Do you remember when you were a kid and you couldn’t wait to get older? As a teenager, you may have even lied about your age to be a little older. I know I did. Just think, we spent so much time, trying to look and be older. Now we spend time and money trying to look younger. And now, some of us lie about our age or simply keep it a secret for fear of the judgment you would receive if your secret were known. Hmmm. What do you think people would think or say about you if they knew your real age? And what does it matter, what they think? Unless they are paying you to be a certain age, it’s so freeing to be able to be yourself without worrying about what if they find out. Will they still treat you with respect, caring, affection, and inclusion if they know your age? If they don’t, are these the people you want in your life? Don’t forget that because we are getting older every day, in this moment you are the youngest you will ever be again. Celebrate it! What if instead of seeing aging as something to hide, be ashamed of, conquer and defeat, we were to embrace and highlight the joys of aging, rather than mourning the loss of our youth.
Following are a few ways to assist you in aging awesomely, and living in joy. Some of these tips are from the article, “Aging is Inevitable, So Why Not Do It Joyfully?” by Ingrid Fetel Lee.
Seek out awe. Researchers found in a study of older adults that taking an “awe walk” increased joy and prosocial emotions. These walks were only 15 minutes long, once a week, where the participants specifically focused on inspiring things in the environment. They also found that their “smile intensity,” or how much they smiled, increased over the eight-week study. Take a 15-minute slow walk weekly and observe everything…the flower growing out of the crack in the cement; the ladybug on the leaf; the odd shape of the tree. Take a minute to be in the moment and breathe in the experience. Last weekend I walked through a beautiful live butterfly exhibit. Wow! It gave me an extra dose of happiness for the day. There is something magical that happens when we take in beauty. Take it in and share it.
Get a culture fix. A 1996 study of more than 12,000 people in Sweden found that attending cultural events resulted in increased survival, while people who rarely attended cultural events had a higher risk of mortality. Since then, many studies have confirmed that people who participate in social activities like going to the movies, church, playing cards, bingo, restaurants, sporting events are linked with decreased mortality among older adults. Could it be that because these activities increase social connection, deepen relationships and reinforce feelings of belonging, that they also help keep the mind sharp? This is a perfect time to do it now that things are opening up.
Stimulate your senses. It is believed by some, including me, that our cognitive capacity diminishes if we don’t stimulate our senses, just as our muscles atrophy if we don’t exercise them. We know the acuity of our senses declines with age. Our sense of smell, taste, sight, and hearing become less sharp. So just as we exercise our muscles, we can stimulate our senses by enriching our environment with color, art, plants, and other sensorially stimulating elements.
Gift yourself with flowers. I’m a flower freak, so this item is dear to my heart and eyes. A study of older adults found memory and mood improved when both women and men were given a gift of flowers, which wasn’t the case when they were given a different kind of gift. The study indicates speculative reasons why flowers opposed to other gifts would have such a positive effect. I believe one reason is because of the way flowers can stimulate our senses. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that the gift of flowers has long been associated with love and caring. Gifting yourself with flowers can be a lovely way to express self-love.
Love yourself. Self-love is a key component to Awesome Aging. We live in a world that keeps us judging ourselves. Advertisers tell you that you are not good enough until you purchase their product so that you can be like someone else. Books and movies can show you how a perfect relation should look. Your senses can be bombarded with ways and things to compare yourself to, which can lead to diminished self-love. Review how you are nurturing yourself. How are you believing in yourself? How are you speaking to yourself? When you fall short of an expectation or desire, are you shaming yourself, knocking yourself down, or picking yourself up? You have got to be your biggest supporter. When you love and support yourself, you show others how to do it.
Manage your stress triggers. Every day things happen that can trigger stress in you. No matter how perfectly you have planned something out, obstacles can surface. How are you managing the obstacles? Are you mowing right over them and continuing your step, or are you stopping to wallow in your pissosity? This is the time in your life to find a way to calm some of those triggers down. I have noticed that I am learning to move through the obstacles without having a meltdown about it, which in the past could look like increased heart rate or serious mental talk accompanied by a few choice curse words. (Yes, curse words do jump out of my mouth at times.) I noticed this morning after very diligently ordering a cup of my favorite tea from Hoja Tea House with plenty of time to pick it up and get to my office for my 8:30 meeting, obstacles popped up that I could not have even imagined. First, the police were right in front of me so I couldn’t drive as fast; I caught every traffic light; for the first time, there was no parking available in front Hoja; there was a mistake with my order so it wasn’t there waiting for me as expected; back in the car to catch every light. Needless to say, I was late for my Zoom meeting. The amazing thing about the whole morning was I never got stressed. Not one curse word spewed from my mouth. I did remind myself that everything is in Divine Order and I could choose to simply go with the flow. When I questioned myself about how I was managing this, I realized it was because I am enjoying feeling good, calm, and grateful so much that I don’t want to feel stressed out about something I have no control of. And if I have some control, then I can adjust my actions to make it work for me. I invite you to try this when something or someone stresses you out. Take a moment to look at what feels better, to keep on keepin’ on through it, or to take the time and energy to get mad about it. You have nothing to lose but a little bit of stress, and everything to gain.
I wish you Joy, Peace, Freedom, Love & Light,