10 Tips to Stay Positive as You Age
September is Healthy Aging Month and a good time to reflect on some of the habits you and your loved ones have when it comes to taking care of yourself. As you get older, and your health deteriorates, there can be issues that arise physically or mentally that cause additional stress in your life. If you are aware of your mindset throughout all of the ups and downs of life, it can make the hard times easier to handle, and the good times even more enjoyable.
Keeping your life as positive as possible is the first step in helping to alleviate some unnecessary stress.
With staying healthy and happy in mind, here are 10 tips to bring more positivity into your life as you age.
- The first step in staying positive is to keep your conversations with others more positive. It can be easy to slip down the path of complaining and talking about events in a negative light, but it’s important to stop doing that. If someone begins to complain, switch the conversation and talk about something more positive.
- Mediate, take yoga, or work on breathing exercises to relax the mind, body, and soul. These types of activities can help calm down your mind and get you back on track to feeling less stressed and more relaxed. These are also things that you can do solo if you need time to yourself in order to recharge.
- Surround yourself with positive people! If you don’t have any positive friends, consider ways that you can broaden your social circle. Negative-minded people will always bring you down, but people who think in a positive way are generally more happy and enjoyable to be around.
- Don’t dwell on death, obituaries, or local police reports. Stop reading the bad news and focus on the good stories from your community. Is there a new restaurant in town? How about a new play or movie at the theatre? Start reading the news for positive stories that can add value to your life.
- Volunteer with an organization to help bring purpose to your life. If you are retired and miss having a duty everyday, choose an organization in your community to give back to in your spare time. This could be anything from volunteering to walk dogs at an animal shelter to a mentorship program through a local professional organization. Volunteering can be very rewarding, and can give you a purpose where there might have been a void.
- Talk a walk! It’s as simple as that. Invite a friend to join you, or listen to your favorite music or podcasts. Walking is a low-cost way to relieve stress. Just be sure to pay attention to traffic if you are walking near a street, and always wear reflective clothing if you walk at night.
- Take a class or learn a new skill. Many colleges and universities offer classes for seniors at low or no cost. It’s never too late to learn something you didn’t know before! Maybe it’s time to try art, poetry, interior design, or even math. Aside from colleges, many adult activity centers or other educational institutions offer community classes that could open doors to a new hobby, social circle, or even career.
- Stand up straight and don’t slouch anymore. Pay attention to your posture, especially when you sit down. Being older doesn’t have to mean looking older. Your confidence level will rise as you work on standing taller and prouder.
- Call an old friend to catch up about a fun time together. Don’t wait any longer to call that friend who you haven’t spoken to in years. Maybe they could use a laugh too. A great way to stay positive about aging is to remember all the friends you do have who have been there for you, and enjoy chatting about good times together. You can even work on planning activities for the future!
- Consider a visit to the dentist, especially if you haven’t been in a long time. Ask about teeth whitening or straightening. You’ll be smiling a lot with all the positivity in your life, and it will make you feel better to have a bright smile!
It’s never too late to shift your mindset to be more positive as you age!
If you or someone you love is an older adult or someone recovering from a major medical procedure, and you need assistance in your own home, give us a call at 24/7 Nursing Care at (786) 518-3622. We are experts in home health care and in making sure that your loved one is comfortable and cared for in their own environment. We look forward to hearing from you!
References:
Healthy Aging Month. (2015, August 26). Retrieved August 30, 2017, from https://healthyaging.net/healthy-lifestyle/september-is-healthy-aging-month-10-tips-to-celebrate/
