Getting older is bittersweet. We worry less about ourselves and more about the things that feel out of our grasp—as if an exchange has occurred. “Youth is wasted on the young”, as they say. You’re not alone if these fears sound familiar. What are the most common fears of aging?
Being Alone or Not Having Someone To Take Care of You
A common fear of aging is not having anyone to care for you or share life with. This may be stronger in those who have estranged family or chose not to have children.
It may comfort you to know people still report feeling lonely despite having kids or significant others. Fostering these types of relationships is not a safety blanket–children grow older and may move away, partners may grow apart.
The more comfortable we grow with uncertainty, the better we can address concerns with others and within ourselves to establish connection. People often find family outside of their own and are better able to build communities and safety networks from relationships through their hobbies or by reconnecting with friends. It’s never too late to build the relationship we have with ourselves, and being alone often provides more freedom to develop our own definitions of things like family or life without the pressures of disappointing or hurting others.
To feel less alone, try:
- reaching out to old friends
- a new hobby and socializing with strangers trying the same hobby
- rediscovering activities you used to enjoy
No Longer Feeling Beautiful
Many people associate value with appearance due to the messages we absorb from social media, movies, tv shows, and advertisements. Many women report a decline in self-esteem and say they no longer feel attractive as they get older due to the negative connotations associated with aging. They may notice that external praise for their beauty, or even their accomplishments, lessens later in life.
But with age, comes knowledge, wisdom, experience, and connections. When we re-define what our self-esteem is based on, we can values such as kindness, humor, creativity, or tenacity within ourselves and no longer feel disappointed by a lack of external validation.
In terms of physical beauty, establishing habits that make you feel good from the inside can help appease the pressures of looking attractive. Beauty radiates when we do things that make us feel good about ourselves. Rather than trying to mask age or following the latest trends, we can embrace natural products like serums or creams from lines like Fiera that are designed to help us feel beautiful as we grow older.
To boost your self-esteem, try:
- revamping your beauty routine with anti-aging products
- a new physical activity
- writing down accomplishments and traits you’re proud of
Not Having Purpose
The meaning of life is different for everyone. As we get older, we may feel we have less time to accomplish things. This doesn’t mean you still can’t make a difference! As we get older, we can share our talents and our wisdom with others. We are also more aware of the way our actions impact others.
To combat this, try:
- volunteering for a local organization
- adopting socially conscious products that give back to others
- making a list of things you love and establishing ways to share them with others
Getting Older is Nothing To Be Afraid Of!
As we become older, we become more aware of ourselves and in turn, might also be more aware of our fears. Never forget that age is just a number and that what we gain as we grow older—wisdom, friendships, and self-esteem, to name a few—makes life that much more special.