Would you consider yourself an ageist?
According to the World Health Organisation, every second person has ageist attitudes. This statistic is not just a number but a global issue affecting everyone.
Ageist attitudes are present worldwide.
Does your first impression of someone include age? Maybe you’ve experienced ageist comments like, “You don’t look your age.” or “I hope I look as good as you at your age.”
It doesn’t stop at looks because we may feel we must explain our mental and physical state to prove ourselves as we age.
The older you are, the presumption is that you need some form of support.
Would you like to be part of the change in ageist beliefs?
We must take a moment to reflect on our ageist tendencies. Let’s empower ourselves to combat ageism by first addressing our own biases.
Remember, we all have the power to make a difference.
Where do we begin with this?
First, we must address some ageist challenges that people over a certain age face. Here are a few examples.
Finding a new career after fifty. Despite laws in some countries to protect people from ageism, we all know that age discrimination takes place in some companies.
Accepting comments about your age – if the comment feels inappropriate, challenge them.
Stereotypes such as you need help with technology, language, and inequality.
Here are seven practical ways to do just that.
Mind your language
Creating intergeneration
Using age as an excuse
Anti Age
Embrace your age
Challenge stereotypes
Societal and community efforts
Mind your language 
Gandhi said, “Words become your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits.
Avoid ageist language, which means being hyper-aware of what you say and how it is interpreted.
Is giving a compliment based on how you look age-wise acceptable? When we are young, we want to be older because it alludes to respect and reaching a level of acceptance. For example, how grown-up you look in your teens is pleasing. Culturally and commercially, looking older is not a compliment; it relates to ugliness, worn out, finished, and no longer attractive to the eye. The message has been ‘move over and out and let youth in’.
Already, most women will have bought into this narrative so much that they are willing to take risks to do anything to stop exterior ageing: extremes such as Botox, operations, enhancements such as make-up, and dyeing hair—anything to stop the process of ageing and its associations. When complimenting someone’s appearance, let’s shift our focus from age to the present moment. How people look in a moment reflects their feelings about life and themselves. This approach not only respects the individual but also promotes a positive self-image.
You may want to avoid these expressions that can have a negative impact: Refrain from using I’m”” or you’re” having a senior moment” to describe forgetfulness. We need to be mindful of the words we use and the damage they can do.
How we describe older people is challenging. The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary has many definitions of ‘old’. Two of which I find quite pertinent:
a) “Having lived for a long time, no longer young.” For example, “She’s getting old—she’s 75 next year”.
b) “Good old/poor old” is used to show kind feelings or show a lack of respect. For example, “Good old Dad!” or “Our poor old dog is deaf and lame, but we love him so!”.
Other words to describe old include elderly, mature, aged, older, senior, advanced in years, up in years, getting on one’s dotage, long in the tooth, grey, grey-haired, grey-bearded, grizzled, hoary, past one’s prime, not as young as one was, ancient, decrepit, doddering, doddery, not long for this world, ripe, senescent, senile, to name a few. We should avoid using negative words to describe being older and promote a positive self-image.
Release All These Destructive Thought Patterns
What you say is a powerful guide to what is happening inside your head.
The way you talk to yourself can drive how you behave. If you have fear-based thoughts, you will limit all you can be, do, and have. If you expect life to worsen because you’re getting older, your results will likely create that outcome.
Your brain will constantly look for evidence to support your thinking and prove you right.
These destructive patterns are just false assumptions that you’re making. You can create your happiness. What can you do today to create what you desire in life?
Can we change deep-rooted traditions? Of course, it might take time, but the change can start with us. If we begin to think intergenerationally (People of all ages mixing), things will improve.
Creating intergeneration
Division caused by prejudices can be dangerous. Young and old can be pitted against each other, making one generation right and the other wrong.
All generations can have struggles. Suppose we explore financial constraints as an option. In that case, one that comes to the fore is that most young people are seen as being without and older people with plenty of money. Of course, we all know that this simply isn’t true, as there are plenty of seniors who have little and, despite having paid into the UK state pension ( £221.20 2024), are expected to live up to today’s standards with an amount far less than the minimum wage £457.64 (2024).
I’ve worked since I was 17, I’m 68 now, and over the years, I have built my lifestyle, so it may seem I’m better off. If you live in a culture where the expectation is to own your house, then the climb onto the ‘housing ladder’, as they call it in the UK, is hard, but I don’t remember that being easy in my twenties either. Have expectations changed, creating this wider divide?
In keeping with UK education, costs have changed. Entering the workspace with a loan to further education is not enviable. This is something that generations post-1998 have had to do in the UK, like many other countries. Although many countries continue to offer free tuition. Often, the younger generation is starting their life journey with insurmountable debt.
