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As we journey through life, time waits for no one.
It creeps up on us, silently ticking away, and before we know it, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of aging.
But don’t despair just yet!
While growing older may not be something we can escape, it doesn’t have to be a gloomy affair.
In fact, it can be a fascinating and exciting journey filled with valuable life lessons and newfound wisdom.
We will explore the undeniable signs that indicate we are getting older and those subtle reminders that our youth is slowly slipping away.
So, whether you’re in your twenties and dreading the upcoming years, or if you’re well into your golden years and feeling nostalgic, join us as we dive into the intriguing world of aging and discover the undeniable signs that come with it.
Get ready to reminisce, reflect, and perhaps even laugh as we explore these 14 telltale signs of getting older.
#1. Can’t Eat The Same Foods
As you age, you might not be able to eat certain foods because it gives you heartburn.
Or you find you have to drink your coffee earlier in the day, otherwise the caffeine keeps you awake at night.
#2. Your Favorite Childhood Toys Are Now Retro
It is true that the toys you grew up with as a kid are now considered “vintage” or “retro”.
Whether it be your Game Boy, Tamagotchi, or Polly Pocket, it’s a reminder of just how quickly time flies and how much we have grown since then.
#3. Worried About Hurting Yourself When You Do Anything
Children and young adults tend to think of themselves as indestructible.
Even when this is tested out, most bounce back from their injuries relatively quickly.
But one lesson you quickly learn as you get older is that the more mileage your body has on it, the easier it is to get hurt.
Many talk about how their first lesson in the fact that they were getting older was dealing with a hurt knee that didn’t quite heal or lower back pain.
Now, many regularly remind themselves to be careful whenever they do anything that could hurt them.
This might be quite a shock the first time, especially if you don’t think you’re that old.
#4. Getting Annoyed at Change
We all know about the typical stereotype of older people refusing to change.
Even younger people don’t want to deal with change, as change can be somewhat jarring.
But it’s important to remember that older people have experienced substantial change.
From new technology to social changes, a lot is going on.
Those who may not adapt as well as they used to may notice that they’re starting to get grumpier about change.
Some people even pointed to their age as a cause for annoyance when it comes to simple things like aisles and products being moved around in a grocery store when there was already a system.
#5. Celebrities Are Starting to Look Older… Much Older
Our favorite celebrities are people who we grow up with.
We keep tabs on them as they continue to release new art. Of course, them growing up means us growing up too.
Some people described how they’ve seen some of their favorite celebrities pop up lately, only to realize that these celebs are looking substantially older.
Then, they look at themselves in the mirror to see that age is also showing up in their faces!
#6. Entering Your Birthday Online
If you want to purchase anything online or create an online profile, you need to input your birthday.
This might seem like a relatively straightforward one, but inputting your birthday online is something that has opened many peoples’ eyes to how old they are.
This is especially true when there’s a drop-down menu that you have to scroll through to get to your age.
It stings more when you have a calendar to scroll through and find yourself hitting the arrows and going back a few times too many.
#7. When Doing Nothing Becomes Your Favorite Thing to Do
Younger people tend to get bored relatively quickly. If there’s nothing to do, it can become tiresome very quickly.
As one grows older, however, the prospect of doing something can become quite exhausting and tedious.
After all, between eight-hour or longer workdays, a never-ending list of tasks to manage, and other things that crop up periodically, there’s not enough time in the world to want to go out and do something.
While those in their 20s might still be able to juggle it all, many older people get excited when their plans get canceled, or they finally have nothing to do during their free time.
#8. Certain Things You Used to Eat Taste Too Sweet Now
Candy is a staple for many children. Whether it’s chocolate, gummy, or sour, chances are you had your favorite treats you used to enjoy as much as you could when you were younger.
But tastebuds change over time as well as other parts of our bodies.
One sign you’re getting older that is a common experience is not enjoying certain treats anymore.
Some treats taste too sweet, and we can only have them in moderation.
Others we might avoid entirely for health reasons. Either way, if you can’t do something like you used to, you’ve gotten older in some capacity!
