Old age represents a stage of multiple changes in people’s lives, both physically and psychologically. It is time to accept that our role in society will no longer be the same, and even in the family nucleus things will be different.

In these lines we are going to review certain aspects regarding senescence, focusing on how to improve self-esteem in old age . We will review the main changes experienced once this stage is reached, and how to avoid them affecting our quality of life. These principles are also applied in psychotherapy with older people.

How can we understand aging?

To understand how to improve self-esteem in old age, we must know that it is a stage of evolutionary development in which we begin to be limited in certain aspects, because of the natural wear and tear of the body and mind .

Reaching old age represents significant changes at the level of our goals and the way we see life in general terms; in old age, people begin to make an assessment of what their lives have been up to that point, and how they have managed them.

It may happen that the subject feels satisfied with what he or she has achieved and has no problems in facing his or her stage as an older adult, but on the other hand also it may happen that the person considers that he or she has not achieved the objectives set for himself or herself and experiences feelings of emptiness and discomfort.

Tips for Improving Self-Esteem in Older Age

Now we’ll look at some ways to maintain or improve self-esteem in old age.

1. Accepting the new role

The most important thing so that our self-esteem is not diminished by old age is to accept that our role has changed, and that it is time to let go of some activities we used to do before .

The sooner we accept our new role, the sooner we will be ready to start new experiences.

2. Do not compare us

No person is the same as another in any respect; similar perhaps, but never the same. It is important to be clear about this so that you do not make comparisons with other people who face old age differently

Old age does not apply in the same way to everyone, we just have to take care of our health and keep active in what is within our reach, without overdoing it.

3. Be supportive

It is important to understand why our family members and loved ones are struggling to change our routine and some of our daily habits. They don’t do it to annoy us or because they consider it to be a burden , but because they want to improve our quality of life.

4. Cultivate patience

In adulthood, patience is a virtue worth its weight in gold. Sometimes we will need the help of other people to do some things and we may not always get that help as quickly.

To avoid feeling uncomfortable with this situation it is appropriate to understand that there are things that are beyond our control, and that the best thing we can do is to wait patiently for them to be able to give us the help we need , without bothering us when it doesn’t come immediately. Avoiding this kind of frustration protects our self-esteem, because it does not make us feel useless, but contributes to our adopting an identity in which humility is important.

Adapting to our role in the elderly

Once you reach old age, ideally you will understand that you can no longer do some of the things you used to do. To the extent that the subject is able to accept these facts, he or she will be less likely to be affected by low self-esteem.

The new role of people entering old age is to serve as a guide for the generations that follow; it is natural that the older adult enjoys talking and advising younger people who know how to value their anecdotes and are able to obtain valuable learning from them.

It is important that the elderly continue to feel useful in order to avoid falling into intense depressive states due to problems related to their self-esteem. Establishing a daily routine with activities that are within their reach is a protective factor against feelings of uselessness.

How to face retirement?

It is not always easy for the elderly to get used to the idea that they have to retire , it is common to see how many people are reluctant to face this imminent situation in their working lives. Even in some cases, after retirement, some older people still go to their old workplaces.

To correctly assimilate that retirement is near, and that it is something we cannot avoid, we need to learn to close cycles properly in our lives. Equip yourself with the idea that everything has a beginning and an end, and understand that in order for us to start new cycles the others must close.

If people start planning their retirement in advance, in many cases it will not represent a risk to their self-esteem, because they will already have other activities planned to which they plan to dedicate their time. Talking to other colleagues about their post-retirement plans helps.

Bibliographic references:

  • Oñate, M. (1989). The self-concept. Formation, measurement and implications in personality. Madrid: Narcea.
  • Higgs, P. and Gilleard, C. (2015). Rethinking Old Age: Theorizing the Fourth Age. Palgrave Macmillan. VII, 119 – 120.