Not caring what others think ...one of the joys of turning 60

A FIVE-DAY working week and being woken by an alarm clock top the list of things the over-60s miss least from when they were younger, according to a survey.

Worrying about weight, awkward first dates and revising for exams are other areas of life that older people are happy to have left behind.

Caring about what others think, ironing school uniforms on a Sunday night and hosting the family Christmas are also up there, along with spending the working week with people you do not like.

Researchers polled 1,500 over-60s to see which activities they are most delighted to have ditched.

The vast majority (87 per cent) said that, although they enjoyed their youth and miss certain aspects of it, they are just as happy now as they ever were, with 63 per cent claiming they are happier than they have ever been. More than 50 per cent said their relationship with their spouse was at its best without the stress of jobs and families.

Nearly 75 per cent said they were happy with what they had achieved in life, listing marriage, children, owning a home and travelling the world among their biggest accomplishments.

Of those polled by retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone, 28 per cent had already downsized.

Nearly 90 per cent said it had made life much easier, while 25 per cent said it was the best thing they had ever done.

A McCarthy & Stone spokesman said: “We are all looking forward to the day we don’t have to endure the commute and deal with the stresses that our jobs place on us.”