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Everybody ages—it’s a natural part of life. Even though age is “just a number” and a lot depends on the habits you’ve built up over the years, you’ll still see your life change over the years. However, accepting it can be hard for some people.
Internet user u/musclelivx recently inspired an interesting discussion on r/AskReddit. The online community members shared what they think are some of the clearest signs that someone’s getting older, from feeling way out of touch with pop culture and trends to taking their physical health far more seriously. Scroll down to check out their opinions and experiences.
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#1
Genuinely not caring what other people think of you anymore.
RELATED:
#2
Getting out of bed in the morning and walking like a new born giraffe for about 2 minutes.
Though we can’t control the fact that aging happens (yet! Longevity scientists, we believe in you!), we can change our lifestyles to ensure that we’re fit, sharp, and independent even as we grow older.
Though our genetics and environment are huge factors in how we age, a lot still comes down to things that we can control. That means cultivating the right habits, from getting plenty of exercise and eating healthy to keeping our minds sharp and investing in our positive relationships.
#4
Newest fashion trends look ridiculous and all new music sounds like garbage.
Remi (He/Him) 1 year ago
Or newest fashion trends look like something you're ashamed of having worn in your youth
#6
It's the good knee and the bad knee instead of the left knee and the right knee.
We don’t just need lots of regular movement and a ‘blue zone’ diet to live a long and high-quality life, though. We also need an active social life, to feel like we’re part of a community, and to participate in activities that give us a sense of purpose.
According to the longest-running study on human happiness, out of Harvard, it’s our relationships that we should prioritize. When we actively invest in our most significant relationships, we end up being far more resilient to the stress that life inevitably throws our way. We become tougher. We bounce back quicker.
#8
The doctor says "Yeah, that just happens." Instead of trying to fix anything.
T'Mar of Vulcan 1 year ago
I was having a kidney test (in which they inject iodine into your system). Was waiting for the 'warmth' that signalled it had reached the kidneys. When I said, "Oh, I can feel it; it's nice and warm," the doctor said, "Almost like being a young thing again, huh?" I was 38!! THIRTY-EIGHT!!!
#9
When you start realizing you really don't like most people.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
The only people I dislike are the people brainwashed into the hate-anyone-different-from-them political/religious cult.
It might sound obvious that we should take care of our social lives, but doing so consciously is difficult. Especially when you’ve got work, chores, and a bunch of other responsibilities all vying for your time and energy.
Just as good relationships can improve our lives, the lack of a strong social network can be very detrimental to our lives. Not just mentally but also physically.
#10
One day you’re cool and young the next you get excited for new kitchen appliances.
#11
When they tear down a building that you remember getting built.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 1 year ago
I hear you. Today, one of my former students became a fellow teacher.
#12
How easily I am annoyed by loud vehicles, regardless the time of day.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
It's the stinky ones and ridiculous SUVs/pickups that get me when I'm walking my daughter to school. I may not have decades upon decades left on this planet, but she does and I would like her to have clean air and a liveable future.
The National Institute on Aging explains that social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. Socially isolated individuals also have weaker immune systems and have a great chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Those most vulnerable are people who have lost their partners, are separated from family and friends, go into retirement, lose their mobility, and lack transportation.
#13
When you think the new generation's slang is just idiotic and not worth your time to understand.
#14
When your back goes out more than you do.
robin aldrich 1 year ago
You pull one little muscle... just a little bit... one time ...and it's never quite the same afterwards
#15
Time goes faster.
Annik Perrot 1 year ago
Just like à roll of TP. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes./j
Which of these answers did you vibe with the most, Pandas? What, for you personally, are the clearest signs that someone's getting older? On the flip side, what are some indicators that someone's maturing in the best possible way? What have you changed in your life as you age? Let us know what you think in the comments!
#16
Don't like applying makeup anymore and don’t care how I look. Not that I don’t look presentable but I just don’t care anymore.
#17
Having a favorite grocery store.
Extra points for having one for produce and one for bakery and one for pantry or meats.
Crescent 3 1 year ago
Or getting angry when they remodel, or change where things are in your favorite grocery store. "The bread has always been in aisle 17! Why did they move it to the back of the store? I can't find anything in here now!"