Now, we have generational categorisation. Boomers, Generation X, etc., which has fed into ageism. Being called a ‘Boomer’ has become a catch-all phrase for someone older who is potentially closed-minded and resistant to change. Closely followed by Generation X
, which denotes a generation marked by independence, scepticism, and the digital era.” According to Forbes Magazine
Does this generational categorisation create even more of a division?
Age stereotyping can be present from an early age. The media and peers often emphasise the urgency of becoming an adult and proving one’s worth; at the opposite end of the scale, we’re expected to slow down and make way. Wisdom is underrated, and ageist prejudice, such as being outdated, past it, and proving one’s worth, is not an option.
So, how do we break free from this division? The answer lies in our hands.
Proactive engagement with other generations, fostering curiosity and a willingness to learn from each other, is not just a suggestion but a responsibility we all share. This approach, which values diversity of experiences and ideas, is the recipe for a harmonious and progressive future.
Stop using age as an excuse: If you don’t, we’ll never crush ageism
The following lines are from an article in AARP International (aarpinternational.org)
“People are leading longer, more productive lives; they can make a more significant lifetime economic contribution than members of past generations ever could.”
The expression ‘The Silver Economy ‘has been around since 2012 and is set to grow. It offers opportunities to serve the growing ageing population and profit from the wealthiest section of society.
“If everybody over 50 in the EU were one country, it would be the third largest economy in the world. This brings about several challenges and opportunities for economic development. The name given to markets meeting senior citizens’ needs is the “silver economy”, which is only set to grow.” Jan 24, 2023: The Silver economy is directed towards the ageing population and their specific needs. It can mean targeting the disposable income of that sector and equally creating goods and an environment that increases healthy longevity.
It’s not only the 35- to 45-year-old entrepreneurs who apparently see a golden opportunity in the ageing population but also those in their fifties/sixties and beyond who are reframing their later years by creating their own businesses and reinventing themselves in different ways.
Silver economy covers a multitude of possibilities, including multiple industries and directives to support the over-sixties in employment and entrepreneurial ventures. start-ups,
Now Teach was created by former Financial Times columnist Lucy Kellaway. At age 58, after 31 years as a journalist, she took the first step to reinventing herself as a teacher. Realising that others wanted the same, she and Katie Waldegrave, co-founder of the educational charity First Story, started Now Teach, which helps career changers become teachers.
The Guardian newspaper has been running a regular column titled A New Start After 60 about reinventors.
A new start after 60: it took 70 years to find my inner artist. At 82, I’m in my studio every day.’
A new start after 60: I became a foster carer at 75 – and it has helped keep me young
A new start after 60: I went to art school at 66 – and now I’ve sold hundreds of paintings
A new start after 60: I wanted to live cheaply – so I bought a boat, moved in and began travelling the world
A new start after 60: One Bite of Chocolate led me to reinvent myself at 62. These article titles are among many, each one as interesting as the other
It’s up to us to either become the consumer or contributor by profiting from these exciting times.
Have you used age as an excuse?
It’s a temptation.
Saying “I couldn’t possibly get a new job” or “I’m too old to learn new technology” is just using age as an excuse. It’s easy to blame age, but that mindset is holding you back. Whatever the situation, if we keep letting age be the reason we don’t try, we’ll never overcome ageism. It’s too convenient to make excuses, but doing so keeps us stuck and prevents us from proving our capabilities.
It’s easy for your mind to spiral out of control as you tell yourself a destructive story.
You have the power to write the script of your life after 50. What type of script will you choose?
Anti-age
Anti means’ against’ or ‘opposite’.
Avoid the expression “anti-age”,” even though it’s used in the scientific world. The term has many negative connotations concerning ageing; however, I’ve heard it used to describe a medicine that has been or is in the process of developing to combat age-related diseases. Of course, ageing can bring with it a more significant risk of diseases like heart-related problems, cancers, mobility issues, arthritis, etc. Thankfully, longevity scientists are making leaps and bounds to find ways to avoid these ageing diseases.
I’ve always had a distaste for the ‘anti-age’ counter and try to steer clear of it. When I challenged a skincare specialist in my networking group about her products labelled with this term, it sparked a thoughtful discussion. Her initial surprise turned into a respectful exchange of ideas, reinforcing individual influence’s power in shaping industry norms. We should question the status quo and advocate for a more inclusive skincare industry, motivating us to promote change and inclusivity.
I am interested in looking after my skin; we all should be at any age. However, the expression anti-age has a highly negative message for anyone over fifty who may not be feeling the best version of themselves with symptoms of menopause, for example.
Anti-age is an expression that anyone interested in skincare will find unavoidable. Most women will be teenagers when they become aware of anti-ageing skin products; therefore, it’s not surprising that negativity is associated with ageing. There are a host of other expressions that could be an alternative. A favourite is pro-age. Why not pro-age? The more we refuse to buy into this (literally), the sooner things will start to change.
