Healthcare

Over 55 – Why Self-Care Should Be Your Priority

Over 55 – Why Self-Care Should Be Your Priority

When you get to the age of 55 (or probably even before), like it or not, things tend to stop working quite as well as they used to. This could involve you noticing that you are beginning to put on a little extra unwelcome weight or you are seeing that mobility is becoming a little bit more complicated.

You might also feel as though you aren’t as happy as you used to be, and after some thought, you could realize that it all ties to how well you look after yourself. 

With all of that in mind, you might find it helpful to unearth a few self-care tips and improve the quality of your life. These might not help you feel 30 years younger again, but they could help keep you mobile and happier for many years.

Any internet search will give you a laundry list of options, but there are some key areas you need to target as a starting point.

1. Begin with exercise 

This process is bound to involve some uncomfortable truths, and the first of these is admitting that you aren’t getting enough exercise. You will find that you are maybe feeling a little bit stiff or out of breath, and this can be upsetting because as you get older, it can be harder to begin exercising. This is why you should be making sure that you keep moving as much as you can every day, but at the same time, you do need to be careful not to overexert yourself.

This can be a difficult balance to achieve, so your best bet can be looking for outside help, such as fitness programs for seniors, to make sure that you engage in a suitable exercise regime that is ideal for your age, body type, and level of fitness.

This might well be more important than you think because if you try to do the same exercises as a 20-year-old without much of a warm-up, you are likely to hurt yourself and achieve the exact opposite of what you set out to do. 

2. Mental health 

With that first box ticked, the next step is to make sure that you are looking after your mental well-being – poor mental health is, unfortunately, something that affects everybody. However, for a low mood or feeling isolated, you might find an easy fix.

For example, good ways to help a low mood include exercising, changing eating habits, and trying a new hobby. An excellent way to prevent you from feeling isolated can be joining a hobby club or a local (or online) society.

Still, if you are feeling depressed or anxious, you should seek medical help, as there could be something wrong or you might have developed a mental illness, which means you need to seek professional help. 

3. Hobbies 

There are hobbies for people of all ages and abilities out there for you to try. Each one can help you in a different way, too. These can be time well-spent and help you to keep developing and learning skills long after you have left any type of formal education. Here are a few great examples of hobbies you can try – especially ones that many older people enjoy:

4. Gardening 

Gardening can give you the license to unleash your creativity. You can also meet new people who share your enthusiasm for working with plants and flowers. There are a large number of communities you can tap into, such as simple flower growing, conservatism, and even low-level agriculture in the form of allotments, small holdings, or orchards.

5. Knitting and crafts

Knitting and crafts can be a relaxing hobby that can help you to create beautiful things that are lots of fun to make and wear. You will also find no end of different societies within knitting, arts, and crafting circles that can be fun to be a part of and provide a social outlet and a creative one. Remember, knitting, arts, and crafts appeal to those of all ages, so you are likely to make lots of friends from different backgrounds in your local area – as well as online if you partake in internet hobby groups and forums.

6. Games 

Playing games, such as board games, Bingo, or video games, or even attending chess clubs, allows you to meet and have fun with people your age and can help you to create meaningful relationships with other people over a common interest or talent.

Of course, these aren’t the only alternatives for playing games, as there are also countless different card games to play, and that’s without mentioning that many of the first generation of  ‘gamers’ are now 55 or older. In fact, game evenings spent playing on old-school consoles could be an entertaining way of spending an evening.

7. To wrap everything up

There are many different ways to look after yourself as you get older, from monitoring your mental health to keeping on top of your physical well-being. If you are retired, starting up a hobby will likely increase your skills and broaden your social circles.

Or, you might find that what helps you is exercising better, especially with professional help, to help you feel younger and fitter for longer and ward off some of those age-related aches and pains. 

About the author

Guest Author

I share technology, business, and personal development insights as a guest author. With a background in computer science and tech industry experience, I offer practical tips and actionable advice to enhance skills and achieve goals. Whether it's optimizing productivity, improving mental health, or navigating the digital world, I'm committed to helping others succeed. When not writing, I explore new technologies, read about industry developments, or enjoy the outdoors.

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