You have made it to the golden years of retirement. Finally the freedom to pursue what you want, and spend your days as you wish. Now, what to do with all of this time? How do we stay engaged? After a lifetime of structure, it's time to redefine the rules to live a happy, fulfilled and positive life.
There are many ways to keep your mind and body healthy and happy, and the happiness that you exude will transcend to those around you.
Keep Moving is Key to Aging Gracefully
Staying active is the key to a healthy mind and body. When you exercise, your body releases extra endorphins to the brain and these endorphins act as happiness boosters. You will feel good about yourself after exercising, your body will feel good, and you will radiate happiness. Any type of exercise is good, so take your pick. Even just a walk around the neighborhood, stopping to smell the roses and saying hello to the people you pass is a great way to get some exercise in while remaining social and aware of the environment you are living in. Appreciate the space you exist in.
Successful Aging Habits: Don’t Stop Dancing
There’s never a bad time to put on your dancing shoes! Turn on your radio and dance around the kitchen. Dancing is another great way to boost your body’s endorphins, and adding your favorite song to the mix will keep you smiling. If your body can no longer dance, dance with your heart. Listen to your favorite songs and enjoy the gift of music.
Fun Activities Keep You Happy
Find an activity that you love and commit yourself to take part in it at least once per week. Our hobbies keep us happy, and they help to keep our minds engaged as well. If you haven’t found a hobby that you truly love, try something new! Learning new things is another great way to keep your mind engaged, and having a task that you are working towards is great daily motivation. If you have always wanted to learn to knit, take a class and aim to knit a scarf. If you’ve always been interested in different languages, there are plenty of online courses that can help you learn. There are so many ways to engage either online or in person these days, so take advantage of the accessibility.
Socialize to Prevent Loneliness and Maintain Relationships
Socializing is the key to keeping ourselves engaged in the world around us. You don’t have to be an extrovert or want to spend all of your time with people in order to socialize. As mentioned above, if socializing to you means greeting your neighbors as you walk around the neighborhood, that’s great! If you are learning something new and you take a class, say hello to the people you are sitting around. Any small form of socializing is better than nothing, so grasp any experience where you can. Connect with old friends and family members. If you’d rather socialize from your home, the Internet is a great tool to do so. Find Facebook groups or Blogs with people who share your interests and engage online. Isolation can have a negative impact on your health, so whenever, wherever or however you choose to socialize, just make an active effort to do so at least a few times every week.
Be Generous with Yourself and Others
Be generous. You have lived a life full of experiences and wisdom, it’s time to share it! Every person has unique experiences that can be shared and that others can learn from or at least appreciate. Give your time to others, offer to bake for someone, or teach someone younger than you something new. There are so many ways to share with others, and people are always so grateful for those who have a truly kind soul. Gratitude helps you feel good, and certainly makes those around you feel even better! Never be afraid to share what you can with others.
Let the Light Shine: Stay Happy to Stay Healthy
Let your own light shine through, both physically and metaphorically. You can be the light in everyone’s life, just go put on your yellow shirt! Wearing bright colors will help you emit happiness both to yourself and those around you. Spending time in the great outdoors on a sunny day will make you feel fresh and free. Sunshine does, in fact, cure all! Brighten up people’s days with a smile on your face and your most colorful outfit. Your mood and others will be enhanced with the joy that you can bring.
There are of course so many ways to keep yourself and those around you happy. Follow some of these tips and try to incorporate them into your daily life and turn them into habits. You will be grateful and thankful to feel so good, and those around you will be even happier to have a ray of sunshine around them. We are always searching for happiness, and it truly is closer than it seems.
