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Navigating The Ageing Process Life itself is a continuous process of ageing yet our culture’s apparent obsession with youth can make it seem as if none of us should ever grow old. Against this background, preparing ourselves for the inevitable transitions and changes that come with the natural process of ageing can be very challenging. Contact mefor Counselling In Later Life and discover how talking about these natural life events can make a positive difference. What Does It Mean To Grow Old? Going through a series of changes is how we progress through life. In our younger years, we are generally focused on learning, gaining greater independence, taking on more responsibilities and setting ourselves goals. In midlife our focus begins to shift, as we can often take comfort from what we have achieved. We may have a job, for instance, that provides us with the money to buy the things and go to the places that contribute to our enjoyment of life. We will also likely have somewhere that we’ve made our own and call a home, and we may have even started a family. In later life, however, changes may begin to occur that we feel leave us with reduced freedom. We may be undergoing transitions – ranging from retirement and redundancy to the deaths of loved ones and living on our own for the first time in what may be many years - in which we feel we have no say and are being forced to accept, whether or not we wish to do so. Ageing is also a physiological process;the older our bodies become, the longer it takes them to recover from illness or injury and even if we do not suffer a major illness such as cancer, heart disease or dementia,we will become more frail. Such circumstances may bring about significant changes in our identity – from ‘person’ to ‘patient’, and from ‘independent wife, husband or lover’ to ‘carer’ or ‘cared for’. But Later Life Can Also Be An Enriching Time While, at first sight, there may seem to be little we can do in response to such major transitions in our lives, it is during our later years that many of us can experience considerable personal growth andexperience being fully ourselves. While the emotional and practical support of family members and friends can certainly be instrumental in enabling you to preserve your independence and enjoy an immensely rewarding life as an older adult,simply being able to talk to someone with whom you are comfortable – and in whom you feel you can place your trust – can also make a great difference to your sense of fulfilment at this time in life. Consider contacting me, Tamar Posner, to request an initial no-obligation consultation for my Counselling Services . Call me on 07710 01 99 33 today, and we’ll work together to help you to extract the optimal wellness and potential from your later life.
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