Healthy Aging Month – Are We Supposed to Act Our Age?

It’s September which means it’s Healthy Aging Month. Last year at this time I wrote a great blog about this important month, it was witty and informative (at least I thought it was) and you can read it by clicking here. The same ten helpful points in last year’s blog are still relevant and I hope they give you some food for thought. This year I will offer some new ideas and thoughts on aging that may give you a new perspective on how you see yourself as you get older.

Full disclosure, I turned 73 a week ago and I still wonder how that happened. If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times, “I woke up one morning and I was old.” While we didn’t get old overnight, our realization of being old probably came when we were surprised by someone’s comment or on a particular birthday. Maybe it was when you were stopped by a police officer who looked as old as one of your kids, or you were surprised in the exam room by a Doogie Houser look alike who claimed to be a doctor? Any of these events may have caused you to reflect on your age. Rather than letting these events get you depressed, think of this – the fact that you were surprised at how old you suddenly became is a very positive thing. You should celebrate that you were surprised at your age, that in your mind you weren’t that old. We can’t let someone else tell us how old we are. We can’t let some event establish our age. It’s our mind and our own picture of ourselves that should guide our perception of our age.

Now I’m not trying to convince you that you should be doing the things you did when you were 30. There is no denying the aches and pains that come when you get older. What I am saying is . . . don’t let the aches and pains keep you from trying new things or finding ways to keep moving and pushing the envelope of your present physical abilities. For instance, I remember when I had to give up playing tennis. My knees and hips just didn’t allow the movement necessary to be competitive and have fun. Then along comes someone’s great idea of pickleball. Maybe you’ve heard of it; it’s a cross between ping pong, tennis, and badminton. It allows someone to be active and be competitive at a sport without requiring the running and movement required in tennis. My friend who’s a year older than I am plays it every day. It keeps him in great shape. He’s going to teach me how to play.

Find something that gets you out and moving; golf has done that for me. Golf often occupies my mind when I’m not actually playing it. I’m thinking of things I can try to improve my game. It’s my happy place where I go when things around me are trying to depress me. Find the activity that motivates you to do better and becomes your happy place.

My point here echoes the first point of my 10-point list from last year – don’t act your age. Much to many people’s amazement, older Americans were not the age group that suffered the most mental problems during the pandemic. Our age group bore the brunt of the deaths, yet, somehow, we held up and soldiered on. We are a strong group; we’ve done hard things during our lives, and we are still strong enough to do more hard things. Don’t let anyone or anything dictate how old you should act.

Best, Thair

p.s. Don’t miss the chance to find out the results of the Medicare Part D survey by joining out virtual town hall. See details below.

Medicare Today Town Hall
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
2:00 p.m. ET
Guest Speakers
Thair Phillips
former President and CEO of RetireSafe
And
Caroline Bye
AVP of Advocacy and Government at Morning Consult

They will discuss: The results of the annual Part D Satisfaction Survey
Register Here

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing
information on joining the Town Hall.

You can join on your computer without your camera or you can dial-in as
well – whatever works for you!