Mindfulness is defined as the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. It is a mental state attained by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. You can be mindful of just everything you do.
In aging, practicing mindfulness is said to have a lot of positive and promising effects. It has been shown to ease anxiety, stress and even depression which is common after retirement. A mindful point of view will enable you to seize every opportunity to make the most out of your years as you age, and the means to attain a happy life.
Attaining a happy life through mindful aging
You don’t have to wait until your ripe old age to start being mindful. Age doesn’t matter! You can start making changes soon as you can. The decision is up to you as to when you want to start being mindful and happy. The changes you make early on will better equip you to thrive as you age and attain the happy life you want.
Here are some simple steps you can do:
1. Accept the realities of aging
There are things in life that we can’t change, and some of those things are unpleasant truths that we will face as we grow older. People come and go, people live and die. Soon you will realize that life is not infinite and you will also face your end.
No matter how deeply you contemplate about the truth of death, nothing can change it. It is an absolute constant of life. Fearing the unknown of tomorrow and death will hinder you from aging mindfully. If you are so engrossed in what will happen tomorrow or what will come next, you are losing your opportunity to enjoy the moments that are currently happening in your life.
Stop thinking about the things that you don’t have control of and start turning your attention to things that you can control. This will help you avoid misusing your time over thinking about something that you can’t change.
Try meditating or yoga to help stir your mind away from those non beneficial thoughts. You can also contemplate the things you want to do with the remaining years of your life.
2. Learn to let go
We all have tendencies to cling to things, especially if it has strongly affected us. Bad memories are the most common thing here. You have to be aware that those things do not do you any good. Letting go of those things will clear your mind and give you space to start giving attention to the things that provide you benefits in life instead. Declutter and remove the things or even people in your life that no longer bring you joy. Accept and acknowledge that now is the time to move on without the memories, person, place or things that are no longer beneficial in your life.
If you are having a hard time letting go, you can try expressing your feelings through writing. Coming to terms with your emotions through pen and paper can be therapeutic in some ways.
3. Have self-respect and love your body
Mindful aging also means that you respect the physical changes that come with the aging process. Make yourself healthy and active. Not taking care of yourself will have devastating effects in your later years because you will have to endure negative complications in your old age.
You don’t always have to do heavy training. You can try a wide array of physical activities that are not limited to gym exercises. You can try dancing, swimming, aerobics and more. Whatever you choose, it will surely fire up the endorphins that will help you appreciate the capabilities of your body.
Having an active lifestyle will enable you to do a lot more things and enjoy life even more.
4. Envision the life you want
Know what you want so you can take full advantage of the remaining time you have. Take time to have a quiet time alone to think about what else it is you want to achieve. To give you an idea, think about what will be a perfect life for you if there are no hindrances (such as financial limitations) along the way.
Do you want to travel, learn a new language, start a new garden, volunteer or live in another place? What do you wish to improve in your life? What will make you happy? These questions should be able to help you come up with the kind of life you want for the rest of your years. Don’t be bothered by what others will think of your decisions. You can’t age mindfully if you constantly conform yourself to the expectations of society.
5. Develop a new mindset
Aging can bring you a different mentality in life. The wrong mindset is thinking that your remaining years will be full of pain, sufferings, and disability and that you can’t do anything.
Instead of seeing only the negative parts of aging and how your life falls apart, start focusing on the positives.
Changing your mindset into a positive one will allow you to age mindfully.
Bottom line
Mindful aging isn’t hard as you think. It is just as simple as making a decision and commitment to stick to that decision.
You don’t want to stress out every day for the rest of your life, right? If you do, then you should turn your life around and start practicing mindful aging. Remember it is one of the means to attain a happy life and eventually achieve successful aging.
About the author
Leandro Mueller
The Online Content Director of FreeMedSuppQuotes.com. Leandro Mueller aims to push awareness of the importance of retirement and healthcare planning to achieve a successful golden year. He is also an advocate of Medicare Supplement plan as one of the means of managing the staggering healthcare costs in retirement
