Sharing knowledge - For more satisfaction

To achieve a sense of contentment in old age, there is a simple exercise you can do. Researchers have found that people who write down their experiences and share their knowledge are happier than people who do not.

A study suggests that older people who pass on their knowledge and wisdom to younger generations can also benefit themselves. In the study, women between the ages of 60 and 90 were asked to write down once a week the most important lessons they had learned throughout their lives. This not only helps them to reflect on positive experiences, but also gives them strength and energy to deal with the challenges of old age.

The participants' responses were collected and published as a guide for young people. The study found that the level of enjoyment of life and well-being increased significantly in the group that did the exercise, while there was no significant change in the group that wrote down their meals weekly.

It seems that feeling needed leads to greater satisfaction and health. Sharing knowledge, skills and resources with other generations, whether through children or society in general, can help fulfill this need and thus increase one's own happiness.

Jana Nikitin, Professor of Psychology of Aging at the University of Vienna, emphasizes that it is important to use the potential of older people and that they can also benefit themselves through voluntary work or involvement in neighborhood assistance or environmental protection. This ultimately leads to a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Source: Age: An exercise for more satisfaction - science.ORF.at

Source: Feeling needed: Effects of a randomized generativity intervention on well-being and inflammation in older women - ScienceDirect