Aging and Life Enhancement
By Kathryn Kilpatrick, M.A.
“What you choose to focus on determines the quality of your life.” ~Sadhguru
Thriving after 55 also means being proactive if there are changes that influence your choices, whether they be financial, physical or other extenuating circumstances that evolve to eventually alter your options.
Most importantly, be proactive when you start to notice hearing or vision changes. Withdrawal from daily opportunities increases, especially when impairments become more significant. Perhaps you or someone you know has become more sedentary and endurance is not what it used to be. Doing something about it now can maximize the options available to you as you move into your 70s and beyond. With awareness and proactiveness, you can decrease inactivity and loneliness through your later decades. Fostering strong social connections and community ties play a critical role in maintaining your cognitive health.
Perhaps there is someone you know, a good friend or a family member, who is dealing with some of those issues. There are often some ways to maximize their engagement but modifications may be necessary, along with a dose of encouragement, activity revisions and patience.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive.” ~Maya Angelou
What does your everyday routine look like today? Perhaps you have needed to make changes over the last decade due to a variety of circumstances. Thriving after 55 can be full of possibilities and sometimes it can open the door to new options you did not have time to pursue.
Are there activities or hobbies you once enjoyed that you may want to revisit, especially when there is more time available? Perhaps it is just tweaking something to make it more doable if there are some limitations you may have physically or perhaps financially.
“Circumstances change and you have to be proactive about changing with those circumstances.” ~Paul DePodesta
Being in the over-75 age group, I now have several friends who are no longer comfortable driving at night, especially during the winter months. Being proactive is an attitude that accompanies the concept of maximizing quality of life as changes occur. Whether it is having someone else do the driving or arranging for more daytime activities, the concept of staying engaged not only enhances your enjoyment but those strong social connections play a critical role in maximizing your cognitive health. Loneliness can change the brain; part of successful aging means remaining engaged in life physically and emotionally.
“Aging is not lost youth, but a new age of opportunity and strength.” ~Betty Friedan
One of my private patients loved going to the senior center in her community. It offered an abundance of activities she looked forward to but she felt no longer confident to participate. She missed her friends so eventually, we set up transportation options so she was able to attend some of her favorite activities, initially with a friend then on her own.
Some older adults have the means and an interest in moving to senior communities where one of the advantages is an abundance of opportunities to engage in activities. Unfortunately, if there are limitations in functioning, the willingness to participate is often minimal. In some cases, an accompanying family member can make a difference. It is worth a try.
What about all the changes in technology? So often, I meet seniors in their 70s and beyond in my programs who have smartphones but are unaware of the possibilities to be more engaged, whether it is listening to a book, looking up information, playing games, etc. There may be opportunities here but patience and support will often be needed. After making the son of one of the participants attending my brain health class aware of her interest in listening to books on her phone versus holding it, their visits included listening to a book they both enjoyed together. Opportunities are endless but awareness and appropriate modifications can often open up new ways to increase connections and cognitive engagement.
As one of the daughters of a former patient of mine said to me, as she offered ongoing support to increase the engagement of her dad in many ways that appealed to him, “Who is going to be me for me?”
With every choice, you create the life you’ll live: with every decision you design it. ~Mollie Marti