#18
I remember having friends, but have no friends.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
One sign you are taking good care of yourself is how many people you have outlived. But it does get lonely and unless one is in a retirement community it is hard to make new friends.
#19
When the grocery stores are playing your jams.
#20
Becoming invisible. I always heard older women become invisible. Well I think that's how I know I'm old now. Nobody randomly talks to me anymore. Nobody hits on me anymore. Nobody gives a s*** what I'm doing, where I'm at, I'm just completely ignored in public. Nobody takes a second glance at me anymore. No random smiles as I walk by anymore. When I was younger, without trying, I always got attention. People would say hi to me. Or approach me. Or ask if I needed help or strike random conversations with me. Their heads will turn and smile at me and keep going. I can't think of the last time somebody turn their head at me as I walked by. All of that stops. I'm truly invisible just like the old ladies used to say 😂 Now I go through my day watching younger women get approached, get attention, have those small meaningless conversations and stay seen by society. Their presence is acknowledged. It's really interesting watching it from a different perspective instead of experiencing that anymore. I just don't exist. Oh and the kids park! My youngest is seven. My oldest is 18. I'm no longer the young mom at the park. I watch all the young moms, and reminds me of the old moms watching me and smiling from afar. when I used to be a young mom. I don't know how to describe it, but it's kind of bittersweet watching young moms with their new babies and reminiscing at the same time.
Jill Rhodry 1 year ago
For me the invisibility is one of the major pros of getting older - just simply go about your day with no f***s given!
#21
When you make a small groan when you get up.
#24
Sitting cross legged on the floor for a few minutes makes it difficult to walk for a couple seconds. but you're not REALLY old if you don't call it sitting "indian style".
#25
I used to use the pull-up bar to make my arms big.
I now use the pull-up bar to decompress my spine.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
I like to have a float on my back in the swimming pool after going for a good swim. The only problem is that now I have grey hair everyone starts to panic and think I'm dead.
#26
I’m definitely more into birds and birding and I feel I’m slowly slipping towards owning binoculars and identifying species.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Get the Merlin Bird ID app! I love it! We live near some wetlands and as I'm walking back after an evening swim at the local pool, I love to see which birds it identifies! I would have loved to have discovered this app when I was younger. But of course apps weren't a thing when I was young, and nor were smartphones!
#27
Pain everywhere around the body.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Do your stretches, people! (Reminds me: I must do my stretches.) I know plenty of women in their 50s and 60s here who are sporty and show no signs of stopping. I plan to be like them.
#28
When your blood runs cold after you find out that the person you thought was at least 15 years older than you turns out to be your age. I always tell myself (and I like to think it's true) that at least I LOOK 15 years younger than that person.
Ladedah 1 year ago
You're not wrong... the same age can look way different in appearance among different people. I remember a few years back, I was assigned a patient who was my same age (35 at the time) and thought, "oh good, they're my age"... assuming they would mostly likely be more mobile / independent than our typical kind of patient ... well, you know what they say about assumptions... ...dude got up to the room and looked like he was maybe in his mid-sixties ... actually, my 73 y/o dad looked younger and was more physically fit. Dude looked like he had lived a real rough life (and moved like it, too). The same age isn't the same on everyone. Most people put me in my early thirties when guessing my age... I'm 38.
#30
Snap crackle pop used to be the sound of my breakfast. Now it’s the sound of me getting up in the morning.
Joshua Moore 1 year ago
The sound of me turning my neck, walking up the stairs, bending over to pick something up….. this could go on for a while. 😜🤷♂️
#31
I like naps better than sitting outside because there are bugs out there.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I used to spend most of my life outdoors when I was a kid. I grew up in the 80s/90s and as long as I was home by dark, I was allowed to roam the park across the street, the library, the neighborhood, etc. I can't remember ever being bothered by the sun, the heat (I live in Southern California), or bugs. Now when I go take the puppy outside to go to the bathroom at night, I feel like I get 50 mosquito bites in the span of two minutes. I hate the sun, I hate the heat, and I hate sweating. I don't remember thinking or feeling about ANY of this stuff when I was a kid roaming the outdoors and/or spending the entire day outside in the backyard with our dogs XD
#33
Watching SNL and having no idea who the host or the musical guests are.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
And today's rock music is a poorly performed rehash of what we listened to in the 1960's & 1970's.
