How to Age Well
Ageing has a bad rap, portrayed as being ‘downhill all the way’ – a decline into decrepitude and death. Ageism is rife in society but even more toxic to our mental health is the internalised ageism, when we swallow and believe all the negative stories about getting older. So is it really as bad as it is suggested? And what can we do to make our later years happier and healthier? Research shows that how we feel about our ageing process can have a significant influence on how we experience later life.
Benefits of Age : There are some definite advantages to getting older. We get happier once we are over the midlife crisis and better at managing our emotions. We become wiser, better able to evaluate complex patterns and synthesise new 
ideas. Even eyesight can improve.
We offer consultancy, coaching and training in Positive Ageing to equip you to navigate this stage in life in the most constructive way. It’s not about pension planning but exploring the emotional and psychological aspects of ageing so that you can make the most of life after fifty and look after your wellbeing. For inspiration check out Jane Fonda’s TED talk, Guy Robertson’s The Ten Steps to Ageing Positively. and Miriam’s work on the Menopause Mindset – the positive psychology of the menopause and how to flourish after fifty.
Positive Ageing workshops can be booked as a half-day or full-day course. In June 2024, we are launching our first Positive Ageing retreat at Hawkwood, Centre for Future Thinking. Life can be long. At the point of retirement people typically have another 20-30 years left, most of which is likely to be lived in good health. It makes sense therefore to spend some time to work out how best to live this ‘third act’, maybe even consider an encore career for the senior years of your working life.
In a typical one-day course you can expect to :-
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- Explore attitudes to ageing and the research on ageing well.
- Learn about the benefits of later life.
- Reflect on your expectations and ideas for the future.
- Develop a positive mindset to strengthen resilience to the challenges of age.
- Write a plan for this next phase of life.
“I feel like I’ve learnt some helpful hints to take forward. It’s been very affirming.” “I am very glad I came – wasn’t at all sure I was wanting to think about ageing at all.”
On completion of a workshop you will have:-
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- A better understanding of ageing – the realities and benefits
- Explored your deeper thoughts and feelings about later life
- Learned a range of practical and well-evidenced techniques to improve your choices and wellbeing for later life.
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“I thought the exercises were really useful and well structured.” “I liked the balance between input and experiential work.” “Really useful to look at what was for me a daunting subject in a stimulating and exciting way. Lots of food for further thought, which is also great.” “Thanks for the opportunity to raise the issues and start the journey of delving into common areas.”
We offer one-to-one coaching support alongside training to help realise the potential of the senior years.
The Positive Ageing courses were originally developed by Miriam Akhtar and Gu
y Robertson. We partnered with the Centre for Ageing Better and the Gulbenkian Foundation on the Transitions in Later Life initiative to help people develop greater resilience for later life. The Positive Ageing & Resilience Training was developed specifically for this project. Read the evaluation. Since penning The Ten Steps of Positive Ageing Guy has handed over the reins to Miriam, who has an expertise in the psychology of the menopause and has consulted on various Positive Ageing initiatives with the Daily Telegraph, Ryvita and Dove.
Check out the blog for articles including Embracing Mental Ageing 5 ways in which life gets better as we get older.Happiness Habits for Later Life in The Daily Telegraph.
