Something Shifts: Rethinking Later Life Through the ThriveSpan Framework
There are moments when a piece of work arrives not as a sudden idea, but as something that has been quietly forming over many years. I’m pleased to share that my peer reviewed paper, Reframing later life: The ThriveSpan framework for ages 60–80, has now been published in the Journal of the National Institute for […]
ThriveSpan – from the wood
Something I’ve been noticing ThriveSpan has been seven years in the making. Seven years of thinking, reflecting, and slowly allowing the ideas to take shape. It will be published in June. When I look back at the very first draft, written during lockdown alongside my doctorate, it would have been a very conventional book. I […]
When Is the Right Time to Retire?
For a long time, the answer to this question seemed straightforward. You worked until a certain age, reached your pension, and then stepped into retirement. It was a clear transition, both socially and psychologically. One phase ended, another began. That clarity has largely gone. Longer lives, more varied financial situations, and changing attitudes to work […]
Glowing Older Podcast
Episode 24:6 Dr Denise Taylor Dr. Denise Taylor on Embracing Aging with Purpose, Nature, and Reflection. Discover how Dr. Denise combines her background in psychology, deep connection with nature, and innovative research to redefine aging well. This inspiring conversation explores meaning, community, and slowing down to truly live later life. Key Takeaways: When psychologists talk […]
Notes from February: Writing, Woodland, and Book Progress
February has been a steady and focused month, largely shaped by work on my forthcoming book, ThriveSpan: Walking Gently Into What Matters Now. Early in the month I worked through the copy-edited manuscript, reviewing revisions carefully before returning it on 11 February. Since then, my attention has shifted to cover development and the early stages […]
When a Role Ends, Who Are You Then?
Recent events in UK politics have prompted me to reflect on something we rarely talk about openly: what happens to identity when a role ends suddenly. Not retirement.Not a planned transition.But the abrupt loss of a position that has shaped how someone understands themselves, and how others recognise them. In politics, we’re used to seeing […]
Seven Years in the Making: Introducing ThriveSpan
An introduction to the thinking behind ThriveSpan The question of how we live between 60 and 80 has been with me for around seven years. Long before it had a name, I was already thinking about what I have always called the “young-old” years, not as a neat category, but as a distinct stretch of […]
Working Longer: Choice, Need, and the Reality Behind the Headlines
This morning I was on BBC Bristol talking about the plan to raise the state pension age to 67 and the push to keep more people in work beyond 55 and 65. The official argument is familiar: longer working lives will boost the economy and help individuals build bigger pension pots. The Institute for Fiscal […]
January: Writing, Research, and Speaking into the Moment
January marked a quieter but more concentrated phase of work for me. After a sustained period focused on ThriveSpan, I was able to step back from the book itself and turn my attention to the academic article that underpins it. That work matters to me. My writing on later life is not simply opinion or […]
Hamnet: What Remains, What Reaches Back
I went to see Hamnet at the cinema, with Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as Shakespeare. I had been warned partway through that it would be very sad, that I might want a handkerchief ready. But the tears didn’t come where people expect them to. We all know the child dies. That isn’t […]