Mental Health and Self-Esteem
Youth has its benefits, but so does getting older. One of the benefits of aging is holding a more positive attitude in the way we feel about ourselves.
Maybe you’ve heard, “love your neighbor as yourself?” It’s tough to love others unless you first like who you are. And hopefully, as you read this, you can say, “yes,” I like who I am.
I just read some great news regarding mental health and becoming a “senior” and if you’re not there yet, just wait a few years and you will be.
A study published in the Psychological Bulletin says “our self-worth follows a well-worn path: After bumps in early and middle childhood, it holds steady in adolescence. There’s a sharp jump in young adulthood, followed by a more gradual increase in middle adulthood. At 60, our self-esteem takes off, reaching its peak between our 60th and 70th birthdays. ‘Having positive and supportive social relationships is probably the most important factor that influences a person’s self-esteem,’ says study co-author and psychology professor Ulrich Orth. ‘Midlifeis, for many adults, a time of high stability in the relationship domain.’”
That’s an even better reason for powering through the midlife questions and sometimes crisis.
I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.
Psalm 139:14
