Research states that Seniors and the elderly community are at the receiving end of isolation and social distancing. The current pandemic has only made our senior community more vulnerable.
But here’s the good news! Experts say, and our Silver Surfers senior community demonstrates time and again, that the right mindset can make tough situations seem easy.
Ways to stay Sharp and Active well into your Senior Years
Many of us start out with similar childhood experiences that set us up for success. However, as we move into adulthood, our worldview begins to change. We spread ourselves too thin between balancing work, family and the need to ensure a comfortable future. Somewhere along the way, we may begin to compromise on what’s good for us - right from the food we eat to the thoughts we think to the things we enjoy doing most.
Through this journey called Life, it’s imperative to maintain a positive, growth- based worldview. This in itself has the capability to help us thrive as we move into our Silver years.
It may come as a surprise to know that poor health is not something acute that suddenly happens to us!
That’s right! Dig a little deeper and you will find that often poor health can be small mistakes we make every day that accumulate over a period of time. To give you better clarity, we have broadly classified the key reasons into five groups :
Skipping meals
Dietary imbalance
Poor sleep hygiene
Malnutrition
Chronic illness
All of these issues, when addressed, can help you stay sharp and active well into the silver years.
Beating Loneliness and Isolation begins with You!
Do you find that you may be feeling lonely or like you are living on an island all by yourself? That you may be struggling to connect with people on a meaningful emotional level? That while most of your life you were social and had wonderful relationships and friendships, today your world may be very different.
Firstly, know that loneliness is not a defect or a mistake on your part! Many of us shy away from sharing our loneliness because we fear being judged. However, we all experience it to a different extent and every human heart wants to be loved.
Something
Anxiety can be very crippling and it can make us feel like we’re losing control. You may want to maintain a gratitude journal where you note down all that you’re grateful for. Accept how you’re feeling and know that we all have ebb and flow as human beings.
It’s important to always remember that things don’t need to be this way. You don’t need to feel this way. And the good news is, you can change things for yourself! Here’s how:
Acceptance & Acknowledgement
The first step to dealing with loneliness is to be aware of your situation, be honest with yourself and accept how you feel. Acknowledging that you’re feeling lonely can help you to work through this difficult period of your life far more effectively and help you find connections with friends and family once again.
Assess your Feelings
Once you acknowledge what you are going through, you’ve already made a breakthrough! Next you will need to take a little time to introspect and break down the situation to better understand why you are feeling the way you do. Assess your relationships with friends, family, neighbors to understand why you may be feeling emotionally disconnected. Maintaining a journal that you can pen down your thoughts in could help immensely.
Ask yourself a few questions. Is there any specific reason? When do you most feel lonely? Where exactly does it happen? And, how often do you get that way? Connect with yourself at a deeper emotional level. By answering these questions for yourself, you will find the clarity you need to help you pave your way out of your current situation.
Set Realistic Expectations
As the saying goes, no expectations - no disappointments! One of the biggest reasons for feeling lonely and let down is because of unfulfilled expectations - of a friend, of a family member, of a neighbor. Sometimes even of yourself. By beginning to lower your expectations of others, you already begin to remove obstacles that hinder you from enjoying what is.
Sometimes, something as seemingly simple as a language barrier can cause loneliness. If you experience this, consider signing up for a class to learn the local language. This can also help keep your brain sharp.
Build a Positive Mindset
How one thinks and approaches a situation differs drastically from person to person. It may also depends on the support system one has to fall back on. However, irrespective of the situation that is causing you to feel the way you do, try a positive mindset. Think happy thoughts! Think gratitude for all that you have. Allow these thoughts to help you move past any regret, ill feelings or negative feelings and instead find positive ways and means to better surround yourself by the people you love.
Become part of a like minded Community
As you age and go into your Silver years, it’s important to recognize that you may outlive your friends, you perhaps will outlive your spouse and your children have a life of their own. Recognizing this will help you build your own support system. Start with making new friends who think like you and enjoy the things you do! At The Silver Surfers Club, we have built brand new refreshing friendships with like minded seniors who today are available to each other as a support system at any given time. It’s important to feel a sense of belonging, and it’s as important to build that with new friendships! So go out there and make some fun new friends and remember to look out for groups that share your interests. Engage with other people online who share your interests. Keep an eye out for community events that interest you.
Find your North Star
Finding your Sense of Purpose or your North Star - whether it is going back to an old hobby like art, singing, cooking or a skill you’d like to sharpen, if it is reading that you put off all these years, Social Work and Community Service, Traveling the world or more; finding what makes you happy will help you look forward to a brand new day everyday as you move ahead and begin to enjoy life.
Specifically during this pandemic it is important to wake up every morning, have a shower and get dressed to brace yourself for the day ahead. This little step in itself will boost your energy as well as your mood.
If you take a little time to introspect the 7 steps shared above, you will be well on your way to recovering from what you are going through while looking forward to a new and exciting life.
Ways To Stay Sharp And Stay Healthy, Now And Beyond
Find more reasons to smile! :) The simple act of smiling can help generate happy hormones in your body.
Try and notice when you’re living either in the past or the future. Use mindfulness exercises to help you stay in the present.
Have new goals and pursue new dreams. It never really is too late! Look out for people and resources that can support you.
If you are unable to find a group that you fit in, consider creating your own. Having something to look forward can truly help people of all ages feel better.
Focus on your spiritual self. Find your own path and explore what it means to be here in this life.
If you’re looking to meet like-minded people, talk to us about the interest groups we created at the Silver Surfers Club.
We truly hope this article helped you and came in useful. Do feel welcome to show us some love so we bring you more such articles. And do share it with a friend or family member who needs a little nudge to embrace their day!