An affirmative mindset is essential for positive agers. Elderly who mature as they age develop qualities like insight, astuteness, common sense, shrewdness, wisdom and sagacity. Ageing does not necessarily ensure maturity. People who made the most contributions in their development and the development of others have acquired capacities through maturation. Maturation in old age involves applying existing qualities and skills to address challenges or age-related declines. Such elderly persons become better over time at addressing the issues of life. By way of learning new things or adapting to functional losses, they refine themselves.
To meet the age-related declines it is suggested that the elderly should develop the following characteristics :
1. Mobilize all possible resources
2. Make affirmative life choices
3. Cultivate flexibility
4. Focus on positives
Choose a strategy for managing your changing capacities as you age so that you can contribute to finding well-being and satisfaction in your later years. To improve yourself worth change your lifestyle and old habits.
· Do physical exercise regularly
· Eat nutritious and right food
· Try to be free from stresses
· Try new things
Flexibility involves thinking and feelings that move you away from a maladaptive pattern of thinking. Positive agers, with flexible attitude challenge negativity, that is, pessimism, rigidity, worry, and self- absorption. Gratitude, forgiveness and altruism are life span skills that help positive agers in achieving happiness in old age. The person who practices flexibility is the happiest in old age.
The above-mentioned life span skills and ability to focus on positives need constant practice and effort. The first thing for focusing on the positives is simply to identify what is good about old age, then pay attention to it. By practicing refraining from negative-ness the elderly can find peace of mind and well-being in the presence of age-related decline. The SOC (selectivity, optimization and compensation) strategy can be applied to help you discover meaning in old age.