Take a deep breath and smile!.. Embracing changes in yourself – both mental and physical – for an aging Senior can be extremely difficult, leading to depression and frustration, however – taking time to start off 2023 with a few commitments below can be a true gamechanger in all good ways!
As you go through their list of 7 actionable items which can refocus energy and generate a positive daily attitude, customizing it to your personal life is key. I am highlighting the parts I like most from the article below.
- Keep a positive mindset. “Positive thinking doesn’t mean wearing rose-colored glasses all the time or ignoring difficult feelings. Rather, it means stressing less about the things you cannot change, focusing on those you can, and, all the while, remembering what is good in life.” When you focus on the ones you can change, make a list with options on what actions you can take to make things better.
- Commit to 10 minutes of exercise daily. “While you don’t have to get up and run a marathon, you should dedicate a portion of your day to fitness. Just 10 minutes of swimming, walking, or yoga can make a huge difference in your health, happiness, and lifespan.” While 10 minutes is not long, it IS important. Walking around the house as you go from room to room does not count… it needs to be a solid, dedicated 10 minutes of going up and down the street or doing a few laps in a gym or park. Ask a friend to join you!
- Make better dietary choices. “As you age, you will need to consume fewer calories but more nutrients. ” While we have plenty of healthy choice menu options in AgingTopic for you, it could be as simple as avoiding certain foods vs following our recipes! If items such as sugar are more harmful to you these days – if it agitates your arthritis or elevates your blood pressure, then make the smart choice to avoid it every day. Sweetness can be found in many fruits, and your desserts every day could change based on which fruit plays the main attraction. Check out these options for how-to-turn-fruits-into-dessert.
- Quit Smoking. “..individuals who quit smoking claim to have more energy, sleep better, and breathe easier” so aside from those positive upsides, your children and grandchildren will also be extremely happy not to have to smell the fragrance on your clothes, hair, and car. Yes, they can smell past the perfume or cologne.. they’re just being polite.
- Play with your Grandkids. “..individuals who watched their grandchildren once a week scored higher on cognitive tests than those who never did.” So I have to wonder if this is because young children can be quite sneaky, trying to find a way to the cookie jar behind your back, leading you to outsmart them? Or perhaps it’s like learning a new language as you maneuver their new terms and phrases..
- Stimulate your Mind. “..ensure your body’s most important muscle receives an adequate workout” Perhaps a new perspective for a senior, but the older we get the more we learn our mind is our most important muscle! I’m not a crossword puzzle fan myself, but I love Wordle and they only issue one Wordle per day (see our previous blog on Wordle: https://agingtopic.com/2022/07/30/the-background-story-of-popular-word-game-wordle/) Or if you start going back to previous AgingTopic blogs, all the way back to our first one in September of 2020, you could choose one blog to read each day and for the next 715 days you could stimulate your mind that way!
- Reach Out to Old Friends, and Make New Ones. “Social media makes it easy to find and reach out to old friends, while elder living communities provide ample opportunity to make new ones.” If you are not yet on Facebook, perhaps you’d be surprised how many of your friends are. Of course, there’s always the list of Contacts in your cell phone which can also be a quick way to say hello and ask how their holidays were! If you feel as though it could be more fun to make new friends but don’t know where to start, volunteering with a charity or a community center is a fantastic way to meet new people. You could join a book club or a church group, or play bocce ball or croquet!
Have Fun with 2023 and Enjoy a Happier 12 months to come!