10 unexpected benefits of ageing

Ageing is certainly underrated, so let’s look at 10 unexpected benefits that come with getting older:

1. Living the retired life

We've probably all woken up on a Monday morning and groaned at the thought of another working week. As we get older, many of us choose to retire after a long and fulfilling career, meaning we don't have to face the daily grind of work.

Instead of setting an alarm clock, dealing with peak hour traffic and the pressures of work, you have control over your days to spend them exactly how you like.

2. Or...working 'just for fun'

With age can also come a greater appreciation for and enjoyment of work. In our older years we have often already achieved many or all of the goals we were working towards in our career, such as securing permanent employment, pay rises and promotions, and climbing the corporate ladder.

Older people who continue to work are able to focus on the enjoyment employment can bring including feeling a sense of purpose, the company of like-minded people, and honing and developing new skills, away from the pressures and stress of the workplace that may have once been felt.

3. Time to help others

As we grow older we find we have more free time, allowing us to do things we have thought about doing when we were younger but couldn't fit in to our busy calendars.

Volunteering is one such activity, which can not only make a positive difference in the community around us, but can also bring plenty of benefits to our lives as well.

Older people not only have more time to volunteer and give back to the community around us, they also have plenty to offer in terms of advice and skills. You might like to share your time and years of lived experience, guidance and perspective with a local school, not-for-profit organisation, hospital, or aged care centre, all while making new and valuable connections and networks.

Research has shown that donating your time has plenty of benefits for volunteers, including a renewed sense of involvement, belonging and purpose and better perceived mental health and quality of life.

To find out how to volunteer in an area near you go to the Go Volunteer website.

4. Try your hand at something new

The extra free time we find ourselves with in our later years gives us the perfect opportunity to learn new skills and try new hobbies.

Perhaps you've always dreamed of playing the guitar, or becoming fluent in Spanish, or creating the perfect garden conditions to plant roses, or taking up tennis - getting older gives us time to dedicate to a new challenge and learn new things about ourselves along the way.

Taking the time to discover a new passion or two is also great for our brain health as we age, with research demonstrating that older people who learn multiple skills at once improve their cognitive function, while our ability to draw on our accumulated store of knowledge and expertise is enhanced as we age.

5. Pursue a lifelong dream (or two)

We should never be afraid to think big, and we often find with age comes a level of comfort, security and freedom to pursue ideas and dreams that may not have been achievable when we were young because of economic or time restrictions.

With our life expectancy continuing to increase, the older we get the more opportunities we have to pursue our dreams, from writing your first novel to travelling around Australia, and you might just inspire others around you to see what's possible, no matter their age.