Usually, when people reach sixty years, they will be retiring and getting ready to spend the rest of their lives enjoying their senior years in much needed peace. With the UK’s average lifespan now almost 82 years, you have more years to make life worthwhile. However, for others, this period is filled with challenges ranging from health issues to their finances. Those who planned for it may find it rewarding and full of fulfilment. Would you like to know how to make your life after 60 worthwhile? Here some tips on how to do so:
Pay close attention to your health more than ever
They say, ‘health is wealth.’ Fortunately, this statement holds more truth than you may have considered or appreciated. To fully enjoy your senior years in optimum physical, emotional, and mental well-being, you should stick to regular health checks. At least twice a year is recommended. You must be committed to checking your oral health, eye care, age-related medical conditions, and lifestyle disorders. Pay close attention to your water intake as that provides the necessary hydration for your entire body. You should also review your health insurance cover and seek advice on whether to expand coverage as a precaution or not. Undoubtedly, advanced age in both males and females could present medical surprises that need immediate attention. As a precaution also, dedicate time to getting some exercise like going walks or light jogging. You can also get an instructor experienced in handling safe exercising routines for all age groups. I have taken up cycling an average of fifty miles a week in the last few months.
Appreciate your new body image
As you age, your body changes as well. You begin to see wrinkles, grey hairs, joint and lower back pains, and maybe more hair loss. I often spot an old lady in the bathroom mirror when I am in the bathroom, not sure who she is but seems to be in there quite regularly. Sometimes the drastic change in body image is enough to affect your self-confidence. To make matters even worse, pressures on body stereotypes make it incredibly tricky for ageing women to come to terms with weight gain. To overcome this negativity, you need to practice self-love and appreciate the person you are becoming when you look in the mirror. With that said, you can stick to safe skincare routines to enhance your skin’s look and health. Apply a daily dose of moisturisers and SPF sunscreen. Use under-eye creams to boost collagen production in these areas. These products fight off the effects of dry, thin skin, which contribute to hollowness beneath the eyes.
Build new relationships
Building new relationships is an important tip to living a good life from sixty and beyond. Perhaps, you got divorced and decided not to remarry. Now that you are older, you may feel lonely and miss companionship and may begin to entertain the idea of never finding love again. If friendship (or more) is what you desire, expand your network. Maximising your social network gets you active in communal activities and creates a sense of camaraderie. By forming new relationships, you explore new hobbies which may also help you escape feelings of loneliness and depression. When you make a conscious effort to engage in one social activity each day, you will begin to harness positive results. Accept that you are a fantastic person who deserves the best in life. I have expanded mine with staff and volunteers in the cycling group I volunteer at.
Take another look at your finances
Ideally from the age of sixty, you should be less engaged in active work life. Many people choose to retire early to enjoy the fruits of their labour. You can only do this confidently when you are sure about your finances. Are you done paying your mortgage? Maybe you belong to the category of people who opt for later life mortgages. Are you still in debt? If that is the case, you may have to limit your dream retirement vacations. It is better to settle debts you owe early to prevent them from being too burdensome in the future. Even if you do have enough money to live comfortably at this age, take a decision not to overspend. Continue to follow your budgets and make efforts to save a little money. Money is an essential commodity in life, and without it, you can never cater to most things- especially in your senior years.
Never dwell on what could have been
The likelihood of reminiscing over past incidents and how they could have been handled is high at this time. As ageing comes with wisdom, you tend to do a mental download of your life and what may have gone wrong. It would be best to know that this is an unhealthy practice that may create negativity for you and others close to you. While in your sixties and beyond, learn to accept that everybody’s life is an accumulation of mistakes, some regrets, and happiness. Every emotion (positive or negative) experienced in your younger life helped shape your character.
Overcome your fear of death
As you may already know, death is inevitable, and the sooner you accept that, the better it would be for your mental health. You may have lost some loved ones who were also at your age, which can be heart-breaking. However, obsessing over your advanced age and its proximity to mortality expiration is an unhealthy practice. To address these anxiety issues, spend more time with your peers and solicit their opinions on the same subject. Also educate yourself on how you can help your family when the inevitable happens. Take the bold step to talk to your family and let them know how you would want your funeral planned, where you prefer to be interred, among other things- when you are ready. The sooner you accept that death is a natural occurrence in all living things, the better you will handle matters related to it. This understanding also helps you to live your life to the fullest.
There is no better time than now to appreciate all the good things in your life. It may not have been all rosy and cosy but is enough to tell you; you are among the living population. Besides, now is the time to change your perception of beauty and volunteer the best time of your life to taking care of yourself.
This is a collaborative post.
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