A recent study has revealed that no matter how many friends you make in a lifetime, on an average, by the time one gets retired, they are left with 4 friends only. These are the friends you trust, consider their suggestions while taking a decision, and those who scold you. As per a recent survey in the USA, every fifth person aged above 55 feels lonely, grapples with a lack of friends, and keeps on searching for somebody to talk to.
This survey was done on 2 thousand people, aged above 55 in the USA, and was conducted by One Pole, on the behalf of Lifetime. It has also been determined that as a person ages, their social circle gets smaller. 77% people who were part of the survey accepted that their social circle had reduced drastically. 48% of them said that they had stopped making new friends, and in the last two years, they couldn’t even make three new friends.
Rainey Mann, the Senior Vice President of Lifetime, said that the people belonging in this age group is not only staying fit with yoga and dance classes, but such places are the ones helping them to make new friends. She adds that no matter what the age, having friends is crucial, because they rejuvenate your life, and while your age increases, they do not let you turn old. 83% of senior citizens who were part or the survey believe that in life, it is never too late to get into better relationships, and they love spending time with their friends and family members during this phase of life.
40% of the senior citizens believe that this is the best phase of life for long tours. On the other hand, 39% of them want to focus more on their health. After retirement, half the people want to spend time with other retired people. 64% of the people believe that if they have friends, they would stay more active, and would be able to live a better life. In fact, many people made new friends to stay fit and made plans to go on walks, play, and travel with them. 6 out of 10 people of this age group are trying to remain as active as possible, for which, they are not only walking and running, but are joining gyms.
86% of the senior citizens believe that for a better life at this stage, it is important to pay attention on your diet along with exercise. Many have reduced the amount of food they intake in their diet and have increased the intake of water instead. As a matter of fact, they not only want to watch their grandchildren play, they want to play along with them, and want to re-live their childhood and become a child once again.
It is not that people aged above 55 do not want to make friends. 70% of the people involved in the survey said that they wanted to make new friends, but they keep looking for people with similar interests and personalities. They want that their new friends should be better communicators, who talk more, and it would be better if they are from the same profession, and even if that is not the case, their life experiences should be similar, so that it is easier for them to talk and relate with each other.
