As we grow old, we have to face a lot of changes. We change our physical appearance, our skin shows more and more signs of aging, the hair becomes gray, and it seems that everything starts to hurt.
From another point of view, our children become adults, they start their own families, maybe even move to other cities, and we see less and less of them. As time goes by, you start learning that a friend of similar age has passed away, and then another. You retire, you do not have to get up every morning at a specific hour to go to work.
Getting old sounds really terrible, doesn’t it? It does, but you know what? This is our normal life cycle. Everything we described above is natural and it has to happen whether you like it or not. We all have to go through this process. The thing that sets us apart from each other is how we choose to see things, how we choose to live until the very last moment.
Nourish your mind with positive thoughts
Your mind is what controls your every thought, feeling, activity, and movement. It is very important to understand that everything you are going through is normal. As we have already mentioned, you have to go through these stages, whether you like it or not. You cannot stop it.
There is a very wise saying which states that if you can’t beat them, join them! This is how you need to look at things. So what if you cannot see your kid every day? You should be happy about it because it means that he or she is independent enough and does not need your help all the time. It means that they will do alright even after you are gone.
So what if you are retired and do not have to go to work? That is actually great! It means that you have all the time in the world to do whatever you want, the things you never had enough time for, because you were too busy working.
Does everything seem to hurt? It is not pleasant, it’s true, but at least you can handle things, walk, and perform various activities that young people with disabilities only dream of doing or you can explore online therapy. Do you need more examples? There is plenty more where that came from. You must have grasped the idea by now.
Physical activity
Do not worry, we are not sending you to the gym, although there are many exercises designed for seniors as well – just saying. When we say physical activity, we refer to keeping yourself active. Do not spend half your day in bed or in a chair watching TV.
It really is not good for your health. You should walk as much as you can, go to places, meet up with old friends you might not have had time for in the past years. Work in the garden, visit places, walk in the forest, and breathe the fresh air.
Feel free and keep your body and your mind occupied. As long as you do this, you will not feel old. Your muscles will not weaken, and you will be able to ignore some of the pains you might be feeling.
Keep yourself connected
Isolation is one of the major factors that lead to depression. As we grow old, we seem to have less patience and find various defects in other people. These are just excuses because nobody is perfect and neither are you! Never forget that!
Nobody is saying that you should go to the club to meet new people, but you should definitely not close yourself inside and get away from people. We are who we are with good and bad things. Take a walk in the park and smile when you make eye contact with someone else.
Visit your children, stay with your grandchildren for a while, and even volunteer your time. Just by helping other people, you will gain a very strong sense of purpose. Also, working with other people in distress will make you realize how fortunate you are, and what you have taken for granted.
We know, this all sounds great, but things sometimes seem better than they are in theory but not in practice. Yes, you could be disabled, but you could still do most of the things we described. Sit in your lightweight travel wheelchair and hit the road. What are you waiting for?
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.