#9. Not Having As Much Family As You Used to
This is a bit sadder experience, but it was an eye-opener for many about their age.
As we get older, we naturally start to notice that we don’t have as many people in our lives as we used to.
This can include older relatives like parents, uncles, aunts, and even grandparents.
However, it may also evolve into siblings, cousins, and friends. Many people have talked about how they started to feel old once they realized they didn’t have much family left.
While it’s certainly sad, it indicates that one has reached an age they don’t often think about.
#10. Getting Excited About Basic Day-to-Day Necessities
As a child and adolescents, we’re most excited by what we want.
This might be a toy, tickets to a special experience or nice designer clothing.
But as you get older, you might notice yourself becoming more… practical.
Perhaps you’re not as excited by the things listed above, but instead, basic household essentials like a new vacuum cleaner without all the bells and whistles.
When you start to become more excited by things that didn’t use to excite you at all, that’s generally a sign to most that you’ve officially aged up.
#11. New Music Becomes Unrecognizable (And Yours Becomes Classic)
Music changes and evolves. This is the natural state of things.
However, everyone reaches an age when modern music becomes unrecognizable, and people start to prefer what they used to listen to.
Of course, some people are starting to realize just how out of touch with music they are, not recognizing any modern artists or enjoying any modern music.
Even worse, some people have described how the music they grew up with decades ago is starting to appear on classic or oldie stations.
What’s worse than hearing that your music is compatible with how you might feel about 50s, 60s, 70s, or even 80s music?
#12. You Start Looking Like Your Parents
As you age, it’s almost inevitable that you will start to take on the same features that your parents have.
Whether it is a facial expression or gesture, or even similar mannerisms; as we grow older, our biology starts to reflect our genes from our ancestors.
It can be an exciting thing to recognize yourself in your parents!
#13. Seeing Outdated Technology From Your Time
Speaking of technological change, you might remember so many things from your past that just aren’t around anymore.
From large-backed TVs to VCRs and more, we’ve phased out a lot of technology to produce better things.
But nothing hurts more than seeing younger generations call something old, even if it is.
One person recounted how they ran into a massive Panasonic television in a thrift store, looking back fondly on their childhood memories with that exact TV.
That is until a child pointed out to their mother that an old TV was sitting in the thrift store.
#14. New Technology Overwhelms You
Technology is ever changing and when you get to the point where you are clueless how it works or can’t keep up with what is new, it is a clear sign you are getting old.
This is usually due to not being in the workforce any longer and not getting exposed as much.
Life Lessons To Remember
Life is a great teacher. We experience things and learn from them. Sadly though, the message doesn’t always come through.
So we end up repeating the same mistakes over and over until the life lesson finally sinks in. Fortunately, not all life lessons need to be experienced to be learned. Here are life lessons to learn from others.
15 INSPIRATIONAL LIFE LESSONS TO REMEMBER
The Benefits Of Positive Thinking
Having a positive mindset can go a long way in being happy.
Unfortunately, not all of us are great with staying positive all the time. Here are the tips to help you change your mindset for the better.
LEARN THE BENEFITS OF POSITIVE THINKING
Inspirational Quotes
Do you need a little dose of inspiration? Having some quotes to read is a fast and easy way to change your mindset and help you to better your life.
Here are the best inspirational quotes about life and happiness to help you be happier.
100 POWERFUL INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
The Secret To Living A Happier Life
Do you want to be happier? It’s a lot easier to get than you might think.
Here is a step by step plan to help you have a happier life and get more out of every single day.
When Life Gives You Lemons
Nothing in life always works out perfectly.
Many times we hit rough patches where everything goes wrong. Learn how to handle these situations and come out better on the other side.
This thread inspired this article.
Jon Dulin is the passionate leader of Unfinished Success, a personal development website that inspires people to take control of their own lives and reach their full potential. His commitment to helping others achieve greatness shines through in everything he does. He’s an unstoppable force with lots of wisdom, creativity, and enthusiasm – all focused on helping others build a better future. Jon enjoys writing articles about productivity, goal setting, self-development, and mindset. He also uses quotes and affirmations to help motivate and inspire himself. You can learn more about him on his About page.