Hate getting older?
Good, let that be your turning point.
You’re over 60; you might notice your joints ache more than they used to. Sometimes, you look in the mirror and wonder, "When did I get so old?"
Your kids are busy with their own lives now, and there's a particular kind of loss that comes with that. Asking for help still feels like bothering someone, even when you know it shouldn't.
When you stop pretending everything is fine and acknowledge what’s really happening, even if you don’t like it, something changes. You start to feel real energy again. Asking for help no longer feels like failing. You begin making choices that truly fit you, not just the ones you think you should make.
From there, things become clearer. You see what matters, what doesn’t, and what you’re ready to build next.
This is what I help women do: notice what’s really true in your body and your life, stop pretending everything is fine, and rebuild from what matters most to you.
My name is Penelope
I am a 68-year-old Clinical Psychologist, mindfulness teacher, and fitness and brain health trainer.
For years, I found it hard to deal with getting older. Then one morning, I woke up and couldn't move. I had herniated discs and was in so much pain, I spent three weeks on the couch.
My daughter and I were forced to move house a few months later, and the new rent was double what we'd been paying, thanks to the rental crisis. A few days after we moved, my brother died suddenly.
My body had given out, and my income wasn't enough. Everything I had relied on for independence, staying strong, proving I didn't need anyone, was falling apart all at once.
I couldn't keep fighting or pretending everything was fine. That's when things actually started to change.
I let myself feel everything.
I felt the grief of losing my brother, the fear about money, and the shame of needing help from my daughter. I didn’t try to fix it or think my way out. I simply paused and let myself feel it all.
That was when I returned to what I had taught for 38 years but had actually stopped practising myself: mindfulness, self-compassion, functional fitness, and facing hard things honestly instead of pushing through them.
When I acknowledged things as they actually were, something changed. I asked my daughter for help instead of pretending I didn't need it. I started making choices based on what mattered to me, not just what I thought I should do.
For the first time, I was living fully, not just getting through each day.
You're not stuck here.
You know all the things you should be doing for yourself. Most days, you're too tired, too busy, or too far behind to actually do them. Maybe a wake-up call's made it feel more urgent, a diagnosis, or the moment you first got called 'elderly.’
Every time you see your reflection, you might think: When did I get so old? That voice, whether it’s disgust, disappointment, or shame, can make you feel older than you really are. Trying to cover it up with ‘ageing is beautiful’ positivity doesn’t help when you don’t believe it. But there’s another way.
Change starts when you stop fighting yourself and make room for whatever's actually there, the good and the hard.
Grief might still be there, but it doesn’t overwhelm you. Fear and frustration may linger, but you have energy for your real life again. You choose how to spend your time, build something meaningful, and speak your mind, without managing everyone else's comfort first. Stay strong, curious, and fully alive, your way.
FROM MY BLOG
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Honest insights from the messy, meaningful, surprisingly funny side of ageing – grounded in psychology, health science, and spiritual wisdom.
Ageing Honestly Letters
Every two weeks, I write Ageing Honestly letters for women over 60 who are tired of pretending and ready for real talk. I share personal stories of moving from resistance to rebuilding. I offer practices that actually work when life gets hard.
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