It’s the bitter truth we face when we look in the mirror. It’s the fact of life that hits us when we suffer from aches and pains. It is the worry that keeps us awake at night.
We are, of course, talking about aging.
It happens to us all. Short of carbon freezing or a newly discovered elixir of life, we all have to face this one inevitable fact of life. And as we face it, the fears set in.
We fear the health issues that are prevalent with aging. From memory loss to arthritis, we worry about losing control of our mind and body, and not being as functional as we were in our youth.
We are fearful of becoming a burden to our children, as they become the caregiver that we once were to them.
And, of course, we fear that final absolute: death!
The fear of getting older is a tough nut to crack because there is so much to worry about. Apologies if we have just put a damper on your day. However, there are ways to overcome the fears we mentioned. While we don’t have the power to turn back time and reverse aging, there are still ways we can prolong our lives, and make things easier for ourselves and our children.
We can take steps to look after our health.
By engaging in regular exercise, we can protect our joints from the problems associated with arthritis. Exercise gets the blood pumping, and this is good for our heart health. And it’s good for the mind, boosting our serotonin levels to keep us fresh, alert, and positive in our thinking. A healthy diet will also stave off age-related diseases, so we should curb unhealthy eating at every opportunity. And we can stay mentally active by eating brain foods and engaging in activities that require us to think.
By doing each of these things, we can increase our chances of staying healthier longer, and perhaps increase our longevity on this planet as well.
We can make life easier for our children.
By looking after our health, we will become less reliant on them in our later years. This will enable them to go about their lives without having to worry too much about us. However, we can’t predict the twists and turns that our life will take, so in the event that we do become ill in later life, and in the event that we might not be able to care for ourselves at some ppoint, we can raise the discussion early to create a plan. We can talk about our wishes when it comes to healthcare, and while they may be all too willing to become our caregivers, we can point them to other avenues. Home care is one possibility, but there are also the benefits of residential care homes such as Porthaven to consider, with advantages for ourselves and our children.
Not only will these discussions give our children peace of mind, but we will also have some relief knowing that our wishes for them, and ourselves, will be taken care of.
The fear of getting older is a tough nut to crack, but our final word is this. Live your life.
Rather than live with regrets later on, and rather than thinking about how long you have left on the earth, live life instead. Do the things that bring you happiness. Fulfill your bucket list dreams. Love yourself and those around you. And make the most of every day that you have been granted. We aren’t going to live forever, but we can make the days we have on this earth mean something. So, enjoy your life, focusing on the positives instead of letting your worries and fears get you down.
Take care good care of you! You matter!
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