Embrace your Age
Don’t write yourself or others off because of age. Let’s start a new trend of embracing positivity and changing the negative ageing narrative. If you find it challenging to be positive about ageing, consider starting a ‘gratitude practice’. It’s a powerful way to shift into a more positive mindset. The practice is to think about things you’re grateful for in life, big or small.
My best friend David passed away at 52. His father was in his nineties and still attending his beloved football matches. David believed he would live a long life, but it was sadly not to be. Regardless of the future, we’re privileged to be experiencing this stage of life. Let’s continue to celebrate our journey and progress, regardless of age.
Over fifty is not a period for winding down; it’s the opposite. Instead of viewing this stage of life as a time to slow down, let’s see it as an opportunity to create the desired future. What do you envision for your future self? Start taking steps to bring that vision to life.
We know that most of us have the tools to live longer than past generations, so don’t become stuck in the past; create your future. The difference for those over fifty is that we have the privilege of bonus years. 
In my book Forward after 50, The Rising Reinventors, I spoke to 10 women about their experiences and emotions concerning moving forward after fifty. Carol Evans summed up embracing your age perfectly.
“The difference between who I am now and who I was when I was younger is that I was very much the type of person I needed to be to create the life I wanted. Whereas now, I’m not prepared to compromise on that. I want the life I want. I don’t want to pretend to be anybody else to get it!”
Carol
In the book, I wrote that, as my friend would say, “It’s far too easy to fall into the stereotypical traps and misconceptions about ageing, women’s abilities, and what is beautiful”.”
We have the choice to embrace age; therefore, let’s do it.
Challenge Stereotypes
Importantly, we have to change our own ageist views to conquer ageism. Moving away from age stereotyping is a practice that starts by being aware of your own ageism toward others and yourself. It’s being aware of age stereotype situations in your daily and professional life and taking action to amend what’s wrong so that age discrimination becomes a thing of the past.
Intergenerational Age-friendly environments instead of segregating elderly people into areas where they become isolated.
Basic living needs are attended to before it becomes too late, and being institutionalised is the only option.
Valuing people individually rather than basing their abilities on age is a start, but we must value ourselves and not fall victim to the negative narrative. If we appear strong in mind and body, then we will change the stereotypical view that older means weaker.
Part of the problem is seeing our self-worth. Self-worth can be challenging; being surrounded by ageing negativity means you either toughen up or do some inner work on yourself.
My positive ageing mindset didn’t happen overnight; it’s been a learning process. I’m working on my personal development and age awareness. We need to change our ageist views—so many of us are ageists.
Age stereotyping is all around us:
Consider the road signs in the UK that depict ‘elderly people crossing the road’ as hunched figures with walking sticks. These signs perpetuate negative stereotypes about ageing. Let’s reflect that ‘elderly’ means people over 65. Let’s replace those signs with more positive symbols or speed bumps!
Then, there are ingrained attitudes based on age:
Older people are thought to be inflexible or resistant to change, older drivers are perceived as unsafe or overly cautious, and older people are assumed to struggle with technology or be resistant to learning new tools, to name a few.
Let’s avoid making assumptions based on age; everyone’s abilities and perspectives are unique, regardless of their generation.
Societal and Community Efforts
Associating ageing with loneliness is familiar and a fear. This is another factor that feeds into the negative narrative of ageing. Loneliness is a real problem and an issue for all ages. Community, connection, and intergenerational policies are part and parcel of ensuring all age groups feel valued socially.
Although we can start addressing ageist attitudes at home and with friends and family, tackling the real issues on a larger scale is essential. In my research for Forward After 50, The Rising Reinventors, Finland stood out as a country with a sizeable over-fifty population. Finland, particularly, created social accessibility and methods that help people stay in their homes rather than shift to senior communities. The Netherlands appears to be tackling intergenerational issues with projects such as allowing students to live in communities with older people in exchange for help and conversation.
Japan offers retirees new job skills so that they can contribute to society. Not everyone over eighty has a new project; however, they want to stay involved in the community. There is an economic opportunity to eradicate ageism by integrating age groups, whether updating skills for those who wish to carry on professionally or voluntarily. This integration brings financial benefits and fosters a sense of community and shared experiences, making our society more inclusive and hopeful for the future.
We are living in an age that no other over-fifties group has experienced, one that offers us the opportunity to extend our future in an exciting way. New eras have never been easy, and changes don’t happen overnight.
We can’t rely on other people to change their attitudes overnight to make it easy for us to progress in deeply ageist-ingrained cultures. It is up to you and me to be pioneers.
Therefore, taking action in whatever ways you can will strengthen our mission to fight ageism