Are you over 60? Then there are some things that you will find tougher to do now than you did in years past. You’ll find 18 examples of these things in this article.
Socialize
According to BMC Public Health, “approximately 50% of individuals aged over 60 are at risk of social isolation, and one-third will experience some degree of loneliness later in life.” Many people over 60 are lonely because they do not have as many opportunities to socialize as they used to when they were working.
Slow Down
After 60, we have no choice but to take life down a gear and slow things down a little. But this is easier said than done. We look at the fast-paced lives of our children and want to keep up with them, but trying to makes us feel exhausted.
Explore Hobbies
Taking up new hobbies can seem daunting over 60. We might be tempted to stick with the things that we know how to do and feel reluctant to change. However, exploring new hobbies at this time is essential for us to stay active and excited about life.
Save
“About 23% of Americans over age 65 live in poverty,” says CNBC. This is because many older people spend more money than they receive from their retirement. They are not yet used to relying solely on this budgeted income. This makes it completely impossible for them to save money to use in an emergency.
Travel
Are you over 60 and planning a trip away? Then Forbes predicts that “you’ll need to budget, on average, an additional 8% to 18% of your trip cost to cover a senior travel insurance policy.” Yes, travel for senior citizens gets harder because it gets more expensive.
Plan
It can often be tricky for people over 60 to schedule. This is hard for them to do as they are used to work commitments taking up the majority of their time. Now that they have retired and have all day every day to themselves, they struggle to know what to do with the time.
Exercise
The National Institute on Aging says that “a big culprit for losing our physical abilities as we grow older is the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, which is called sarcopenia.” When we get older, exercising can become more of a challenge as we simply do not have the energy we had before.
Getting Out
As we get over the age of 60, it can become harder for us to get out and about. The Better Health Channel explains why, stating that “as you age, joint movement becomes stiffer and less flexible because the amount of lubricating fluid inside your joints decreases and the cartilage becomes thinner.”
Find Contentment
Did you find real satisfaction at your job? Did you feel content after finishing a day of work? Then, when you retire after 60, you might find it difficult to feel that same contentment again. Around-the-house jobs might not bring you the same feelings of satisfaction that you experienced while working.
Be Realistic
When we reach our 60s and enter retirement, we suddenly find ourselves with lots of time on our hands and not much to do. We can find it hard to say no to commitments and be realistic about how many things we can actually do.
Keep Up With Technology
The figures from Statista show that “in 2022, smartphone vendors sold around 1.39 billion smartphones.” New cell phones are always coming onto the market. But these items are very expensive, and a person over 60 who is relying on a state pension will likely not be able to afford the latest smartphone.
Plan for the Future
No one over 60 wants to think too far into the future. The thoughts of losing our mobility or our partner are dreadful to dwell on. Because of a fear of the future, we might find it hard to make the all-important plans we will need later on in life.
Maintain a Good Routine
When we enter our 60s and retire, we lose our work and social life routines. We now have lots of time to do anything we want. Having so much time on our hands can make it difficult for us to maintain a good routine. We can quickly become bored.
Keep Your Identity
While we are still working, we often identify ourselves by our employment. But when we retire after 60, we no longer identify ourselves with the job we did. This can make some people over the age of 60 feel like they have lost their identity and are no longer important members of society.