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, […]
The Art of Rest: Redefining Recovery in Active Later Life
Four weeks ago, I experienced a significant fall that left me with a bruised forehead and two black eyes. Rather than seeking immediate medical attention, I chose to start my journey (bus-train-plane), for a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife tracking course in South Africa. My concern was that I’d be in A&E, they would send me home and […]
The Weight of Expectations: My Personal Journey Through Comfort, Struggle, and Acceptance
Reading about Kate Manne’s reflections in Unshrinking hit close to home. Her insights on fatphobia and the societal pressures surrounding weight resonated deeply with my own experiences. At 67, I’ve lived through decades of navigating a world where my size felt like a defining factor—a source of both internal battles and external judgment. I’ve struggled […]
What the Maasai Taught Me About Positive Ageing
Earlier this year, living with a Maasai tribe, my understanding of ageing and retirement has been profoundly challenged. Despite my years of research in positive retirement and a PhD focused on finding meaning in later life, this experience offered fresh perspectives on how we might approach our later years. In Western society, we often frame […]
How to make friends later in life
I was delighted to be a guest on the Last First Date podcast and to share some of my research on making friends in later life You can read the full article, listen to the podcast from this link https://lastfirstdate.com/how-to-make-friends-later-in-life/ Or watch on You Tube