Aging gracefully is not an easy thing to do. In our society that is obsessed with youthfulness, combating the signs of aging, and cosmetic surgery, it is hard to cope with growing older and the changes our bodies go through. Many men and women struggle with allowing aging to threaten their self worth and quality of life. But is there a way to age with grace and not let our wrinkles, gray hair, and age spots dictate how we see ourselves and the world around us? What if aging were equated with getting better rather than getting worse? How we age has so much to do with our attitude and beliefs. Shifting our perspective of growing older could make a world of difference in coping with the aging process.
To age gracefully requires inner strength and wisdom. Vitality in senior years is not something unattainable. Living a vital, fulfilling life despite your age is possible through shifting your perspective. To shift your perspective there are two basic principles that will help: Accepting things you cannot change and having determination to change things you can. Let’s look at each of these mindsets that are crucial to successful aging.
Let’s first look at what you can change. It has been discovered that your attitude has an enormous role on how you age. Much of the decline people experience with aging is due to the mindset that aging must mean a decline in function and quality of life. So the first step in aging well is to change your attitude from one of half empty to half full. In addition to changing your attitude you must also realize that many of the problems of age can be due to the effects of a lifetime of stress and poor health habits. It is never too late to change your lifestyle and get rid of habits that can cause premature aging.
Along with changing things you can, it is very important to accept the things that you cannot change. We can definitely not change the fact that every day brings us closer to death. This fact causes a great deal of difficulty for most people when dealing with aging. When we see signs of aging we are constantly reminded that our bodies will eventually die and come face to face with our mortality. Many people deal best with this by focusing on their spiritual health. By focusing on the blessings of today as well as your current role in life, you can better cope with aging and accept its inevitability.
Finally, aging gracefully means finding a balance between the acceptance of aging and doing what you can to remain vital and healthy as long as possible. Exercising, eating right, remaining stress free, and getting rid of bad habits can make a world of difference in the aging process. Do your best to enjoy, embrace, and accept who you are at every stage of your life. Keeping a positive attitude and being at peace with yourself will give you the radiance of someone who has aged well.
