How To Age Well

Written By Amavi Moore / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

For many people, aging is often a worrisome period. There is the thought that they will have to stay at home health care services. This also brings in the fear that their lives would change drastically.

But that should not be the case. You can, in fact, enter gracefully and enjoy your senior years more. Here is how you can transition to those advanced years and turn them into the best times of your life.

Changing Your Mindset About Aging

The first thing to do to age well is to change your views about this period in your life. Referred to as ageism, such negative views as mentioned above can significantly impact your ability to accept your transition into it. That can end up causing old age to hit you even harder than it should.

A more positive outlook into your senior years will give you many benefits. For instance, researchers from Yale University showed that seniors with a more positive outlook on aging live five to seven years longer. The study also revealed that these seniors have a higher sense of self-worth, helping them stay away from depression and social isolation.

Set Up Your Senior Goals

Of course, you would ask how to actually do it when you see the numbers ticking by? One way is by creating a yearly goal for yourself. As you grow older, you will find yourself with a lot more time. So think about the things you would want to do for the year and list them down.

For instance, you might want to travel to different places. Or you could try learning a new skill even in your senior years. Once the year is over, look back at how many of these goals you have achieved. It might not seem much, but you will find yourself less regretful that another year has passed.

Interact With Others More

As already mentioned above, seniors with a negative view of aging can sometimes end up isolating themselves. Instead of that, you should look for ways to interact with more people. It can be something as simple as getting in touch with family or friends.

Volunteering in the community is another way for you to socialize during your senior years. This not only helps you meet more people with similar interests as yours, but you also get to make good use of your spare time. Many home health care service providers have such community volunteering activities as part of their senior care programs.

Habits To Help You Age Well

Aside from changing your mindset about growing old, cultivating a good set of habits will also help you transition well into your senior years. These habits themselves may stem from the new attitude you have. Once you get started with this mindset, maintaining these habits becomes a lot easier.

Eat Right

We have talked about how having the right diet can help you fend off diseases associated with old age. But saying that is often easier than actually doing it. So, how do you pull it off?

You can start by creating a meal plan with the help of a dietician. Fill this with nutritious food items like fruits and vegetables. One worry that you might have here is that you end up with bland meals. Luckily, there is a plethora of tasty and healthy recipes specially geared towards seniors that you can add to your plan.

Another important tip for a well-balanced diet is knowing how much to eat. Your goal is to eat until you are satisfied rather than when you feel stuffed. This might take you some time to get used to. You can start by reducing your usual meals. Continue this practice until you can feel satisfied with only a small meal.

Get Moving

Physical activity also plays a big role in keeping your body in good shape as you age. As such, you would want to set aside as much time for it as you can. Look for age-appropriate exercise programs that will help you get into shape without overtaxing your body.

If you don’t have the time to indulge in full exercise programs, you can instead focus on everyday activities. Something as basic as walking a few kilometers in the morning can help you stay fit. You can also indulge in activities like dancing and cycling to get yourself moving. Even the above-mentioned volunteering activities will help.

Take Care Of Your Skin

Seeing your skin starting to wrinkle and blemish can get you more anxious about aging. While it will happen eventually, you can delay that by properly taking care of your skin. And even seniors who are already showing signs of aging skin can still keep theirs healthy to not cause more damage.

The simplest thing that you should do is to wear sunscreen every time you head out. Note that this isn’t just about protecting your skin from the sun. Many sun care products also contain moisturizing agents that will prevent your skin from drying out.

You should also have your skin regularly inspected by a doctor. They can help you spot signs of potential skin problems. These might also be signs of more serious health issues. Detecting these early will help you prevent such illnesses.

Get Some Rest

Getting enough sleep becomes even more important for older adults as it helps them recharge their bodies. However, as part of the aging process, they might find their sleeping pattern to change. This can make achieving that goal harder.

To better prepare yourself for getting into bed, come up with a routine. For instance, you can listen to slow music or read a book. You can also try meditating a bit to help calm your mind and not be distracted by many thoughts.

You would also want to make sure that your bedroom is comfortable. Maintain a constant room temperature and low lighting a few hours before you get into bed. You also want to ensure that everything is quiet so you can hunker down.

It would also help to consult your doctor about any sleeping issues that you might have. Insomnia and sleep apnea are some of the common sleep disorders that seniors can encounter. Your doctor can help you pinpoint what’s causing these issues and provide solutions. Remedies range from a few more lifestyle changes to medication.

Start Your Path Towards Aging Gracefully

Entering your senior years should not be seen as the end of the game. Instead, view it as an achievement in your life. By following the tips above, you can enter this period more gracefully. And we at Amavi can help you by providing home health care services that match your needs. Contact us today.

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Written By:

Amavi Moore works as a digital marketing specialist for Amavi Home Health and Hospice Care Services, Inc. The company strives to provide the best care and service to each patient and their families. https://amavihhhcare.com/

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash