We all want to feel graceful as we age, but it can be difficult to accept aging. The physical changes we experience won’t let us ignore it! What really matters, however, is how we think about life, and ourselves, as we age. Are we going to embrace every change with the curiosity of discovery? Or, are we going to chase the lost years that we can never get back?
In no small part, the way we feel about aging is the result of the culture we live in. Many cultures revere the elderly. Western cultures, however, content with media that stigmatizes aging. After all, making us pay attention to and worry about our wrinkles and what disease might be coming to get us is good for business! They want us to not be content with who and what we are so that we will become convinced that their product will fix us. It’s not going to happen.
To feel graceful with age one must not only learn to accept the process but embrace it. Enjoy the ever changing color of your hair. Play with new fashion colors and styles to work with the changes instead of trying to fit into what once worked for you but no longer feels right, Experiment. Key to feeling graceful is self-acceptance.
Take Care of Yourself
If you want to feel graceful when aging, it’s important to take care of yourself. Beauty and charisma has nothing to do with whether or not one has wrinkles or not. Beauty is an inside job. A beautiful woman is one who accepts who she is and feels comfortable in her own skin. Maintaining your health through regular exercise and a healthy diet enhances beauty at every age.
We sometimes think we don’t have time to take care of ourselves. If we’re caring for an aging parent or other loved one, our time is not our own. But, we must make ourselves a priority, even in that situation. We can’t help someone else with their needs if we’re not taking care of ourselves.
Figuring out how to balance diet, exercise, and mental health is indeed a challenge when caring for a loved one. It’s not something that’s easy to do alone. Expert support and advice can go a long way in getting us on track. If you’re struggling with something in particular that involves your mental health and physical health, then learn more about the admissions process here about what can be done.
Taking good care of yourself will help you become more resilient and better able to handle whatever comes your way. Self-care also means spending time with the people you love. Spending time with people has been shown to reduce loneliness and improve mental health. It is also important to practice kindness and compassion toward yourself, as this too can reduce stress levels and anxiety, both of which are known to be accelerate aging.
Be Grateful
Gracefulness and gratefulness go together beautifully; you can’t have one without the other! Gratitude is one of the best ways to keep yourself grounded, reduce your focus on problems and keep stress levels low. It also increases serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel good. For seniors who are feeling isolated and depressed, a gratitude practice can help build self-esteem and feel improve relationships. It also serves as a reminder that they are still valuable and have a lot to offer. You may find a gratitude journal a helpful as a tool to remind you of the things for which you are grateful.
Stay Social
Many people find they lack companionship as they age. Many of the activities that once provided a ready made social network disappear after retirement. But, friends are important and necessary for graceful aging. Getting out of the house, sharing a meal with a friend, and experiencing something new are excellent for our health. Such activities reduce depression and help keep us mentally sharp.
Staying engaged can be as simple as planning an outing with a friend, or or more involved and structured like joining a club. Volunteering to help with family projects or caring for a grandchild can give us a sense of purpose. In general, being social is a reminder that we are a part of a support system that works both ways.
Exercise Your Mind
We all are aware that the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s rises with age. We also know that exercising our mind is beneficial and can help us remain mentally alert. Exercising the mind can be fun too! Whenever and wherever the mind is engage, it is good for your brain health. So if you enjoy puzzles, word games, reading and hobbies, keep at it. And whatever you do, don’t feel guilty for “playing” as you age. Stretch your mental capacity by learning something new. You won’t just feel smarter, you’ll be smarter!
