Not so long ago, Baby Boomers were the “it” generation. Then Gen-Xers and Millennials stole the spotlight.
Today, Boomers are becoming part of a newly minted generation — Perennials — seemingly ageless people who transcend birthdate boundaries.
Perennials are considered ever blooming, relevant. They live in the present, know what’s happening in the world, stay current with technology and have friends of all ages. They’re involved, curious and mentor others, and are passionate, compassionate, creative, confident, collaborative, global-minded risk takers. They’ve learned how to stay vibrant and to age gracefully.
To turn an old phrase, they have managed to “turn on, tune in, (and not) drop out. What’s their secret? And how can we become Perennials too?
Perennial Planning
The key to aging well is maintaining forward motion and balance in every aspect of life. “If you prepare for it, you can deal with it,” whether you’re considering retirement, managing chronic health issues, tackling your bucket list or reaching toward other goals, says Norbert S. Rahl, director of the Mental Health Services at the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging in Cleveland, who is a licensed independent social worker supervisor and has a master of science in social services.
Instead of slip-sliding away from midlife, Rahl recommends that we set our sights on a secure and vibrant future by planning ahead in terms of finances, relationships, physical wellness and mental health.
Let’s say you’ve recently turned 50 — a psychological turning point. Before now, your thoughts were forward-directed (When I graduate … After I get married … Once I land that job …). After midlife, your thinking shifts backward (What have I done? Why didn’t I ever accomplish that? I have failed).
You can’t change the past, but you do have control over the next moment and the rest of your life. “Learn from your mistakes. Then change today and tomorrow for the better,” says Rahl, who has counseled older adults with mental issues for 43 years at Benjamin Rose. He assures, “There’s always hope. Hope is enough. Hope is everything.”
With hope in the lead, independence is key. Self-determination is maintaining control over our own decisions, emotions, daily tasks and patterns; it points back to life balance and overall equilibrium. Now is the time to assess your finances, relationships, health and attitude. Healthy habits can carry us forward during our later years.
FINANCES
Ideally, we should have been setting money aside since our 20s and 30s, investing for retirement. But that’s also the time of life when we were least likely to have any discretionary funds available, what with buying a house and car, raising a family and otherwise building an adult life.
By the time we reach our 50s, we should be in a better financial position to meet with a financial planner or assess our financial future through a trusted online retirement planning tool (such as those provided by AARP).
Regardless of your income, take stock of your budget and your lifestyle, and readjust expenses so you have more remainder at the end of the month to set aside into savings or investments.
RELATIONSHIPS
“Develop and maintain good, healthy relationships with family and friends, because they sustain us the most in future years,” Rahl says.
If you have broken relationships from past grievances, now is the time to reassess: Is this relationship worth renewing? If it was a toxic relationship that put you in a position of being taken advantage of, let it go and nurture a new relationship instead. However, if you lost a good relationship over misunderstandings or hurt feelings, then accept your own errors and communicate your desire to make up.
“Right or wrong makes no difference,” Rahl says. “ ‘I was right’ gets you nowhere. It’s time to move forward.”
HEALTH
“Illness and injury determine how well we will age. You can age well into your 90s. Illness and injury get in the way of that,” Rahl says. “Prevent and manage risks ahead of time. Being physically intact gives us the most control over our world.”
This entails maintaining a healthy weight by eating nutritious meals representing all the food groups, avoiding fat and sugar, limiting alcohol and caffeine, exercising regularly (150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week for adults ages 18 to 64) and getting adequate sleep (seven and a half to eight hours nightly). Also, don’t smoke.
“Good habits pay off in the long run,” Rahl stresses. “Exercise is critical.”
Assess your genetic predispositions. If diabetes, heart disease or cancer run in your family, do everything in your power to reduce the risk of succumbing to chronic illness by developing healthy lifestyle habits.
A fall and a broken hip can lead to a precipitous decline in health. “Don’t be reckless like you were in your 20s,” Rahl says. “The stupid things we did when we were young already predispose us to injury later on. Avoid situations that place you in an environment where injury can occur.”
Balance is key — do nothing in excess. Carrying everything to the extreme explains why our nation is overweight, chronically ill, anxiety-ridden, depressed and addicted, Rahl says. As our bodies age, they are less tolerant of the abuses of excess and respond by getting sick. Resist the urge for instant gratification; develop self-control.
If underlying problems are never dealt with earlier in life, they can become overwhelming issues in later life. Living well is better than living large.
ATTITUDE
“Attitude makes all the difference as you age. If you sit and wait to die, you will,” Rahl advises. “It’s up to you to change your outlook. Challenge yourself instead, smiling with accomplishment. Take life by the horns and live it.”
Think of goal-setting as your internal dynamo, regenerating body, mind and soul. Rahl says we need to nurture curiosity. Read often, struggle through awkward challenges and emerge mentally sharper, more interesting and younger feeling.
“If you hate math, do that,” Rahl says.
If you only do what’s comfortable, you will fail to grow. In fact, you will likely experience mild cognitive impairment, which slows your thought processes and impairs your mathematical ability by your mid-70s, if left unchecked. Do not accept status quo.
“Do what’s uncomfortable. That’s what keeps us young and alive,” Rahl says.
It’s never too late to live better. The investments we make today will reward us with enhanced tomorrows. Like a hardy Perennial, you may fade back during difficult seasons, but you can re-emerge every springtime with beautiful new growth.
Estelle Rodis-Brown is a freelance writer from Northeast Ohio. She hopes to flower into an enduring Perennial that can weather the seasons of life with strength and grace.
