Did you know that happiness is one of the amazing perks of being over 50? That doesn't occur with the wave of a magic wand, of course, but learning the why's and how's of creating your own happiness is right at your fingertips!
First of all, the media may try to tell us otherwise, but many older women (that would be us!) are actually quite happy! According to Mary Pipher—a psychologist specializing in women's issues—exciting new census data from the UK finds that the happiest people are women aged 65 to 79!
Her article, Want To Be Happy? Live Like a Woman Over 50, tells us something we pretty much already know: that women fare better than men. Here's why:
• We tend to be healthier and more active.
• We are more likely to have close relationships with family and friends.
• We understand how to hold intimate conversations, talk about our deepest emotions, and help others discuss theirs.
• We may have a long-term partner and may have decades-old friendships to support us.
Happiness doesn't just happen
What we also have, however, is a lot of talk about (ugh) health issues. That's reality. So how do we manage these difficulties? Pipher believes that neither genetics nor external circumstances dictate our happiness. Rather, happiness depends on how we deal with what we are given. And here's what we can try doing:
• Grow by learning to get a good perspective on things, managing our emotions (stay cool), thinking positively, and forming close relationships.
• Learn to build joy, gratitude and meaning into every day.
Not so easy, right? But if we can do this (and we can), we cultivate emotional resilience.
Does that mean we are always going to be cheerful, loving and grateful? Well, probably not. But we can try to:
• be upbeat, yet see things clearly without denying reality.
• listen to our emotions rather than try to control them.
• look at disappointment and loss as a springboard for growth.
This we can do—often with a little help from our friends. We have the greatest capacity for happiness, and—lucky for us—it can actually increase as we get older!
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