Whether you’re 30, 40, 50, 60 or older, now is the time to develop an empowering attitude toward aging. Naturally, there will be hurdles to clear as we grow older, but we can take small, playful actions at every age to prepare ourselves to embrace aging and make the process enjoyable right now and on into our futures.

The Shift to Embrace Aging Starts Now

We begin by expanding our social reach and our inner circle now. At all times in our lives, and especially as we age, having friends and family (whether blood relations or our “chosen” family) as companions and co-conspirators on this wild ride of life keeps us connected and feeling positive. And positivity, is a key component of longevity.

Be Social and Remain Social Throughout Your Life to Embrace the Future

Human beings are social animals by nature. Sometimes as we age, we begin to habitually spend more and more time alone. If we allow this habit to set in, though, we will grow isolated and begin to feel disconnected and sometimes even feelings of irrelevancy enter our minds.

The truth is, as social beings, it is incredibly important to both our physical and psychological well-being to nurture healthy friendships. Everybody needs myriad relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. And, as we age, the social network becomes even more important—it’s our safety net.

Staying social will allow us to meet new people, stay current with what’s happening in our world, make a difference in our communities, and be involved in what’s happening in our ever-evolving society, culture, arts, and entertainment.

It’s surprisingly easy to expand our ideas of “who” is our inner circle. Go ahead and expand yours! It’s an investment in the future. Get closer with the family, friends, and colleagues in your life. Take a chance and meet the neighbors.

Forget About Retirement – Stay Engaged to Support Fulfillment

Many people begin to feel sick of their jobs and look forward to the time when they “can retire.” Consider that retirement is one of the worst ideas our society has ever come up with. If we hate our jobs, instead of waiting for retirement so we’re able to quit, we could start looking for something more fulfilling now.

There are many reasons to continue working in some capacity. The most important of which is longevity. Doing activities that are meaningful to us and where we feel we're making an actual difference in the world and in our communities can extend our life expectancies.

Staying Fit is Proven to Improve Health and Increase Longevity

How great is it that something proven to improve our health and increase longevity is something we can easily control! Creating a fitness habit now and ensuring we don’t have added pounds that we’ll need to shed later, is easier the sooner you do it, so don’t wait!

Staying fit is all about the environment we put ourselves in. If we ensure we show up in settings that inspire us to participate in being active, we stand the best chances of enjoying the many benefits of fitness. You can even exercise “accidentally” by taking the stairs instead of the escalator, by using a step counter and having a daily goal and by ensuring you get up and move around at least every hour—even if it’s just a quick walk around the block!

Find reasons to get out! And here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Make a list of physical activities you’ve never tried before and choose one to try
• Try an online Tai Chi or Yoga class
• Regular neighborhood errands? Take a new walking route every day for a month
• Find a workout buddy. Check-in to keep each other accountable
• Schedule a weekend hike with a friend
• Take a walk downtown to check out the holiday window decorations
• Grab a free trial at your local gym

Create Eating Habits That Inspire & Bring People Together

Food has traditionally been one of the most united experiences for families and communities and cultures around the world.We can use the very act of eating to enrich our relationships with others at the same time that we enrich our relationship to food.

We’re mature adults, we know what the right foods are to eat to nurture our well-being. But have we remembered how to slow down and enjoy the act of eating?  Take on sitting down at a table three times a day to decompress and appreciate each bite of food.  Experiment with background music, peaceful lighting, and minimizing distractions such as your smart phone or television.

Find reasons to get social and excited about mealtime! And here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Invite friends over to eat. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive
• Cook a new easy, healthy meal once a week to expand your repertoire
• Take a cooking class with a friend
• Have a weekly restaurant night with a friend
• Watch a cooking show and try out one of the new recipes
• Make the dinner table a conversation only “no-phone-zone”

Find, Get, or Trade Help

As we age, we may need some help with things we never needed help with before. And, we may have help to offer others.  Besides relying on supportive friends and our safety nets, there are also may alliances we can created and services we can hire. Many cities have services for people of all ages, from food delivery to rides to the gym or market. Taking advantage of these services and alliances now will make us more independent in the long run because we’ll already know how to avail ourselves of the advantages of being connected in our communities.

Find reasons to get and give help now! And here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Trade shopping trips and small errands with a friend. Go together or take turns doing it for one another
• Hire some affordable assistance for and around-the-house job or two from local listings to get comfortable and familiar with this avenue of help
• Think of three things you could do for somebody else in exchange for three things they could do for you to improve each other’s day-to-day life
• Find volunteers through Meet-Ups and local community organizations for adults to sharee their skills support and expertise
• Volunteer with a local community organization

This is How We Embrace Aging

Consider that any negative thoughts we might have about aging, from the loss of vitality and freedom, to feeling irrelevant, lonely, or bored are just outmoded ideas that we can throw away.

What if we together transform our fear of aging into an appreciation for the beauty of living. If we focus on the beauty of living, and on our connections, relationships, and nurturing lifestyle habits and shared experiences, we can consider aging as an opportunity to make sure that each day counts.  A lifetime of days lived well is a gift to yourself and the people in your life and it can start right now.

Sources:

• New Aging by Matthias Hollwich
• San Francisco Village: https://sfvillage.org
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/five-top-ideas-about-aging-from-the-experts-in-2018-11546617920
• https://www.seniorliving.org/health/creative-aging-movement/