In adulthood, patience is a virtue that is worth gold. Sometimes we are going to need the help of other people to do some things and we may not always get that help with the same speed.

To avoid feeling uncomfortable with this situation, it is appropriate to understand that there are things that are beyond our control, and that the best we can do is wait patiently for them to give us the help we need, without bothering us when it does not arrive immediately. Avoiding these kinds of frustrations protects our self-esteem, because it doesn't make us feel worthless, but helps us adopt an identity in which humility is important.

• You may be interested in: "The 3 phases of old age, and their physical and psychological changes"

5. Find age-appropriate hobbies

Self-esteem is nourished by projects and goals achieved throughout the days, weeks and months. But given this, it is important to keep in mind that these objectives must be adapted to the age and abilities of each one at a given time. That is why it is bad to fall into the trap of assuming that if you do not achieve the same type of spectacular achievements that one could achieve in youth, you are a failure. In old age, these projects and hobbies must correspond to the mental agility and physical aptitudes of someone of the third age.

Adapting to our role in the elderly

Once old age is reached, the ideal is for the person to understand that he can no longer do some of the things he did before. To the extent that the subject manages to accept these facts, it will be less likely that he will be affected by low self-esteem.

The new role played by people in their old age is to serve as a guide for the generations that come after them; it is natural that the older adult enjoys talking and advising younger people who know how to value their anecdotes and are capable of obtaining valuable learning from them.

It is important that the elderly continue to feel useful to prevent them from falling into intense depressive states due to problems related to their self-esteem. Establishing a daily routine with activities that are within your reach is a protective factor against feelings of worthlessness.

How to face retirement?

To the older adult It is not always easy for you to get used to the idea that you have to retireIt is common to see how many resist facing this imminent situation in their working lives. Even in some cases, after retirement, some seniors continue to go back to their old places of employment.

In order to correctly assimilate that retirement is near, and that it is something that we cannot avoid, we need to learn to properly close cycles in our lives. Equip yourself with the idea that everything has a beginning and an end, and understand that in order for us to start new cycles, the others must close.

If people start planning their retirement early, in many cases it will not represent a risk to their self-esteem, because They already have other activities planned to which you plan to dedicate your time. Talking with other coworkers about their post-retirement plans helps.