According to the Huffington Post, people are more concerned with “aging gracefully” than they are “saving for retirement.” This may not be the wisest focus, but it’s clear graceful aging is very important to people. So here are some of the most important things you can do to age gracefully.
1. Be Happy
Happiness doesn’t depend entirely on your circumstances. You really can fake it till you make it. Feeling down? Just start smiling. Most people find that after a while they really do start to feel better and the smile becomes genuine.
An even more powerful strategy is to consider the things you’re thankful for on a daily basis—whether they’re truly important like your friends and family, or simply small things you enjoy like a favorite breakfast cereal or catchy song.
2. Do New Things
Many seniors like to exercise their mind with crosswords, sudoku, and other puzzles. This is a great strategy. But an often overlooked way to exercise you mind (and keep active) is to do new things. Take a class in something that interests you. Play a new instrument. Or simply take a new path to the grocery store.
3. Be a Social Butterfly
The more socially connected you are the longer you’ll live and the less likely you are to become depressed. Attend social events whenever you can, invite friends over to dinner, or try doing some volunteer work.
4. Take Care of Your Body
So far the aging advice we’ve given has to do with one’s lifestyle, not their physical body. Too often, people only focus on the physical body when it’s their lifestyle that can have the most profound effect on aging. Nonetheless, taking care of one’s body is super important—now more than ever.
Remember to eat healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and get some exercise. If you do all that, aging gracefully should be no problem.