You can march through life with a relatively high degree of confidence. You might gain self-worth from your job, kids and friends. But as you age, your confidence level gets tested. You retire and lose your professional identity. Bodily changes might make you question your attractiveness. People close to you die and you’re adrift.
Even if you once basked in supreme self-assurance, there’s no guarantee you will continue to feel that way. Health setbacks can limit your daily experience and further erode your self-esteem. Researchers have found that one’s confidence peaks in middle age. Professionals in their 40s and 50s are likely to reach the apex of their career and the prestige that comes with it. If they don’t achieve job-related success, they may feel confident based on their fulfilling social life or other achievements like raising happy, healthy children. But confidence tends to ebb after age 60. It’s hard to maintain self-worth if you’re lonelier, less active and more anxious about the years ahead. Read: Are you fit or frail for your age? Here’s how to find out. Rather than let the effects of aging shake your confidence, fight back. Adopt a can-do attitude to sweep away self-doubt and embrace new experiences. Carol Marak, 71, hired a life coach about eight years ago. A self-described introvert, she’s single, lives alone and has no adult children to rely on. She wanted to take charge of her life and expand her social circle. Her coach gave her a simple assignm …