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Society and pop culture tends to send the message that the best things in life happen between your teenage years and your retirement, and that life as an elder is mainly composed of remembering the good old days and watching golf on TV. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! If you ever feel overwhelmed by your advancing age, look at our list of things you can do to make the concept of growing older seem a little less dire.
1. Treating Yourself
Your body is a temple, and every temple of note gets a healthy dose of cleaning, upkeep and refurbishment every once in a while. A visit to somewhere like a medical spa once every few months to a year can not only be a great way to relax and rejuvenate, it’s also a good place to learn about practices and procedures you can undergo to fix parts of your body that may be giving you trouble.
2. Let’s Get Physical
It’s common knowledge that more physical activity leads to a longer and happier life, but paradoxically, the more we need that activity the more physically difficult it can be to engage with it. Luckily, there are plenty of modern conveniences that help elders and the disabled engage in an active lifestyle, including e-bikes and accommodations that you can likely find at your local gym.
3. Get Your Beauty Sleep
No matter what your age or what your lifestyle is like, it’s important to get a good night’s sleep. But in these worrying times it can sometimes be difficult to set your mind at ease long enough to drift off. Don’t despair: there are plenty of ways you can get the rest you deserve even during troubled times, including turning off your phone or TV for at least an hour before you go to sleep and tiring yourself out before you hit the hay.
4. Reading is Fundamental
If you’re retired, you probably have more time to crack into those books you’ve been meaning to get around to, and it’s likely you won’t be picking them up a moment too soon. According to The Guardian, seniors who read for at least 3.5 hours a week are far more likely to live longer lives than those who spurn their bookshelf, so grab a cool glass of ice tea and hit the books!
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5. Get Out and See the World
Exposing yourself to new locations and new cultures can be a fantastic way to keep your mind alive, and if you’ve reached retirement age there’s probably more time for you to travel than there ever has been before. Going on vacation can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be if you’re aware of a few helpful tips and tricks.
6. Limit Liquor and Tobacco
We’ve all been inundated with information about how bad cigarettes and alcohol are for you at this point, but as you get older you might find yourself more tempted to pass the time with a shot or a smoke than usual. Don’t be led astray: keeping these toxins out of your system is one of the most surefire ways to avoid chronic disease and keep living a long, happy, and healthy life.
7. Check Out Alternative Health Solutions
It goes without saying that you should always follow the advice and take the medication your doctor prescribes to you; however, there can be some holistic healing methods that lie just outside the realms of medical science that may work wonders for you as well. The effects of CBD have only recently begun to be researched, but it already seems to have a lot of good effects for seniors and the disabled, and the risks associated with it are low to nonexistent.
8. Pay Attention to Your Diet
It’s not just a matter of what you keep out of your system when it comes to keeping you healthy; it’s also a matter of what you put in. Drinking plenty of water, consuming healthy fats, and following a few other simple dietary steps can increase the quantity (and quality) of your lifespan by leaps and bounds.
Did you enjoy our list of ways to keep getting the most out of life no matter what stage of that life you might be in, and do you have any tips of your own? Leave us a comment below and join a community of seniors that are waiting to hear from you.
