Well-being Of The Elderly: What Factors Influence?
In the last few decades, we have worked hard to improve the physical health of all of us. Research has been conducted on a multitude of diseases and treatments to cure them. While much remains to be discovered, life expectancy has increased a lot in the last century. However, one element was systematically set aside: the well-being of the elderly.
As we live longer and longer, wouldn’t it be great if this extra time was quality? Read on to find out how to improve mental health at this stage of life!
Well-being of the elderly: accept yourself and be autonomous
A first fundamental factor for the well-being of the elderly is acceptance. But what does it mean? Knowing and accepting one’s strengths and weaknesses. In other words, having a positive attitude towards your person brings greater psychological well-being.
Elderly people who do not accept themselves are usually more dissatisfied, want to be different, and disapprove of their past much more than elders who enjoy good self-esteem.
Autonomy is another element that greatly affects the well-being of the elderly. We talk about their ability to maintain their convictions with determination and to act in accordance with their scale of values. In this way, they resist social pressures better and are more confident in making decisions.
The gaze of the elderly towards the future
The goals and goals that make sense of our existence define our vital purpose by shaping our goals. Having reached a certain age, looking for this something that gives meaning to the years we have lived and those to come is a source of motivation to move forward, to accept the obligations we all have and to endure complicated situations.
Regarding the vital purpose, there is another factor that affects the well-being of the elderly: personal growth. It includes opening up to new experiences and developing one’s qualities. In other words, it is the ability to grow and evolve as we face challenges and set new goals for ourselves.
This desire for self-improvement increases the interest that looms on the horizon. It motivates us to acquire and develop new activities and skills by preventing the deterioration of some skills and promoting dexterity in others.
Finally, it is important to talk about two other factors that affect the well-being of the elderly and that are related to their surrounding environment: the positive relationship with others and the control of the aforementioned environment. Being able to establish stable, intimate, and satisfying relationships with others is critical to enjoying good social support at this stage of life.
