Life after 55 is not something that we have always had to consider. In the 12 and 1300’s, things like heart attacks and dementia were not common threats because no one lived long enough for them to be.
As time has passed and we have evolved to live much longer lives, there is a slew of new things we are now required to give thought to. There are obvious pros and cons to living longer. We now have the privilege of sharing in our grandchildren’s lives.
On the other hand, most people over the age of 55 begin to deal with medical issues only present at a later age. The only upside in the modern era is the availability of treatments and Alzheimer’s support agency. Both these combined can make life livable again for the elderly. Since some diseases have become too common and inevitable, instead of fretting about our fate, it is best that we learn to cope with them. Below are some ways that you can make life after 55 better than you ever thought it could be.
Stay Active
Granted, most people are still working a full-time job at 55, but it is about now that we begin to see an imminent end to certain things in our lives. Retirement is coming, hanging out with friends is just not like it used to be, and our idea of a good time often involves an early bedtime. These developments are pretty normal.
With that said, we would like to encourage you to rebel against the norm (when is this not fun?). Find ways to stay active. Now we’re not saying you need to go out and party with your friends all night and wake up in the front yard of someone’s house you don’t know. Some things were bad ideas even when we were young enough to handle it better.
There are communities made just for 55 and older. Places like these cater to the fact that driving halfway across the state to go do something fun is a negative deciding factor. They include things like swimming, a putting green, a library, and a fitness center. There’s even a fire pit for those of us that know the value of getting lost in the dancing of the flames.
Live in the Present
Life in its entirety is an amazing accomplishment. Yes, there are good ways and bad ways to live it, but the fact that anyone makes it through a life of 80 years (on average,) can prove to be unbelievable. Let’s face it. We all have events in our lives that we wish didn’t exist or that we could have handled better.
Relationships that we should have been more patient in, children we should have spent more time with, jobs we could have taken more lucrative risks in are things that haunt the majority of us. However, that is in the past. There are very few instances that we can change anything.
If we spend the rest of our lives in Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve Land, we ruin the chance for happiness with our present self. It’s a good idea to keep the outlook of having the best days ahead of us and this is only as impossible as you make it. There is always a silver lining. Live in the present, make the best out of what you have, and strive to have better.
Surround Yourself With Healthy Choices
We’re sure you hear plenty of this from your doctor and you should. As we get older, our nutritional needs change. We should always exercise to the best of our ability. For some, that might mean water aerobics and for others that might mean a morning jog around the city. Never stop moving.
With that said, we are also talking about who you surround yourself with and the situations you allow yourself to be part of. If there is anything we learn as we grow older it is that our tolerance for toxic people and situations wanes. This is not only normal but great. Toxic people and situations can affect your mental, emotional, and physical health.
You don’t have to surround yourself with worshippers (that’s not very healthy either,) but you should make sure to invite people into your life that are uplifting to you. There should be people in your life that challenge you to be better, that are there for you when you are having a rough time of it, and that are just as willing to allow you to be that person for them.
The age of 55 is not the end of life. It’s the beginning of a brand new chapter where you own the cheat codes to most of life and have to deal with much less of the unknown. Feel free to come back and use these tips to help you make the best of it.
