Senior Living Wellness: Nurturing Mind, Body, and Spirit in Retirement
After so many years of carefully strategizing the work week to get everything done, retirement can be quite a change. Having the time to pursue hobbies and interests that were put off because of work can be incredibly satisfying. Prioritizing your health, interests, and lifestyle can seem selfish, but it’s so important for senior wellness. At Solterra Senior Living, we give our residents the tools and resources to stay healthy, explore new passions, and experience new adventures.
In this article, we have some great ways to nurture the mind, body, and spirit in our senior years:
Nurture Your Mind
Mental health is a priority at every age, but for seniors, it’s essential. Changes to the brain, body, and emotions can all affect senior wellness. Luckily, there are many ways to keep the mind sharp and stay emotionally healthy with some new lifestyle choices.
Keeping the mind sharp is essential to stay mentally healthy, and one of the ways to do that is to commit to a lifetime of learning. Research has shown that learning is one way to keep the aging mind and brain healthy. Playing games or competing with a trivia team helps keep the mind healthy and nurtures social connections, and having strong family and friend connections may combat cognitive decline.
For good reasons, mindfulness exercises have gotten a lot of attention over the years. Mindfulness might seem complicated, but it is simply paying attention to the present moment. Studies have shown that mindfulness exercises are effective in reducing stress, pain, depression, insomnia, and even high blood pressure. There are daily experiences that incorporate mindfulness and also help your brain focus.
Nurturing the mind with a positive attitude is a daily exercise that can be extremely powerful. You can start your day by considering the small things you feel grateful for. Staying present and focusing on enjoyable experiences as they occur throughout the day is a great tool to incorporate. By focusing on positive experiences and cultivating an attitude of gratitude, you’re helping your brain create new neural pathways that help foster feelings like enthusiasm and happiness.
Nurture Your Body
Prioritizing one’s physical health is another way to nurture the senior body and keep your mind sharp. Besides getting regular visits with a doctor, incorporating exercise and good nutrition helps ensure healthy living for years to come. Curating other healthy habits with great benefits will allow us to enjoy new life adventures.
Physical exercise is recommended for everyone, and at Solterra Senior Living, we offer physical exercise activities like yoga, Zumba, tai chi, community dancing, and a fitness center. Which type of physical exercise is beneficial and enjoyable varies from person to person. Retirement is a great time to try out new experiences in exercise. Walking is associated with a 51% lower risk of death from all causes. Incorporating physical exercise into daily life is a great way to ensure good physical and mental health.
Eating nourishing foods is another way to achieve health and vitality. A great way to keep going with your lifetime learning is learning about the dietary changes you can incorporate for healthy living. There are even foods that can help prevent memory loss! Taking the time to savor a good meal with some friends is a great way to slow down and enjoy life.
Good sleep is vital to physical and mental health. Burning the midnight oil is out of style, and having a healthy sleeping cycle is a priority. Sleep helps the body restore and repair, improves mental function, and improves overall mental health.
Chronic sleeplessness should always be discussed with a doctor, but simple tasks like creating a relaxing routine before bedtime can help immensely. Retirement also offers the free time to take a nap if needed, but make sure your nap is not too late in the day and isn’t too long.
Nurture Your Spirit
One of the ways to nurture your spirit is to find experiences that bring you joy. Growing into a new phase of your life is truly a journey of self-discovery. Now that there’s more time, there’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy fulfilling experiences.
Being in a community with others is one way to nurture your spirit and bring unexpected health benefits. Being a part of a community simply means you’re contributing to that community with your presence. People who have strong social interactions and support tend to live longer. Senior living is a great place to meet new friends and enjoy social activities in the community.
Many people find connection in spiritual communities. Religious services and meditation practices can bring comfort to many. Whether attending a service or joining an online group, there are many ways to connect through spirituality.
Another way to nurture your spirit in your senior years is to rediscover yourself. To take the time to figure out what activities and experiences bring you joy is what you worked hard for. Permitting yourself to let go of the things you no longer wish to do will free you up to find more things to enjoy. Finding ways to express yourself through art, writing, or music can be enriching.
One of those things you might discover is finding new ways to be a part of society outside the workplace. By volunteering, you can share skills that might benefit someone else. You’ll also find a community of people who share the same values in giving back to others. There are many organizations to choose from, and many volunteer opportunities are available online. You can contribute to your community with your unique talents and skills in endless ways. Exploring new ways to live a healthy and vibrant lifestyle in our senior years is truly what makes these the golden years. Supporting our residents in their senior wellness journey is what we do best. Come find out what it means to live the Solterra lifestyle by scheduling a visit to any of our beautiful senior living communities.