#36
Being more pessimistic and hating everyone and everything! Also hate loud noise.
#37
You play the pain game. When you hurt yourself is this a pain that will be with me for a day, a week, or the rest of my life.
#38
When you drop a quarter on the ground you need a thought out game plan to pick it back up.
#39
I started to like some vegetables I usually hate.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Brussel sprouts have been genetically modified to no longer have a bitter taste. Bake them with olive oil and salt and pepper and they are wonderful.
#40
Looking at the Doctors at the hospital and thinking they seem like kids.
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
PREACH. I'm like, dang I'm older than all y'all. I feel so accomplished in my life.
#46
Losing my balance more.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Practise standing on one leg frequently. It's a good and free way to help prevent falls when you're older, which can be catastrophic.
#47
The thought of doing multiple things in one night is exhausting lol. I used to look forward to it like it’s gonna be a fun night, but now it’s more like a long night.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
I can't face having more than two things in my social calendar per week!
#48
Getting together with friends involves planning something a month out and hoping nothing comes up the day before.
D. Pitbull 1 year ago
Oh. my. gawd. Trying to get together a SMALL group.. of FOUR players for D&D is bloomin' impossible.
#51
Being 40 is a weird age. Everyone older says you’re so young. Everyone younger thinks you're soooo old.
#52
Takes to recover from physical activities.
Jeremy James 1 year ago
Getting out of breath from drinking a really big glass of water, for example.
#54
Your arms become too short to read the prescription bottle labels that you suddenly have.
Poison Ivy/Boo 1 year ago
I don't have that prob. I'm really, really short-sighted, so thankfully all I have to do is take off my glasses and hold it about 2 inches from my face to read. Drives my hubs insane tho, he can't read things, so he asks me to read it for him lol.
#55
Forgetting how old you are when asked and having to do snap math to remember the exact number.
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
For some reason I always go off of 9/11. The math is easier for me for some reason. I wasn't even an easy age, I was freaking 9. But November birthday so 2001 lines up with 1991 and the smaller numbers work better in my head for some reason.
#57
Did you go to blockbuster and rent a move with your parents and watched it? And then followed the Be kind rewind at the end of the tape? You are old.
robin aldrich 1 year ago
I'm older than that ...cuz pre video stores, we taped movies from cable on the VHS player/ recorder (remember the movie industry lobbied against that cuz they thought it would hurt ticket sales, they eventually lost) result tended to be a little darker, but hey ..we got to watch it and pause it for snack/pee breaks....
#58
I was hanging out with someone and he saw my CD collection and he said "Oh, my mom listens to White Zombie".
ConstantlyJon 1 year ago
My car doesn't have a CD player and my CDs are just sitting under my bed now. I'm very sad about it.
#60
You just get one candle on your birthday cake as a nod to the tradition with the need for a bonfire.
#61
I had shocking remainder this morning, after hearing about 15 year anniversary of Michael Jacksons death,I couldn't believe it without checking myself. Just because I remember that day clearly with small details, location and even then I don't think I felt any different..... should it be a sign to identify myself as middle aged, not a young man..... I'm only 41... barely an adult.
#62
I can still tolerate people, but my patience has taken a notable decline. In the past, I used to give all the time in the world to people and help them. Now, if they don't get with the program or don’t understand right away, then they are someone else’s problem. Too much time spent on lost causes.
robin aldrich 1 year ago
Especially losing patience with poor customer service... part of getting older is, I feel like, first of all they talk down to me... I explain the situation as clearly as possible ...they don't get it... pass me off to somebody else... and off we go to start over from the very beginning with someone else... all this after going through the automated system and hoping you're pushing the right buttons to get you where you need to go
#63
All these birthdays i keep having.
#64
When friends tell you that they're pregnant, you say, "Congratulations, I'm so happy for you!" instead of, "Oh s**t, what are you gonna do, why weren't you being more careful?!?".
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Or looking at you incredulously saying "I thought those years were behind you!"
#65
You start having medical problems that you never had before.
robin aldrich 1 year ago
Like an appliance right after the warranty expires...seems like parts of the body start completely breaking down
#66
Teeth start crumbling away and need extra pairs of glasses to do simple stuff like reading.
