Confidence – The Key to Age Well
Why confidence is the key to ageing well
Confidence is defined as; the quality of being certain in your abilities or having trust in people, plans or the future”.
Confidence and trust go hand in hand.
you must trust and believe in people, or life becomes impossible ” Anton Checkhov (1900)
Having both trust and confidence in ourselves and in others is essential for resilience and wellbeing, especially as we age.
Confidence influences the way we care for ourselves, how social we are, what foods we eat, and our level of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Confidence enables resilience to negativity and enables us to quickly recover from change and overcome life challenges.
Why confidence can take a tumble in our autumn years
The autumn years start around the age of 60 and just like the autumn months, this is a period of great change. It’s a time for letting go and building resilience to prepare for the challenges of winter – our last season.
For many, the autumn years will pose challenges of change and uncertainty and experiences of loss. Examples may include
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- loss of touch with work colleagues
- loss of regular income
- changes to budget and spending
- decreased level of spontaneity
- loss of routine and structure
- parental roles change
- changes to physique and appearance
- changes to how others perceive you.
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How well we manage these times is dependent on our level of resilience, self-confidence, trust, and confidence in others, coupled with access to adequate social supports.
Why our autumn years can also be our best years
Our autumn years are not all doom and gloom.
Although a time of personal change and challenges, our autumn years can also be a time of reflection and self-discovery.
Our autumn years enable us to let go of what no longer serves us, explore our capabilities, enjoy new experiences, strengthen our resilience, reboot, have more time to focus on our health and embark on a new beginning.
But first you need the confidence to do so.
