As you age, you tend to be more selective in the ways that you spend your time and you may even struggle to devote time to yourself. Establishing a self-care routine is vital in nourishing the body, mind, and soul. After navigating through the highs and lows of life, and uncovering the physical challenges that your body presents to you, it’s important to have things in your life to look forward to. Begin by finding an exercise you love, set time away for yourself, establish a good diet, or explore a new passion. Life is too short to waste it not doing the things that make you happy!
Here’s why establishing a self-care routine after the age of 60 is important:
Find an Exercise that You Love
Begin by thinking about your fitness goals. Is there a specific activity that you enjoy doing? Depending on your activity level, determine which activities may be best for you. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins and positive feelings. There are so many other benefits to working out regularly including increased feelings of happiness, promotes energy, and helps your brain health and memory. Some activities include walking, swimming, or getting a gym membership. Everyone has different preferences, so find what works for you!
Take Time for Yourself
Amidst your busy schedule, don’t forget to take time for yourself. Make yourself a priority. Self-care affects your physical and emotional health, and makes you a better caregiver to others. There are several different ways to focus on self-care, like getting enough sleep at night, feeding your body with nutritious meals, or even meditation. Whatever makes you feel happy and grounded, ensure that you set time away for that on a weekly basis. Not only does practicing self-care allow time for you to be alone, it also offers soothing feelings so that you can return to your normal routine feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Establish a Good Diet
The foods that you consume change as you get older as you generally require fewer calories throughout the day. Eating a balanced diet, combined with physical activity helps to ensure that you can live a healthy, active lifestyle as you age. Avoid losing weight, bone density, and muscle mass by following a nutrient-rich diet with lots of fibre. Try avoiding empty calories, like pop, cake, biscuits, and alcoholic beverages when you can. Instead, increase your protein consumption and stay hydrated by increasing your water consumption. Protein is good for older individuals as it fuels their body and promotes their ability to move independently.
Discover a New Passion
Find a passion. Do it. Repeat! It’s very possible to find meaning in your life after the age of 60 and it’s never too late to try something new or uncover a previous passion. As older individuals, you have spent most of your life compromising your time. Think about activities or things that inspire you and discover new opportunities to find purpose and meaning in life. Don’t think about the things you are naturally apt at, but rather the things that happily occupy your time. Were there certain things that you loved doing as a child when you completely lost track of time? Let your mind wander to endless opportunities and see where it takes you.
At Vantage Point Retirement Living, we develop maintenance-free communities with semi-custom homes specifically designed for adults over the age of 55. Our Active Adult Living communities allow you to lead an active, worry-free lifestyle in a home that is owned by you. For more information, visit our website!
