Why Some People Crave Self-Insight More Than Others

The Self-Insight Motive: Why Do Some People Crave Self-Knowledge More Than Others? The human desire to understand oneself has persisted for centuries, spanning ancient philosophy, religious traditions, and modern psychology. Given the popularity of astrology columns, self-help books, and personality quizzes, it seems that most, if not all, people are intrigued by the idea of […]

Rethinking Life Expectancy: Beyond the Oversimplified Narrative

Introduction The claim that life expectancy has more than doubled over the past century is widely cited in media, policy discussions, and public discourse. While technically accurate, this statistic is misleading without proper context. As a researcher who obtained my PhD at 64, specialising in retirement adjustment and meaningful ageing, I have watched this narrative […]

Future Self

Hi, it’s Dr Denise and I’m in my wood; I just wanted to do a short video to talk about something that I’ve written about this week . That’s about ‘Your Future Self’, and if you read the article, you will see how AI has aged me, and I look dreadful. Let’s hope that’s not […]

Imbolc: Embracing New Beginnings in Career and Life

As the wheel of the year turns to Imbolc on February 1st/2nd, we witness nature’s first stirrings of spring. Those earliest primroses pushing through frost-touched earth remind us that even in life’s wintertime, new growth is always possible. This ancient Celtic festival, marking the midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox, has long been celebrated […]

The Rewards of Solitude: A Deeper Reflection

I want to return to the topic of aloneness which I covered in this article. This was prompted through an article by James Marriott in todays Times Newspaper and one from The Atlantic. John O’Donohue’s words continue to guide us: “Each one of us is alone in the world. It takes great courage to meet […]

How to Spark Joy and Enrich Your Life Every Day

Joy in Later Life I have a few things on my mind at the moment, and this morning I wondered why I’m feeling tired. I suspect a lot of mental energy is being spent on thinking through different things and making decisions. Perhaps that’s more exhausting now than it was when I was younger. When […]

The benefits of getting older, part 2

After creating a list of 20 benefits, I kept writing and listed 20 more. How many can you agree with? I had written this a good while ago, just found it languishing in my draft folder – it deserved a chance to come out and be read! See also: The Benefits of Getting Older

Changing Gears: Navigating Retirement for Athletes and Executives

When thinking about retirement we think about people at the end of their main working lives, usually in their 60s. We can forget about athletes, and how they retire much earlier. There’s been much in the press on Andy Murray and how he may not be fit for Wimbledon and/or The Olympics and what will […]

Rethinking Blue Zones

What the Science Really Tells Us About Healthy Ageing For nearly two decades, the concept of Blue Zones has captured the imagination of millions. These regions – Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Icaria in Greece, and Loma Linda in California – were celebrated as places where people live remarkably long […]

The Quest for Meaningful Work

Meaningful Work: Insights from Research and Practice Throughout my career as a career psychologist and researcher, I’ve been fascinated by how individuals seek out meaningful work and construct meaning in their professional lives. This fascination led me to pursue a PhD at age 64, examining how people find meaning in life after full-time work. Today, […]