Successful Aging: Here are Some More Strategies
Dr. Joe Casciani
This month, there is a continuation of my “9 Tips to Make Living Longer Enjoyable,” with two more strategies presented to help maintain – or regain – not just health and wellbeing. These ideas can also connect us to that inner spirit and spark that keep us going. *
See the Setbacks with an Eye on Adaptation
We are aging, every day. As we age, we face challenges that are both normal and age-related as well as unexpected. How we view the future has a major impact on how well we manage these challenges. We can label a setback as an expected sign that we’re getting older, or we can say, “Another bump in the road, and I can get around this one, too”.
There will always be bumps – no road is paved smooth all the way. When we interpret these as part of the journey and see ourselves as capable and determined to move on, we find a way and we move on. Rather than resignation and despair, how about compassion and adaptation? The body is aging. Life deals us an unexpected hand now and then. None of it is the result of us being inadequate or “old.” Most of the time it’s just what accompanies our advancing years.
On the other hand, if we say…
“Oh, another setback, another surgery, another friend’s death, another broken water pipe, I don’t think I can handle another one”,
…that’s when we lose our momentum and slow down, and maybe stop engaging all together.
Said another way: four ounces of water in an eight-ounce glass is the same no matter what we call it – half full or half empty. Same glass of water. How we interpret, label, or explain these events is up to us. And,
How we interpret or explain an event to ourselves will color how successfully we adapt to it.
Resilience and Inner Strength
I believe we each have a vast reservoir of energy and creative spirit inside of us. When we dig deep to tap this reservoir of energy, we can re-define ourselves as strong, resilient, and capable. No matter what. Every time we’ve had to dig deep and accomplish something we didn’t think we were capable of — and I know you’ve been there — it builds our confidence and carries us through. Sometimes, we’re really stunned with our success.
See if you recognize one of these resilient moments in this list.
· I never thought I could take 10 steps after my stroke, but I did.
· It was the hardest chapter yet; I never thought I could finish writing it.
· I never thought I could make that phone call to my daughter, after not talking for so many months.
· Driving was always my lifeline — I never thought I could give up my car keys.
· I never thought I would get through chemo, it was the worst experience of my life
The first step is so hard, but we take one, then another. And each step — tiny, turtle steps — brings a measure of success, confidence, and what psychologists call self-efficacy. And at some point, we’ve crossed a finish line. We succeed.
Whatever it took to take those extra steps, or make that call, or change an opinion, there’s more of that fire inside us, to take on more challenges.
And the best part is that there’s more where that spirit and determination came from. It is a bottomless reserve.
Be sure to check back for future insights and strategies on aging well. We are turning aging on its head!
Dr. Joe Casciani is the owner and Chief Curator for the Living to 100 Club, a source of solutions to living longer and healthier, with a special focus on mindset and attitudes about aging. He has a 40-year history as a psychologist and manager of mental health practices specializing in behavioral health services with older adults. In addition to his work as a clinical consultant, he is an engaging and inspiring speaker, and helps audiences move beyond their questions and concerns about aging to create a vision of what is possible in the years ahead. He strongly believes there is value in helping people feel inspired about their future.
*For a copy of the entire “9 Tips” PDF article, click here. Or go to the Club’s website www.livingto100.club and receive your copy by signing up to join our email list (if not already on the list) for weekly Podcast announcements and monthly Newsletters.