Do Older People Look at Happiness Differently?

The best years come later in life!

“Laura Carstensen, a renowned field expert in the study of aging and director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, has found new correlations between aging and happiness. ‘I've spent the last thirty years investigating the psychology of aging,’ Carstensen writes. ‘My research consistently shows that, in terms of emotion, the best years come late in life.’ With age comes wisdom and understanding how to deal with negative emotions better, which can lead to less lingering unhappiness. Carstensen's research suggests that as we age we tend to live more ...

Stress worry and anxiety are all decreasing with age. Increase in life expectancy has changed things significantly. View this video to learn more about this research: Laura Carstensen talks about senior care and the real needs for the....

Increase in life expectancy has changed things!

“Several studies have monitored groups using eye-tracking techniques to follow participants who viewed disturbing images. Older people turn away sooner. Derek Isaacowitz, professor of psychology and director of the Lifespan Emotional Development Lab at Northeastern University, also determined older adults tend to manage negative emotions better than young adults and report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction. His research demonstrated that the younger participants actually spent more time looking at the disturbing images, while the elderly looked away sooner. Isaacowitz believes that young people are ‘looking at the unpleasant parts and crafting a story that will help them understand the story in a way that's less upsetting to them. Older adults short circuit t hat by not looking at it as much.’”

The ability to more easily disengage from regret suggests a critical happiness factor in people of older ages: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2132203/No-regrets-O...

Older people choose not to worry as much!

As we get older, we seem to switch to cherishing the time we have left; we focus on closeness and loved ones more. Changing our perspective offers a more effective way to evaluate what is worth our time and attention. We can simply choose not to worry as much. Savoring the good times in life becomes more important and surrounding oneself with a support network of friends and loved ones can bring clarity and a new perspective on life.

Are you happier than the loving family and caregivers that take care of you?

This information suggests that older people might just be happier than the younger ones who need to take care of them. This is quite a twist. Home care aides are a highly stressed population and have less sleep than any other profession. The potential for depression is higher here. Yet the older people they care for worry less, control their emotions and reactions better, realize the wisdom of their age and deal with negative emotions better. Who is helping whom? Next time you care for an older person, perhaps you may want to stop and learn some of their secrets for happiness. They might require more assistance crossing a street, but less help coping with the challenges of life. We can learn from each other in ways we never thought possible.

Jaleh Neshat, Home Care Assistance, Raleigh, NC, where the focus is on The Balanced Care Method™ for home care in North Carolina. Read more how-to information on senior care on the website.