#67
I hate going out now.
annonymous:
With the prices of things skyrocketing, I think it really pushed my social battery to 0 quicker. I rather stay in and not worry about how much I'm spending to "enjoy" other people. I very much have embraced the I'll wait for streaming mentality to a lot of things.
#68
When I watched professional sports and all the players looked like CHILDREN! Baseball, football, tennis to etc.
René Sauer 1 year ago
or when one player is mentioned as being the oldest in the team, or the whole league, and then they reveal he is only in early/mid 30s.
#69
Cottage cheese tastes amazing.
#70
Watching a sports figure's entire career from college freshman, to retired pro, to elder broadcaster.
#71
You ruminate on the inevitability of death more frequently.
Poison Ivy/Boo 1 year ago
I'm 53 and I'm okay with the fact that I have more years behind me than in front of me.
#72
When your hangover is no longer an hour long inconvenience, but a two day trial.
#73
When I'm hearing about people 2 years older than me having a stroke, which can happen a lot earlier in your life than you think. I googled it for the heck of it and 10-15% of strokes happen in people under 45.
#75
Wrinkles those are a clear sign.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
I look a bit weird in that I have no wrinkles but grey hair. Someone once asked me if I wanted a seat on the bus before they saw my face (I was looking down to see to my 2YO boy). When I looked up, it was obvious that I was about 20 years younger than him! Still, it was kind of him to ask.
#76
You start complaining about "kids today".
#77
When I sleep, I turn over many times in bed because my back hurts. That's definitely a sign that I'm getting older. Also, my vision isn't like it used to be. I can still see well, but the fact that glasses improve my vision is definitely another reason I know I'm getting older.
#78
I fell off a ladder the other day. Just from about a foot and a half. I was shaken up for days and have bruises 7 or 8 inches across. It never used to be like that.
#79
I get like a small mark on my face and I'm like welp, that's going to be there forever. This is what I look like now.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
I quite like my age spots cos they're all on the place where you'd put highlighter on your cheek.
#80
When your favorite games are now considered retro. Breaks my heart everytime.
#81
Video games are boring. They all feel like rehashes of older games, but with crazy long playtimes and empty open worlds.
#82
Knowing people by last name. When i was a kid, i did t know anyones last name and i didn’t care but all the older kids and adults apparently knew and one day i just realized that i was beginning to call everyone by their last name when mentioning them to others.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Many non-English-speaking countries require this because they use T/V pronouns. At my son’s kindergarten, for example, the kids use ‘Du‘ and first names with the nursery workers while we parents have to use ‘Sie’ with ‘Frau/Herr so and so’.
#83
My body is slowing down for sure. I workout 3 times a week. But when working out I need to be careful and listen to my body because injuries take longer to bounce back from. If my lower back hurts it's stop exercising and do something else or suffer for two weeks.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
If the lower back pain is from arthritis or a herniated disk, then only proper exercises will alleviate that pain. I find too much bed rest aggravates my pain.
#84
As a man, suddenly your eyebrows will grow.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
I'm fascinated to imagine what my husband will look like when this happens. I've always loved his strong eyebrows but I hope he will still be able to see me in 20 years' time!
#85
Looking on Facebook and seeing the kids that used to be running around the daycare/Sunday school at the church you used to go to, that are now graduating high school. LIKE WHAT??? LAST I KNEW YOU WERENT EVEN WAIST HIGH TO ME, AND NOW YOURE AN ADULT (legally at least). WTF??
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What do you think ?
Jay Scales 1 year ago
No one said 'You look in the mirror & your mother/father looks back at you!
Thomas Hunt, Jr. 1 year ago
I don't look like my parents. I resemble my grandfather though. No hair loss, though. Muahahaha
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Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Bored Panda Staff: "Let's repost this list every week. It's easier than finding new content."
Jay Scales 1 year ago
No one said 'You look in the mirror & your mother/father looks back at you!
Thomas Hunt, Jr. 1 year ago
I don't look like my parents. I resemble my grandfather though. No hair loss, though. Muahahaha
Load More Replies... Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Bored Panda Staff: "Let's repost this list every week. It's easier than finding new content."
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