September is Healthy Aging Month – and we think that’s a great time to
celebrate how far you’ve come and look forward to where you want to go. It’s
never too late to find a new career, passion, or hobby.
HealthyAging.net
‘recognized early on that careful attention to the combination of physical,
social, mental and financial fitness was powerful in the pursuit of a positive
lifestyle.’
We loved their tips on ‘Reinventing Yourself’ during Healthy Aging Month and
wanted to share:
Do not act your age or at least what you think your current age should act
like. What was your best year so far? 28? 40? Now? Picture yourself at that
age and be it. Some people may say this is denial, but we say it’s positive
thinking and goes a long way toward feeling better about yourself. (Tip:
Don’t keep looking in the mirror, just FEEL IT!)
Be positive in your conversations and your actions every day. When you catch
yourself complaining, check yourself right there and change the conversation
to something positive. (Tip: Stop watching the police reports on the local
news).
Have negative friends who complain all of the time and constantly talk about
how awful everything is? Drop them. As cruel as that may sound, distance
yourself from people who do not have a positive outlook on life. They will
only depress you and stop you from moving forward. Surround yourself with
ener-getic, happy, positive people of all ages and you will be happier too.
(Tip: Smile often. It’s contagious and wards off naysayers.)
Walk like a vibrant, healthy person. Come on. You can probably do it.
Analyze your gait. Do you walk slowly because you have just become lazy or,
perhaps, have a fear of falling? (Tip: Make a conscious effort to take big
strides, walk with your heel first, and wear comfortable shoes.)
Stand up straight! You can knock off the appearance of a few extra years
with this trick your mother kept trying to tell you. Look at yourself in the
mirror. Are you holding your stomach in, have your shoulders back, chin up?
Check out how much better your neck looks! Fix your stance and practice it
every day, all day until it is natural. You will look great and feel better.
(Tip: Your waist-line will look trimmer if you follow this advice.)
How’s your smile? Research shows people who smile more often are happier.
Your teeth are just as important to your good health as the rest of your
body. Not only is it the first thing people notice, but good oral health is
a gateway to your overall well-being. (Tip: Go to the dentist regularly and
look into teeth whitening. Nothing says old more than yellowing teeth!)
Lonely? Stop brooding and complaining about having no friends or family. Do
something about it now. Right this minute. Pick up the phone, landline, or
cell and make a call to do one or more of the following: Volunteer your
time, Invite someone to a class, Invite someone to meet for lunch, brunch,
dinner, or cof-fee. (Tip: Volunteer at the local public school to stay in
touch with younger people and to keep current on trends, take a computer
class or a tutorial ses-sion at your cell phone store to keep up with
technology, choose a new person every week for your dining out.)
Start walking not only for your health but to see the neighbors. Have a dog?
You’ll be amazed how the dog can be a conversation starter. (Tip: If you
don’t have time for a dog, go to your local animal shelter and volunteer.
You will be thrilled by the puppy love!)
Make this month the time to set up your annual physical and other health
screenings. Go to the appointments and then, hopefully, you can stop
worrying about ailments for a while.
Find your inner artist. Who says taking music lessons is for young school
chil-dren? You may have an artist lurking inside you just waiting to be
tapped. Have you always wanted to play the piano, violin, or tuba? Have you
ever wondered if you could paint a portrait or scenic in oil? What about
work-ing in wood? (Tip: Sign up now for fall art or music classes and
discover your inner artist!)
