13 reasons to love your age

1. Positivity

40 years old and onwards, we tend to remember the positives and dwell less on negative experiences, according to US research.

2. Joy

A 2014 study showed that while extraordinary experiences contribute to happiness at all stages of life, older people felt that everyday moments – like talking to kids or eating good food – brought them more joy, compared with younger people. As we age we tend to focus more on the value of time and less on money, according to research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science.

3. Beauty

We’re happier in the skin we’re in.“Younger people are much more concerned with themselves, whereas the older we get, the least concerned we are about personal issues,” explains Glisky.

4. Big-hearted

A university in Singapore found that older people are more inclined to give handouts to strangers than younger people are.

You focus on the bigger picture

84% of Aussies over 50 say they no longer sweat the small stuff.

Peace

As we age, we get better at regulating our emotions when something upsets us, research shows. Studies have reported that when confronted with everyday problems we’re better at managing them without drama than we were in our teens and 20s. Consequently we typically have less conflict with family and friends.

Empathy

People over 50 have shown to have the most empathy, according to researchers. "The more we live through and experience, the more understanding we are about other people's lives", says psychologist Elizabeth Glisky.

Fulfilment

85% of Aussies over 50 feel their lives are more fulfilling now than in their younger years, according to a 2017 survey.

Less Jealous

Young people are more envious than older adults are, particularly regarding appearance, romance, and social success, a 2015 study found.

Smarter

Research shows that older people are more adept at thinking of creative solutions than younger people are (chalk that up to the reserve of life experience).

Brave

You know how to get through things, because you’ve been there, done that before. It’s a lesson learnt over the years that makes life easier now.

Confidence

People over 50 have shaken off the self-doubt we tend to feel when we're younger, according to an Aussie study by Apia Insurance.

Intimacy

While our people skills keep on improving with life experience, couple this with knowing ourselves better, we’re able to forge deeper, stronger intimate relationships with our partner and with good friends.