Aging With Grace: 5 Steps to Aging Healthily and Happily

The aging process has its ups and downs. It’s inevitable, but that shouldn’t stop you from aging gracefully! We know life gets busy, and oftentimes we can lose sight of what is most important. We get wrapped up in the day-to-day, forgetting to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally in between, especially as seniors.

By taking a few moments each day to prioritize your physical and emotional needs, you’ll find that your quality of life will improve and you’ll continuously embrace the beauty of aging, rather than resenting it.

To get you started in the right direction, read our 5 steps to aging with grace, certain to help you live a healthy lifestyle and keep you doing all the things you love!

Step 1 – Have a daily routine that keeps you active

While deliberate exercise is a great way to keep your body fit, strong, and flexible, you can also incorporate small things into your everyday routine that promote your health long-term. A few examples of easy ways you can be more active right now are:

  • Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
  • Parking farther away from store entrances to get a few extra steps in
  • When shopping, use a basket instead of a shopping cart
  • Walking around while you talk on the phone

Step 2 – Make time with friends and family a priority

One of the most important parts of maintaining your mental and physical health is remaining socially active. It’s easy to get caught up in running errands or spending time on hobbies that don’t involve other people (especially because of COVID!) – however, when it’s safe to do so, you need to prioritize spending time with your friends and family.

Not only is spending time with friends and family just downright fun, but it might just also help you live longer. According to the American Society of Aging, older adults with larger social networks have better cognitive functions and a lower allostatic load – which means they’re less stressed and overall happier people!

Step 3 – Visit your doctor

Have you ever heard the saying, “You’ve got one life, don’t waste it!”? Well, you’ve got one body – don’t neglect it! Staying proactive about your health is one of the most effective ways you can ensure that you’re aging gracefully.

Regular visits with your doctor make it more likely that health problems can be caught early on, making treatment of these problems easier and less costly.

The Mayo Clinic recommends that seniors visit their primary care doctor at least once per year.

Step 4 – Don’t stress about it

Easier said than done, right? We get it. Stress can sometimes feel impossible to avoid and weigh heavily on your emotional health, but stress can also take a toll on your physical health.

According to ULifeLine.org, too much stress can also cause high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and even heart disease.

Next time you’re feeling stressed out, try some of these stress management tips:

  • Exercise 
  • Meditate 
  • Take a nap 
  • Listen to music 
  • Alter your way of communicating 
  • Forgive

Step 5 – Do more of what makes you happy

This may seem obvious, but when was the last time you did something for yourself that made you happy? If you can’t seem to remember, it’s time for you to start prioritizing activities and hobbies that you enjoy. You deserve it.

After all, you’ve worked hard for probably the better portion of your life, it’s only fair that you now get to spend time on things you enjoy.

Plus – being happier just might make you healthier.

According to Harvard Health, “Scientific evidence suggests that positive emotions can help make life longer and healthier. But fleeting positive emotions aren’t enough. Lowering your stress levels over a period of years with a positive outlook and relaxation techniques could reduce your risk of health problems.”

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

en_USEnglish
Senior Shopper
Logo