Four wellness factors for senior citizens to lead a fulfilling and happy life

To have a real sense of Senior Citizens Life and their possibilities, I had requested my Mom to pen this article.

Time is a greatest healer they say.  It is also true that as time passes we grow old and that cannot be turned back. Old age brings its own set of challenges and blessings. Many senior citizens usually think that the active part of their life is over. But this is not true. We have ample time which can be used creatively. We have spent enough part of our lives for the Welfare of our family, the organisation that we work for, friends and so on. Now that those parts are significantly taken care of, it is possible now, for us to live for our own selves.

Being a senior citizen myself, I speak from my own experience as well as looking at people around me who do try to live their life in a more fulfilling and interesting manner enthusiastically.

Let me give examples from my own life, to talk about the four factors of wellness in our life that we can enrich and how to go about it.

1. Physical Wellness

When we were young and energetic we did so many things physically, be it house hold work, office related work, outdoor work in the garden or in the fields, in a lot of ways work involved physical exertion. Today though we don’t have that much of strength anymore, it need not stop us from doing things which we can possibly do to keep ourselves physically fit. Mild exercises that are age appropriate is an excellent way of keeping ourselves healthy. Walking is an easy and good form of exercise and it can also relax our minds. Taking a walk in a park or a beach nearby gives us also a chance to spend time in natural surroundings. Above and beyond this, as much as our body can handle, it is healthy to be involved in household chores that can keep us active and healthy. We need to try to keep ourselves mobile, keep ourselves healthy, to be able to take care of our own needs as long as possible.

I do walk every day, as much as my knees allow me to. I also do regular stretching exercises etc for my back.  Yoga is an excellent possibility for senior citizens to keep themselves healthy.

2. Mental Wellness

Our mind is a very powerful tool that we have which unfortunately most of us do not realize the power and potential of.  It is the most powerful part of our body. We keep talking about how stressful life is and how stressful the current generation is etc. If we can train our minds to look at the positive aspects of everything that happens around us, most of our stress will disappear, our thoughts will be strong and focused on what we want to achieve. Age is just a number and we still can achieve what we want to even at this age. Become what you want to become. When we practice meditation we channel our mind into a positive state.  At the same time, when we don’t use/exert our brains into new activities, it atrophies.

Personally speaking I do practice meditation, mindfulness and keep myself engaged in interesting activities available nearby.  At age of 68 I learnt a new language, and cleared exams in it.  Research says that learning a new language does improve your brain function and creates more neural connections in your brain, which is really very good for senior citizens. I have renewed my reading habit now and look forward to getting acquainted with new authors and also relish reading my favourite authors. I also keep trying new things – like writing this blog article.

I also recommend travelling to locations that we always wanted to, that hitherto didn’t.  There are many Senior Citizen friendly tour operators and safe travel options.  Travel expands our minds.  We see new places, meet new people, experience new cultures and that fill us with positivity.  But we need to ensure that our health checkups are done on time and need to carry all requisite medications as appropriate.

3. Emotional Wellness

Most of us senior citizens face a common problem adjusting with the younger generation today. There are a lot of differences in today’s lifestyle -the proliferation of the digital age, social media etc. We might feel alienated looking at their level of independence and worldly exposure.  But it is not the end of all. If we can be flexible, it is possible for us to forge new friendships with our children and our grandchildren. I think it is important for us to also forge new connections with other people outside our immediate family as well.  Engaging ourselves in a social cause or in any community project that is possible and feasible for us, providing service in any institution etc., can provide us a lot of opportunities to connect with people with common interests.

For example, I am actively engaged in the renovation and operations of a nearby temple, where over a period of time I have made a good circle of friends and it keeps me engaged in a positive manner. I am also involved in many group activities that are conducted there that I find interesting.

4. Spiritual Wellness

At this age I feel it is important for us to also progress in our spiritual life as well.  For each person their spiritual pathway and progress might be different and what interests us spiritually may also be very different.

Spirituality could mean connecting to a higher power.  This could be nature, God, the universe etc. 

For some it could be religion and prayer, for someone else it could be a communion with nature.  For someone else it could be about enriching their soul and spirit.  It could be about a search for meaning, a freedom from our fears and insecurities.  It is about finding our real selves, a path to awareness and consciousness.

So now that we have abundant time with us we can bring forth new interests anew and this could be a new beginning for us.  As a senior citizen we can look at the positive aspects and look forward to life and live our lives in a fulfilling manner everyday and every moment and make a positive difference to ourselves and others around as well.

Let’s remember – Life is a Journey, it has a beginning – our birth and it has an end – our death.  It is the time in between; it is being on this Journey that is the essence, that makes it worthwhile.  So let’s live our lives to the fullest a day at a time, enriching ourselves and our world.

About the Author :

Lalitha Balan is my Mother,  my Friend and my Shining Light. She 71 years old and full of Life and Enthusiasm. Always taking up new and interesting things, quick to a smile and ready for any service that she can handle. She gives a kind listening ear to folks with problems, and they always leave feeling better after talking to her. Patience is her strength and kindness is her virtue. Abundant with Life experiences, I encourage her to pen down some aspects of them that can be valuable for all.
– Kala Balasubramanian