Unlabeling Ourselves

By Contributing Editor for Health & Wellness Kathy Whelan

We talk a lot about stereotypes these days, the oversimplified notions we form about people and things to help us organize a complex world. Stereotyping comes naturally – it was a species survival tool – but applied thoughtlessly, stereotypes can hurt and harm, as we’ve seen again and again.

Chronological age evokes deeply rooted stereotypes. Ageism starts with toddlers, who are “terrible twos” regardless of their differences. Teenagers are stereotyped as moody and irresponsible. And then we have “older” adults, often thought of as frail, dependent and diminished. 

Nothing summarizes this view of older adults more clearly than the pithy expression “over the hill.” The phrase is clearly absurd in representing life as a trip up and down a single peak. Despite its absurdity, these words effectively convey the same notion communicated by freshness labels on food: After a certain time, this thing is not at its best.

It’s bad enough when older adults are treated like lettuce that has passed its expiration date. What’s worse is when this view is internalized. Then it’s disheartening, even disabling to the older adult who adopts it.

My guess is that most of us have felt this way about ourselves at times, at least in certain circumstances: when we have difficulty with something we used to do easily, when we face a health issue or another new challenge, or when we simply seem invisible to others. This feeling erodes our self-image and quality of life and can lead to physical and mental health issues.

• Are you acting as your own saboteur with  negative messages about your capabilities? If so, practice positive self-messaging.Unhook from other people’s opinions, both positive and negative.
  
• Connect your challenge with your life purpose so it becomes an opportunity, not a threat.
  
• Learn from failure and try again. Turn “I can’t” into “I can’t yet.”
• Slow down and be patient: growth mindsets don’t happen overnight.

Above all, strip off the “best before” label you’ve been wearing and enjoy your journey up and over hill after hill to where you want to be.