I think I can, I think I can: Self-efficacy & positive ageing

At AgeHappy, we believe that the key to unlocking someone's physical potential is the power of self-belief.

In our experience, and supported within the research, the strongest influence on proactive behaviour and positive outcomes is a person's belief that they actually have the ability to do the thing being asked of them - known as self-efficacy. It is human nature that if we don't think we can do something, we just won't do it (or even try). This becomes problematic for older people when the 'thing' in question is movement, exercise, physical activity and social engagement - all of the key elements necessary to combat age-related decline and to maintain health and independence.

Unfortunately, it is very common for people to lose self-confidence as they age. Many factors can trigger this regression including; ageist self-perception, ageist societal constructs, acute injury, surgery intervention, chronic condition diagnosis, falls (injurious or otherwise), change in their support system, and cognitive decline.

Once someone’s self-belief starts to wane, a negative cycle can perpetuate to where low confidence stops them from participating in activities that they previously really enjoyed. Give this negative cycle time to gain momentum and before long an older person who used to be very active and socially engaged can be spending all day at home on their own. Left unchecked, this type of behaviour can quickly lead to significant frailty and loneliness.

Tune into our next blog, where we discuss the best ways to help seniors break this negative cycle, restore confidence in themselves and regain control of their lives!