#AgingGratefully Made Easy
If you read the Better Not Younger blog regularly or follow us on social media, you probably know that we’re celebrating our 3rd anniversary this March! It's a milestone that we're proud of and incredibly grateful for. And since March is Women's History Month, we decided to talk about women aging gratefully. (No, that's not a typo!)
The notion of aging gratefully is particularly meaningful to our founder, Sonsoles Gonzalez: “For me, aging gratefully means taking a moment to thank and recognize the many people in my life that have cared for me, supported me and guided me—my parents, my mentors, my husband, my children and my friends. They have all played a huge role in shaping who I am today.”
So in the spirit of inspiring a little grateful aging among our community, we highlighted our favorite positive effects of aging. We're grateful for all of them. As 19th century mathematician Ada Lovelace said, "Strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them." We couldn't agree more!
10 Benefits of Aging We’re Grateful for Every Day
1. More Wisdom
It's no secret that we get wiser as we get older! (And we couldn't be more grateful for that!) Even though we might not feel any wiser, science says we are.
Studies have shown that people over 50 report more happiness and have greater emotional maturity and more empathy than younger people. This runs counter to the tired and false trope that older people are "past their prime" or are sadder or lonelier.
These studies found that learning from experiences in our youth is central to reaching these positive milestones of happiness, emotional maturity and being empathetic toward others. We gain wisdom simply by living many years of life by trial and error. Growing older and wiser is one of our favorite benefits of aging—talk about getting better with age!
2. Increased Confidence
It's time to leave the insecurities of our youth behind us. Now, we're focusing on wants and needs and kicking "shoulds" to the curb.
We want to see all women pursue their passions, no matter their age. Many women in their 50s and 60s feel like the time to go after their goals or pursue new interests has passed.
We're here to tell you that there is no age limit on your passions! If you've always wanted to try something new, there really is no time like the present! Always wanted to play the piano? Sign up for lessons! Dream of writing a novel? Start writing!
We're passionate about this because Sonsoles founded Better Not Younger in her 50s. She noticed that no one was making products specifically for mature hair, so she built a successful company to address this need. It wasn't too late for her, and it's not too late for you to take a bold step toward your goals!
Check out our interview with Sonsoles about Better Not Younger's 3rd anniversary. She talks about building a brand in her 50s, aging gratefully and how our award-winning Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum was a game changer for her hair loss and scalp health!
3. More Time with Family
In our 50s and 60s, our family structure tends to change. Sometimes we become caregivers for our parents. Our children also become adults, and we get to be grandparents—one of our favorite benefits of aging! As we near retirement, we can look forward to 40+ hours per week being freed up. This new free time allows us to really focus on family and build lasting memories, which are so important to aging gratefully. What a wonderful benefit of aging!
4. Nurturing Close Connections
A major benefit of aging is growing closer connections and deeper friendships. We often overlook the healing power of friendships when we're younger, but having the companionship and connection that friendships offer can actually heal us! The best relationships only get better with age!
Friendships help keep us mentally sharp through conversation, and they have even been shown to help combat depression and support physical fitness. (When we have a walking buddy for accountability, we skip our walks far less often!) Even the connections we make with our pets or by volunteering in our communities offer similar benefits!
5. Acceptance of Our Bodies
Sometimes embracing and accepting our bodies as we age can be hard! Focusing on healthy aging—not weight loss or dieting!—can help you with accepting your body as you age, gray hair included. After all, your body is strong and has gotten you this far. It deserves some credit!
For your healthiest, strongest body during and after menopause, focus on strength training and good nutrition. Cardio exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling is terrific for heart health, and you should definitely get your steps in every day! But women often shy away from strength training entirely, and strength training is great for building bone mass and preventing osteoporosis!
Another way to focus on healthy aging is by eating the rainbow! Ideally, your dinner plate should be colorful because eating a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits means you're getting a broader range of nutrients.
If you're doing your best but still falling short on some vitamins and minerals, try adding a supplement! Our Significant Other Hair, Skin & Nails Supplement + Retinol Boost provides essential vitamins, plus biotin, folic acid and pantothenic acid to support aging well!
6. Freedom to Travel
With retirement comes a lot of freedom! And we're grateful for the ability to travel to new places and experience new cultures, foods and scenery! Exploring the world and getting out in nature is vital as we age.
And studies show that travel has major benefits for aging. It can help improve immune health, ward off depression and even support heart health by reducing stress in older people. So pack your bags, choose a destination and go exploring!
Pro tip: If you're not a fan of lower quality shampoos and conditioners at hotels, bring Better Not Younger on your trip! We have a Volume + Strength Minis Discovery/Travel Kit that is allowed in carry-on luggage and will help your hair look shiny and healthy all vacation long! (Plus, it comes in a cute neoprene bag!)
7. The Ability to Let Go
One of the most positive effects of aging is the ability to let go of things that no longer serve us, whether that means a job, a relationship, an outfit or cosmetics taking up space on your bathroom shelf. In our youth, many of us held onto things that didn't serve us out of a sense of obligation. And that resulted in too much stress and not enough fulfillment.
Now that we're older and wiser, it's time to put down the baggage and channel Marie Kondo: If it doesn't spark joy, let it go!
8. Senior Discounts
This is a major benefit of aging! These discounts usually kick in between ages 60 to 65, and they apply to a huge range of shops, restaurants, memberships and services. Our personal favorite is the National Parks America the Beautiful Senior Pass, which for $80 allows lifetime entry into 2,000 U.S. national parks! We love this because it combines nature and healthy aging by promoting travel, learning and movement!
9. Enjoying Good Sex
Yes, you read that right! Despite what you've heard, most women over 50 report sexual satisfaction. In fact, a study in The American Journal of Medicine found that two-thirds of women report having decent to great sex well into their 80s! And the women in the oldest quartile of age in the study reported sexual satisfaction "always" or "almost always." And you heard it here first, a happy sex life can also mean a healthy head of hair—click here to find out why. Talk about aging well!
10. Really Good Stories
By the time we reach our 50s and 60s, we have lots of life experiences under our belt. And with these experiences come some really great stories!
Please don't keep your experiences to yourself. Share them! You can do this by keeping a journal, writing a book or simply sharing your stories with family. Our daughters and granddaughters need strong, brilliant women role models. Tell them about the work you do, the plans you have for the future or a tidbit about their family history. And don't discount your experiences as unimportant or just "small things"—life is all about the little moments that make a big impact on us!
Tell us: Is there a woman in your life who has inspired you by aging gratefully? Share her with us in the comments below!
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