Defining What it Means to Age Gracefully
There are some people we look at and label as aging gracefully. It’s hard to pinpoint what it means to age gracefully. Maybe there’s something in the way a person presents, or maybe there’s an aurora about them that feels joyful and uplifting. Whatever it is, it makes us admire them.
But what does it mean to age gracefully? Aging gracefully can mean something different to everyone, and it’s something everyone can achieve once they understand their values and what they can do to live each day to the fullest.
Decide What Graceful Aging Means to You
Aging gracefully can mean something different to every person. To some people, aging gracefully might mean staying physically healthy. For others, it might mean maintaining strong relationships or keeping a sharp mind. Take time to reflect on your values and identify what it means for you to age gracefully. What’s most important to you? What brings you joy? What adds value to your life?
Set Goals
Once you understand what it means to you to age gracefully, try setting some goals to help you ensure you’re living out the rest of your life in the best way for you. If you’ve identified aging gracefully as spending time with family, set a goal for how many times per week or month you’d like to see them. Or you can develop a plan around how family members you spend one-on-one time with within a specific time. If aging gracefully means staying physically healthy, set goals around staying physically active or eating more nutritious meals. If you want to focus on your mental or emotional health, develop plans that allow you to explore and expand your mind.
Whatever goals you have, write them down. You can handwrite them on a piece of paper, or you can type them on the computer. Writing goals down not only helps you remember, but it adds some accountability to yourself. Put the list of goals somewhere where you’ll see them daily as a reminder to live and age gracefully.
Make Small Changes
Setting goals is great, but you can’t achieve your goals unless you make changes. Start with small changes so you don’t overwhelm yourself in trying to reach your goals. If you want to improve or maintain your physical health, start by taking a 15-minute walk every other day or making a healthy home-cooked meal once a week. If you want to keep your mind sharp, start reading for 10 minutes every morning or doing a puzzle each night before bed.
Once the small change becomes a habit, you can start making more significant changes, such as walking more days per week or incorporating a new task to help you reach your goals. You can keep making changes until you feel like you’re aging gracefully in a way that makes the most sense to you.
Stay Consistent, But Flexible
Making positive changes in your life requires consistency, which is why it’s best to start small. Even on days when you don’t feel your best, try to stick to your routine. It might feel challenging at first, but the more you settle into any changes, the easier it’ll feel.
While consistency is important, it’s also good to stay flexible. Some days you might feel like keeping to yourself or venturing from your routine. You might also discover that goals or changes you’ve made aren’t making you as happy as expected. In either case, stay flexible and adjust at the moment to find what is going to bring you the most joy in your graceful aging.
How Visiting Angels Can Help
If aging gracefully means finding someone to help you stay independent and safe at home, then the team at Visiting Angels is here to help. Our compassionate caregivers provide a range of at-home services for seniors, including meal preparations, light housekeeping, personal grooming, mobility assistance, medication reminders, and more. Our Grand Junction office serves those in Mesa Country, Co. If you’d like to learn more about our services, you can complete this online form or call us at 970.254.8888.