Boomer’s–Don’t Let Aging Take You Down
With this uncertain world we’re living in it’s easy to let the old woman creep in and take over your thoughts and dreams. Clint Eastwood would always say, “you won’t get old if you do not let the old man into your mind.” Well it applies to all us women also. We’ve got to keep moving, learning, sharing and making the best of each and every day.
Yes, I know things are changing rapidly. My friends and I talk about it all the time. We sit on the teeter totter of life and wonder which way we should choose to live our lives. The ups and downs of that teeter totter can be mind boggling to say the least.
In our case, we are all pretty like-minded, and with careful thought we chose joy and kindness and to make the best of each day. And yes, staying positive as we get older, and doing away with the negative. Actually, it wasn’t a hard decision at all. Who wouldn’t want to choose happiness as a way of life regardless of our circumstances?
“Aging is not lost on youth, but rather a new stage of opportunity and strength.”
Betty Friedman
Researchers have been studying aging for years, and recent studies identified that having a positive self-perception about the benefits of getting older can create a self-fulfilling prophecy by helping you to stay mentally, physically and psychologically younger and stronger. Your mood, your sense of well-being, and your ability to handle stress keeps improving right up until the very end of life. Consider it something to look forward to. The glass is either half full or half empty. In my world and that of BoomerGal, it is always half full. Let the opportunities abound.
“There comes a point when you either embrace who and what you are or condemn yourself to be miserable all your days. Other people will try to make you miserable; don’t help them by doing the job yourself.”
Laurell K. Hamilton
Of course, there are downsides to aging, we see changes in our bodies and all the things that we could once do in an hour now takes a day even with careful planning. Lift that chair. Yikes. Not nearly as easy as it used to be.
I really don’t like the word aging—it’s too often associated with negative perceptions: decrepit, cranky, senile, slow, over the hill, tired, out of touch, etc. We hear it every day in the news—special mention given to us Boomers and Seniors with regard to COVID and other ailments. I’m not throwing caution to the wind as I take every necessary precaution possible. But I will not be hampered, I will not be driven into isolation, and I will not be put into a box of conformity. I will persevere and continue to live my life to my standards and continue to move forward—even if today’s “normal” is different from years past.
As we age, we should embrace it. We should focus on emotionally meaningful goals, life gets better, you feel better, and the negative emotions become less frequent and more fleeting. With so many negative words out there flooding the airwaves, it’s no wonder there is a tendency to think negative thoughts, act negatively and talk negatively—all that does is makes us all age faster and dread each day.
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more.
If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”
Oprah Winfrey
New studies out of Ireland report that having a positive attitude about aging can prevent from becoming physically frail and help with your cognitive abilities.
If you’re pining for youth, I believe it sets you up and produces the stereotypical old woman and old man thinking as I mentioned previously. Because you only live in a place that does not exist and you only live in memory.
If you look at aging as an extraordinary process, you can become the person you always should be and were meant to be. What I mean by this is whatever age you are, you can choose to be happy and have the types of people around that motivate you and bring joy so you live more of life.
This past week everyone has been paying numerous tributes to Betty White. She spanned decades and almost made it to 100. We should all live life like she did—aspire to live our best life every single day. This amazing woman was exactly who you wanted her to be. Razor sharp wit, smart, kind, hilarious, sincere, and so full of life and love for others. Tell me, did you ever see her without a smile on her face? Try smiling, it will definitely help with your aging process.
Here are just a few of my favorite tips and strategies to promote positive aging.
- Keep moving—move naturally without thinking about it.
- Purpose—this is your reason for getting up in the morning, find it and you’ll live longer.
- Downshift—learn how to manage stress.
- 80% rule—stop eating before you’re full. Eat as healthy as you can, 80% good and 20% is the rest.
- Belong—belong to a community and give back.
- Loved ones first—put loved ones first—aging parents, children, grandchildren, friends and even neighbors.
- Keep busy—hobbies, volunteering, work, exercise, socializing.
- Pray, meditate and put a higher power into your life—my rock!
- Something new—try a new project. I just made cinnamon buns with loads of frosting for the first time in my life. I found a recipe online where I substituted some of the ingredients with healthier products that I use in my daily diet. The reason: I’m practicing so I can give them away as gifts in early December to kick off the holiday season. My BoomerGuy said they were quite yummy. What fun!
- Kindness—say hello to the person in line with you at Home Depot or say hello and thank you to the person bagging your groceries. Just that small token of kindness will lift your spirits and theirs.
Welcome to the new year, 2022, one that is most assuredly filled with grand surprises and positive inspiration. You don’t need to look far, they are right in front of you.
Stay relevant all you Boomers. You’re Number One BoomerGal, Connie.