5 HEALTHY HABITS TO ADOPT IN LATER LIFE

cresting the hill


INTRO

Today on the blog I have another great collaboration with some sensible advice on how to stay healthy so we can keep living our best life. I know that a positive mindset is vital, and it's so much easier to stay that way if we keep our body and brain in good shape too. 

So, let me pass the blog over to my collaborator to share some sensible tips on how to stay as healthy as possible as we progress through the second half of life...

IT STARTS WITH ME AND ENDS WITH PEACE

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FEELING UNSETTLED

Life can be really wonderful overall, but still throw little upsets and irritations into our days. I seem to have a couple of those that have been on-going in my life over the last few months, and I've been trying to untangle the "why?" I start with wondering why someone would be mean spirited, then I wonder why I'm unhappy with a particular place, then I start beating up on myself for being bothered by it all....then I beat up on myself a bit more by wondering if I caused the irritations.....then the loop starts again.

I find myself playing scenarios over in my head as I try to rationalise things that aren't rational, as I try to control how others should behave - but there's a part of me that knows this isn't on me, that knows I need to let go of trying to live in a perfect world full of perfect people and I've come to see.....

WHAT DO THE REAL LUXURIES IN LIFE LOOK LIKE?

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LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE

I used to think that living abundantly and luxuriously involved an expensive lifestyle and having everything you could imagine at your finger tips, wanting for nothing. As time has moved on, I've found the types of abundance and luxury that revolve around extravagance are meaningless to me. I have no desire at all to add more "stuff" to my life, to own more, to spend more, or to keep up with the Joneses.

Abundance and luxury for me are all about the small delights that are part of everyday life, simple pleasures that we often take for granted. Today I thought I'd share some of them....

HOW MY HOME HAS BECOME MY HAVEN

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WHEN YOU LOVE BEING HOME

I think one of the signs of settling into Midlife is that, as nice as it is to have lots of outside interests, I also really love being home. I think about all the freedom I have now, all the places I could go, all the social activities I have the time for, and all the entertainment that's available....and for the most part I'd rather be home.

I know that we all need to get out and about and be sociable and stay engaged with life, but I also love that my home has become my sanctuary where I can just relax and be in my own space. Today I wanted to share a few thoughts on how my home has become my haven.....

HALFWAY THROUGH A YEAR OF LIVING WITH EQUANIMITY

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE WITH EQUANIMITY?

When I chose "Equanimity" as my Word of the Year for 2024 I knew it would be a challenge. It's not a word that comes up in day-to-day conversation, but it's full of depth and gravitus, and I just love the ideas that come with it. For me, it's about being centered, grounded, and at peace with the world around me.

This year I've wanted to live from a heart-centered worldview - to be calm and grounded on the inside and to be able to move through life's ups and downs without being too buffeted by them. I'm at the halfway mark and I'm reminded that I'm still a work in progress....

3 IMPORTANT CHOICES TO ENSURE WE AGE WELL

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HOW DO WE GO ABOUT AGING WELL? 

A fellow blogger asked the question recently - "How old is too old?" and it got me thinking about whether age is to do with the number of years we've lived, or whether it's to do with how we go about living the years we've been allocated.

Are we aging well? And how do we go about intentionally aging with grace? I came up with three choices that I hope are helping me to age well into the years ahead....

WHY NOT START A "TO-BECOME" LIST INSTEAD OF A "TO-DO" LIST?

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FIGURING OUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT

I used to be a very busy person. I used to juggle several different roles each week - and often had a few on the burner on any given day. I was proud of all I could accomplish and how many things I could tick off my to-do list; my self-worth was firmly attached to my productivity.

Since leaving work and settling into retirement, I find my priorities have shifted significantly. I don't find my sense of achievement in how much I can cram into my week, instead I'm finding it in who I'm becoming and the qualities I want to invest in to get there...

HAVE WE LOST THE ART OF AFFIRMING OTHERS?

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WHAT DOES AFFIRMATION LOOK LIKE?

I've been noticing the waning of connection in my world recently, and I think it comes back to there being less reciprocation and affirmation than there used to be. I see it in small day-to-day encounters, I see it online, and I see it in some of my friendships. I'm wondering if it's a sign of our times, or is it a sign of Midlife?

Today I thought I'd give a few examples and I'd be interested to hear what you think....

FINDING THE BEST CARE PROVIDERS FOR YOUR PARENTS

cresting the hill

INTRO

Today on the blog I have a great collaboration that helps with navigating the process of finding care for our elderly parents when the time comes. I think we all hope that we won't need to access much help, but it's better to have some knowledge tucked away, than to be caught completely unaware if the need arises suddenly. And I'm also keeping in mind that I might need to know some of this for my own needs down the track.

I found it to be a really interesting overview and guide, and I hope you do too....

INTENTIONAL LIVING - CREATING A LIFE ON PURPOSE

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE ON PURPOSE?

I read a sentence a while ago that resonated with me, it said:

I focus on living 'on purpose' vs finding my purpose

I liked it because it took the pressure off trying to find some grand life purpose for living, and allowed for the idea that I could live my life intentionally, on my own terms.