Learning to love yourself is a life-long process that doesn’t come easy. While we know it’s important not only to accept ourselves just as we are but also to truly love and respect ourselves, actually putting those words into action is a struggle for most of us. There are a lot of factors involved in determining our overall satisfaction with who we are and the lives we lead, but you’ll be pleased to know that there is a point in life when suddenly it all makes sense.
Researchers at Switzerland’s University of Bern have discovered the self-esteem hits an all-time high when we reach the age of 60 and it stays at those levels for the next decade. The study, published this month in Psychological Bulletin, revealed that while developing our self-esteem varies from person to person and doesn’t follow a linear path, there is a general pattern that most of us adhere to, culminating in the later-in-life boost.
As study co-author Ulrich Orth explained to TIME, “Midlife is, for many adults, a time of highly stable life circumstances in domains such as relationships and work. Moreover, during middle adulthood, most individuals further invest in the social roles they hold, which might promote their self-esteem. For example, people take on managerial roles at work, maintain a satisfying relationship with their spouse or partner, and help their children to become responsible and independent adults.”
Makes sense when you think about it, right?
Of course, knowing that true satisfaction and even happiness when who you are and how your life is going won’t come later in life doesn’t mean you should resign yourself to misery until then. It’s never too early to start engaging in self-care and working towards becoming the type of person you truly aspire to be. Not only that, but reminding yourself every day that you’re a valuable person who’s worthy of love and good things in life could make all the difference in actually helping you to feel that way. It’s worth a shot!
