Do We Need One More New Year’s List of How to Age Well?

Ok, so it’s the new year and it’s the standard time for everyone to make new year’s resolutions. I’ve been flooded with lists and surveys which only serve to make me feel terrible about what a slug I am. It seems I should be wearing a fit bit and counting every step I take with the appropriate disappointment when I find that I haven’t taken what seems to me to be a huge number of steps. These lists and surveys also remind me what my healthy weight is for my height, which tells me I need to be 2 inches taller. This is especially cruel given that I’ve lost ¾ of an inch from what I was in my younger years. So, what to do? Do I just throw up my arms and give up, with the excuse that these people are not talking about the average senior and are out of touch with the real older generation or, do I try to glean something from these lists and survey results that might benefit me? If you’ve stayed with me this long, I assume you’ve decided to stay with me at least for a little while longer so, surprise . . . I’ve got another list.

My goal in writing this blog was to identify the common threads that appeared in the lists. I found that almost every list had something about a positive attitude so I will spend more time on that suggestion. If you only take action on one of the suggestions on my list, choose keeping a positive mindset.

Keep a Positive Mindset – I know you’re thinking, wow, why didn’t I think of that? Hold on a minute so I can change my mindset . . . there, now I have a positive mindset, I feel so much better! I know it’s not that easy, but there are ways we can improve our mindset. I found a 10-minute video on Ted Talks that focuses on aging and how a positive attitude makes a difference. Click here to watch it, it’s worth your 10 minutes.

In my survival training in the Air Force the instructor cited a military study that studied why some soldiers survived, and some died when faced with similar survival situations. They concluded that a positive attitude kept some soldiers alive while others just gave up. They pointed out that those who survived didn’t dwell on why they were put into the survival situation but instead they focused on what assets they had that would help them stay alive. They didn’t focus on the things they couldn’t change but on the things that they had some control over.

One of the positive attitude suggestions counseled that we shouldn’t ignore our negative feelings completely, and we need to deal with them at some level. They advised us to set aside a time when we faced our problems, determined what we could change and what we couldn’t, and then decided what steps we could take to deal with the things we could change. They suggested that we treat ourselves like we would treat a friend, by asking, “What would a good friend say to me right now?” In other words, we need to cut ourselves some slack. Once the time for confronting our negative feelings is over, physically remove ourselves to somewhere nice and move to positive thinking.

Make a gratitude list. Think of the things that bring you joy. Write them down. Focus outside yourself, find someone to help – don’t ask someone what you can do for them, invariably they will say they’re fine. Observe them and find something they need or something they need help with and just do it. Don’t ask, just do it. Even if you made a wrong guess about what they need they will appreciate that you tried to help. I think that a positive attitude is the most important thing we can do to age well.

Here are some other things that will help us age well.

Commit to 10 Minutes of Exercise Daily – 10 minutes isn’t long. Find something that makes you breath hard. I’ve found 3 flights of stairs will do it for me. Do it three times, walking down the stairs after each trip up so you can catch your breath. Presto, your 10-minute exercise is done.

Make Better Dietary Choices – Here’s a quick video on shopping healthy. It teaches some ways to make better choices as you shop.

Quit Smoking – I know what you’re saying, “I’ve smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 40 years — what’s the use of quitting now? Will I even be able to quit after all this time?” It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting smoking at any time improves your health. When you quit, you are likely to add years to your life, breathe more easily, have more energy, and save money.

Play With Your Grandkids – A 2016 study found that half of the grandparents who occasionally participated in their grandchildren’s lives were alive five years post-study compared to individuals who had no involvement. Playing with your grandkids is not a hard ask.

Stimulate Your Mind – Regularly challenging your brain is one of the best ways to stay mentally sharp as you age. It’s also one of the best ways to reduce your risk of memory loss or developing dementia. Simple things such as reading daily, doing crosswords, or joining a book club are great and fun ways to ensure your body’s most important muscle receives an adequate workout.

Reach Out to Old Friends and Make New Ones – Studies show that socially active older adults have better cognition, lower risks of disability and depression, and overall better health.

It’s a list, but it’s doable. Stay positive and make 2023 the best year yet, I’m positive you can do it.

Best, Thair