Recreating and Improving Your Life as a Senior Citizen

You’re a senior, with the benefit of hindsight and experience. You know yourself and you’ve seen what life is all about. More importantly, you know what life can be all about – beautiful, thrilling, rewarding, and fulfilling. You just have to choose to make it so (and may already intuitively grasp how). Insightful Inspirations is here to assist you in the (likely overwhelming) endeavor: 

Be patient with (and heal) yourself 

You may be confronted and have to make peace with the fact that you’re getting on in the years – regardless of your personal feelings about the matter. It will be hard and, occasionally, lonely – our culture values youth and remaining young, even for seniors, and shies away from age, as Hayes Hall Gazette can confirm. The change may trigger depression, nostalgia, and self-isolation. 

Don’t buy into people’s judgment (they don’t know any better) – your life is as important as everyone else’s, regardless of age.  You must be patient with yourself through this transition. Trust the process, and yourself. You will get through it, heal, and eventually succeed in recreating a better life. 

Take it one step at a time 

Changing your life won’t happen in a day – it’s a process, like digesting food, and can’t be rushed. It will likely be overwhelming and daunting, seeing as you realize your old routines, ways of being, and even core beliefs no longer work for you. Take it one step at a time and make good use of your wealth of experience. 

Find and nurture meaning

Finding meaning is an important part of the journey. The Chicago Tribune says seniors with purpose live longer. Survival for its own sake isn’t always enough – life needs to have meaning for it to be fulfilling. Everyone finds meaning in different things, such as their loved ones or a cause they can get behind. Figure out what truly matters to you.  

Consider a spiritual practice like energy healing 

A spiritual practice, one that appeals to you, will smooth your way. It can give faith, bolster your inner purpose, and see you through dark times. Energy healing and inner-work, for example, promote wellbeing and assist you in creating a meaningful, joyful life.   

Stay active 

Spiritual practice will feed your mind and heart, but you also need to look after your physical body. Exercise can go a long way toward giving you energy and keeping aches and pains at bay. Consider taking long walks, cycling, or doing yoga.  A fun, light activity like gardening can also keep you in shape. 

Start a business 

Starting a business is a wonderful way to stay active, support your family, nurture your meaning, and remain fulfilled. Your experience can, again, be put to good use – you have likely picked up many talents along the way. Consider what you’re good at, do some market research, come up with a business plan, and launch. 

It’s smart to form an LLC, as it protects your assets from lawsuits. It also offers advantages like tax breaks, less paperwork, and flexibility. Using a formation service like zenbusiness.com or filing the paperwork yourself is how you can avoid paying hefty lawyer fees. All states have regulations around LLC-formation, be sure to check the rules locally before you proceed.  

Downsize 

Just like you will be discarding old routines and patterns, consider doing away with some material possessions and living simpler. Downsizing, for example, will free up a lot of space, time, and energy. You can live in a smaller space, which requires less maintenance and upkeep on your part. It may also make financial sense.  

Conclusion 

Life can be as beautiful after 65 as it was before – maybe even more so, seeing as you can probably appreciate it more. While it’s challenging to take control of your life and make sweeping changes, don’t hold yourself back from trying – it’s the only way toward an improved quality of life. Always remember that you’re not alone. You can ask for help and support from friends and family to ease the transition. 

Further Reading

For more information on aging at home and creating a safe environment as we and our loved ones age, check out this comprehensive guide on home safety from the National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/home-safety-older-adults/

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