The fear of getting older is real: 25% of girls say they turn down social invitations because they fear being “shunned from society.”

The fears will not be latest, nevertheless, as women particularly are the goal of society’s long-standing obsession with the looks of older people.

“The barrier for women to appear younger is much higher,” Heather Tinsley-Fix, senior advisor for worker engagement at AARP, previously said Assets.

In the survey of about 2,000 women aged 30 and over, 12% fear that old age will result in social neglect and 11% fear that it would result in loneliness and isolation. Over half, 66%, of girls find dating tougher as they become older. One in ten women think dating is not possible and one in 4 have turned down a social invitation due to their age.

The findings echo previous research illustrating widespread age discrimination within the workplace. This survey found that one in six women faced age discrimination within the workplace, corresponding to being denied a promotion or job. All of those aspects impact overall well-being, as 41% of girls say aging affects their mental health, while some say it contributes to their anxiety or depression.

“For many, the fear of aging comes from the thought of being excluded from society and left alone,” says Marina Klimenka, co-founder of Luvly. “It’s less than women to learn to disregard their insecurities. It is as much as society to eliminate the issues they cause.

Changing the narrative in regards to the golden years

Klimenka says anti-age narratives within the workplace should come from the highest, for instance by offering flexible work arrangements for older people, corresponding to caregiving advantages, and providing age-appropriate training for human resources managers. As more people delay retirement, firms must foster an age-friendly environment that values ​​the wisdom, problem-solving skills and mentoring capacities of experienced employees, workplace experts say Assets.

“The reality is that you don’t suddenly lose your ability to function the day you turn 50,” Klimenka says. “Many [women] They proceed to work into old age and offer just as much as their younger colleagues, if no more. If we could eliminate such biases, aging could be far less worrying for many ladies.”

Outside of labor, it is also about changing cultural messages that equate beauty with youthfulness and youthfulness with worthiness.

How to embrace aging

There are some signs of a positive change in the best way we speak about aging.

Attendees flocked to ABC’s inaugural event Golden Bachelor to make it clear that dating shouldn’t be only for young people. 63-year-old actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus usually challenges the notion that girls her age are past their prime. In a podcast series called Smarter than meThe His field Star talks to famous women in regards to the unique wisdom they gain as they age, like Jane Fonda’s perspective on how aging is not so scary once you’re actually doing it and feeling your happiest (she’s 86). In a current profile within the New York TimesLouis-Dreyfus talked about how excited she is for what her golden years will bring.

“It seems that more and more is possible. I’m looking forward to trying new things professionally. I’m looking forward to traveling to places and reading books I haven’t read yet,” she said.

As people come to terms with the realities of aging, they could develop into more comfortable caring for others and staying connected, an important think about aging well.

“I’m sure the older ones among us have a few more good stories to tell than their newer friends and relatives,” says Klimenka. “So accept it. Share your wisdom and show everyone that getting older isn’t so bad.”

However, the responsibility lies in changing cultural and systematic attitudes inside and outdoors the workplace to create a protected environment for aging well.

More details about combating ageism: