The phrase aging gracefully means so many different things. It can be an incredible compliment, but to those who are aging, it can be a terrifying phrase. The very thought of aging makes us think that we are losing something, or many things, in our lives. This isn’t a small deal. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Hence the ever-pressing pursuit of gracious aging and the quest to maintain vitality once we pass the ages of 50 and beyond.
There are many things that we can do when we want to learn how to age gracefully. Diet, lifestyle, and understanding our emotional centers are all critical steps to growing old gracefully and living as long as we can. Use this guide to pull the magic of aging together for you so that you can enjoy the last half of your life and feel magnificent every single day.
Understanding Aging
Many Americans will try to age gracefully and hopefully ignore the signs of aging that could lead them to anxiety or depression. But wrinkles, skin spots, graying hair, and a lackluster sex life are all signs that life is moving on. This can be a very difficult thing to accept for people who are aging. When the human machine begins to break down, the realities of aging begin to set in, and life feels more difficult.
However, aging can be construed as a process that can and should be embraced. Still, there are physical parts of aging that can not be ignored. As we age, our bodies just tend to work a little bit harder. Our heart pumps harder and the veins and arteries that carry blood begin to change as well, becoming more stiff with time. Teeth and gums will change, and skin will begin to lose its elasticity, leading to wrinkles.
At the same time, our bones are becoming more brittle, and we notice other little things happening with our bodies. We may go to the bathroom more, or experience changes in our sex life or our desire to have sex. We may also have a tougher time getting around or moving around. For example, we may find it takes more time to go up the stairs or walk from room to room in our homes.
Hearing and vision can change as well. All of this is part of the natural aging process, and it can be very difficult to find the path to aging gracefully. This can get stressful and depressing. When we find the things in our lives that contribute to the aging process, we can reduce or eliminate them from our routines to feel younger and healthier.
Physical activity and a healthy diet are all parts of that. Smoking can contribute to some signs of aging, and a good gracefully aging routine should include a plan to quit. You also want to find ways to manage your stress levels and reduce the worry lines on your head. More sleep is a healthy way to age, as cell division occurs faster when we are sleeping, and will contribute to your overall healing and wellness plan.
7 Strategies for Aging Gracefully
There are many different strategies that we can adopt when it comes to learning how to age gracefully. The art of gracious aging comes with taking better care of yourself overall. All the usual suspects in maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you to have more energy in your life, which will make you feel younger, and maybe even look younger too.
Lifestyle and mindset play big roles when it comes to aging, in addition to maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Emotions are an important part of aging gracefully, as the word grace is right in the word. However, a bad hip, new wrinkles, grayer hair, and high stress levels will all contribute to anxieties that center around aging. So a little bit of both health and wellness strategies and mindset strategies will help you.
Stay Physically Active
Physical activity is an important part of life for everyone. You need to keep your cardiovascular system in shape for almost a century for most people. Taking a walk every day is a good start. However, if you can do more, and want to, go for it.
Start activities that you like, or join a club that will help you to meet people and improve the quality of your life. Play tennis, or pickleball, or join a gym and take yoga every week. Add more activity into your life that you can do, and you will look and feel better.
Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet is a way to stay healthy, which by definition means that you will live longer. Include a wide range of food choices in your diet, and make them ones that you will love. Eat a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, and supplement with vitamins if you don’t eat enough nutrients. Add dairy to your diet to ensure your calcium intake is appropriate, and maintain healthy bones in the process.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water every day is one of the easiest methods of aging gracefully. You will see it in every skincare routine and headline. That is because every cell in our body needs to be hydrated, and drinking water regularly is the way to do that. Drink 8 glasses of water a day, and more if it helps you to feel more energy throughout the day.
Prioritize Quality Sleep
Sleep is an important part of gracious aging, because with sleep comes healing and cell division. Our bodies need to rest every day. As we age, our systems work harder naturally than usual. We feel better after we sleep for a reason. It helps!
Manage Stress
Stress loads can have a significant effect on our lives, particularly as we age. Incorporate new things into your life that can help you to manage stress. When we worry, we create wrinkles. It isn’t just an urban legend. Find ways to have more fun when you are aging, and, again, you will feel and look younger.
Keep Your Mind Active
Keeping your mind active is another important part of aging gracefully because when we feel our mind suffers, our mood suffers. Then, everything suffers. We don’t need to go into aging feeling like it is the end of our world. You might have decades stretching before you. Keep your brain sharp with crossword puzzles, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, or documentaries or dramas that make you think.
Regular Health Check-Ups
Regular check-ups with your doctors are more important now. Keep a calendar of all of your appointments. If you know it’s been too long, call your doctors today and schedule check-ups to make sure that everything is working as it should be. There may be something missing from your aging strategy plan that your doctor can help you to discover, or even feel better about overall.
Maintaining Vitality
Vitality is the process where we have more energy in our days, and as we age, this energy tank can get a little low. Find ways to include more activities in your life that give you a vitality mindset. Having vitality isn’t just about having more energy, it’s about being excited about what you are doing with your life. Bring elements into your life that you will just love, and you will feel alive and renewed every day that you do those things.
One developmental psychologist, Erik Erikson, noted that in the aging group of 40 – 65, we take on more important roles of giving in our lives. We give to work, we give to our families, we give to our communities. If you are lacking in any area of your life, start giving more and you will find a new energy infusion into your every day. Small acts will help you to feel more vital again.
After the age of 65, keep going with the things you love. Your body might slow down, but your mindset won’t. Mindset is a very important part of aging, and it can start with gratitude for who you are and what you have become. You will notice you have this more when you are around youth more, or people in their 20s and 30s.
As we age, we do gain experience, it isn’t another urban myth about getting old. We can be grateful for this and include that gratitude in our daily mindset. We may feel grumpy about healthier diets and physical activity, but we can change our mindset here too. Do activities you love, and make sure that you eat fun foods on occasion so that you have food to get excited about once in a while.
Maintaining vitality is about feeling good, having energy, and being healthy through the process. Vitality is an extension of your energy flow and is all about the mindset. Bring these tips into your daily life to embrace the mindset that you are loving the art of gracious aging.
Holistic Well-Being
A holistic approach to health could very well be the healthiest thing you do when you are aging gracefully. Here you want to bring more natural methods of healing and wellness into your life. Holistic approaches aren’t always about eating organic foods and drinking water every day. You may want to use some holistic practitioners, such as a naturopath if you have health conditions you worry about, or engage in some activities that are holistic and natural.
Starting things like yoga and meditation can help you considerably when it comes to aging. These are mild activities that can help you to connect your mind, body, and soul connections with the physical plane in a way that makes you realize that age is just a number. You can learn to do these things on your own at home, or join a club and make some new friends that are tuning in to their well-being as they age gracefully themselves.
Start Aging Gracefully Today
The art of aging gracefully is nothing to be ashamed of. It can be dangerous to fear the aging process, which is something that most people go through. Yes, you can work on aging gracefully without worrying about what everybody is thinking about it. This is your life.
Aging gracefully is about committing to a mindset that helps you to make the healthiest choices you can while enjoying your life to the fullest. When someone tells you that you are aging gracefully, accept the compliment and bless them with gratitude. The science of aging will make your day!
