Once you get to the age of 60 or 65, your wellness priorities shift quite substantially. What might have worked when you were younger actually changes quite significantly as you get older.
So, what should you be doing if you’re an older adult? How can you stay safe?.
Use Technology To Track Your Wellness
One of the things you can do is actually use technology to track your wellness activities and habits. New devices can be helpful for keeping you informed and telling you where you are right now.
For example, you might want to get a wearable device that can track things like sleep and medications you’re using. You might also want to count the number of steps you’re taking or even things like your heart rate throughout the day.
You also need to be careful of hot weather when it arrives. Ensure you put on plenty of light clothes and stay as hydrated as you can, avoiding outdoor activities where possible.
Many older people suffer in the hot weather because of a reduced ability to cope with heat. Because of this, health challenges are more likely during the summer and in heatwaves than at other times of the year.
Get Regular Social Contact
People over 65 should also be looking to get regular social contact with the others around them. Using in-home care services is one option, especially if you have a disability or chronic health condition, since care workers will visit you multiple times per day.
Another way to get social contact is to simply join a group or a community of some kind. Again, these can be great outlets.
Reduce Fall Risks
Wellness over 65 also includes looking for ways to reduce fall risks. For example, you could get rid of loose rugs in your environment or put down a special material in the bathroom to make it less slippery.
Using things like a walker is also helpful if you’re prone to falling. These reduce fear and help you get on your feet more often.
Pursue Hobbies
You can also do things like pursue hobbies. Spending more time in the garden or painting can be a great way to engage your mind and generally pass the time. When you’re in the flow of something, that’s often when you feel happiest, since you’re putting your mind to work and giving it less time to think of all the things that could possibly go wrong.
You can also try things like being grateful. Simply training your mind to give thanks for the things you have can be an extremely powerful tool and something that enables you to process emotions in daily life.
One of the best ways of doing this is to record your gratitude in a journal. Doing it this way forces you to think about and articulate it.
You should find that gratitude rewires your mind over time. Eventually, you learn to look at the world in a different way.
