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Have Fun – Enjoyable Activities for Older Adults

As you grow older, some of the things you have always loved to do become more difficult than they ever were before. This is a challenging part of aging but something you should keep in mind is, there are lots of appealing and valuable things you can do to improve your health and attitude. Below is a list of activities and hobbies that are sure to keep you entertained as you age.

 

Birdwatch

One popular activity is birdwatching. Birdwatching exercises both your mind and your body. It is a wonderful way to get outside and active. Another great thing about birdwatching is that it is one of the most affordable activities there are. All you need is a field guide and maybe a pair of binoculars!

 

Get to Cooking

Most people have been cooking and baking for years. Many do not realize that cooking and baking can have a good effect on your mental health. Cooking stimulates your senses, it makes you (and whoever you are sharing with) happy, and it can be an outlet to express creativity. If you are searching for an activity to take part in, you may want to dive into an activity you have known all your life and head to your kitchen!

 

Start a Garden

Gardening is an activity that is beneficial both mentally and physically. It improves your memory and attention span, lowers stress, and boosts the feeling of relaxation. When gardening, you are adding to the beauty of your surroundings. You may even be putting food on the table in the process, depending on what you choose to plant. Gardening is an activity you do not have to wait to begin. All you need to start your garden is some land, and seeds from your neighborhood home shop.

 

 

Go for a Walk

One of the best ways to get some exercise and take in the beauty of nature is, going on a walk. Walking helps preserve mobility and independence as you age. It is a low impact activity, where even something as simple as taking a stroll through the park can help keep you in shape.

 

Draw or Paint

Painting and drawing are some hobbies you could incorporate into your everyday life. Not only is painting and drawing peaceful activities and a lot of fun, but there are many other benefits that you can enjoy if you make it your new hobby. Painting and drawing help to enhance fine motor skills, increase brain activity, and work on concentration. All you need is paper and a pencil! If you feel you would like some more professional art tools, you should be able to get all you need and more at your local craft store.

 

Do What You Love

Doing the things that you love will help you to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. All the activities listed are great opportunities for you to exercise your brain, body, and heart. By becoming more active, you will find more enjoyment in your free time. So come on, have fun, and get active!

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Biggest Fears of Retirement – “Fear of Failure to Finance”

Needles. Heights. Spiders. The dark. All these are things many people are afraid of. However, if you are nearing the age of retirement, what may scare you might not be any of those things. A top concern many individuals approaching retirement have is outliving their savings. Let’s take a look at why this worries many, and a couple of tips to help with this issue.

Affording to Live Through Retirement

Retirement is supposed to be a peaceful time to finally relax and begin living life your way. For many, though, it’s the exact opposite. Most adults over 65 years of age who are living alone cannot afford to pay for their basic needs. No matter your age, the fear of not having enough money is real. We spend most of our lives working to save for the future. When it becomes time for us to rely on what we’ve saved, it can be scary. Most people are afraid that they will not have enough money saved to last through the latter years of their life.  One recent U.S. News & World Report, for example, revealed that in the city of New Orleans, 69 percent of the population over the age of 65 have incomes lower than the poverty line. Little wonder why for many, outliving their money would be a primary concern.

What can be done to address this rising issue? Financial planning well in advance is paramount. Wise money management starts with establishing and maintaining a realistic spending pattern based upon your current income.  For instance, … While many have plans to help them transition into retirement, few have a plan for making it through retirement. That concern is heightened by statistics indicating that people are living longer due in no small part perhaps to advancements made in modern medicine and an increased interest in making healthy lifestyle choices. How is one under the circumstance to determine how much in the way of financial resources is enough? …

It’s important to remember that you will no longer have a steady paycheck with overtime opportunities. The expression, “fixed income” will now become part of your post-retirement vocabulary. Maintaining a daily budget of your living expenses will be something that you will inevitably be forced to do in your new-found circumstance. Doing this can relieve you of long-term financial anxiety. 

Retirement can be a stressful time if you are not properly prepared. The sooner you realize your savings are not where they need to be, the more time you have for adjustment. Start early… the more thought you put into planning your retirement the more you will enjoy it.

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Biggest Fears of Retirement – “Staying Healthy and Affording Health Care”

As a retiree, you expect to spend a large sum of money on health care. Still, many don’t plan appropriately for it. Without a job affording the health care you need could seem near impossible. If you take good care of your health now, you’ll be able to have a quality life and there will be a financial advantage. Your yearly expense will be far less if you are healthy.

Health Decline

Declining health is something we all will have to face in life sooner or later. Although genetics plays a part in health during old age, one important thing that affects your health is how you’ve lived throughout your younger years. If you smoked, the consequences in later life have a chance of being lung cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart disease or even vision loss. Poor diet is an additional cause of poor health in the elderly. Overeating can cause diabetes, heart problems, and many other illnesses. Many cannot afford to eat properly, still, even if it is within their means, some disregard the importance of keeping a proper diet. This makes them far more susceptible to disease. There are many things you can do to take care of your health while you grow older. Eat smart, the digestive system slows down with age, so eating foods high in fiber would be a good thing to do. Seniors can more easily become dehydrated. Make sure to drink plenty of water to keep your energy up. Always get enough sleep. This can be difficult with restlessness and waking throughout the night which is common among seniors. What can help? Dimming the lights in the evening will encourage drowsiness and keep your bedroom cool, quiet and comfortable. This can help provide you with an atmosphere whereby you can sleep more peacefully.

Affording Health Care

No matter how much you prepare, it’s hard to foresee certain expenses leading up to retirement. Being able to afford good healthcare is a thought that brings worry to those on the brink of retirement. The fear of losing health insurance can keep you from leaving your job or make you want to put off your retirement. There aren’t a lot of Americans who are mindful of the huge burden upcoming health care costs present. Having emergency funds that can take care of expenses for at least half a year would be extremely helpful. This should help cover the cost of some unexpected events that can occur. Do your best to maintain good health, look into a good quality health insurance plan, and think of medical costs while you prepare for retirement, this will help you ultimately. Maybe even moving to a place with good healthcare options would be of interest to you.

*Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended to replace professional medical advice or to diagnose or treat. 

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Biggest Fears of Retirement – “Feeling Lonely”

 

Loneliness

Loneliness is another problem you may face as you increase in age. It is common for many to feel unwanted or unloved. You might also feel lonely because you’re physically distant from your social group. We as humans, yearn for meaningful relationships and social connections. People who are lonely decline faster in mental health than those who have more social relationships. When you feel a part of something, and you see that you mean something to others, it’ll help you succeed in having a more positive life. We need to interact with people, especially the ones in our lives who love us. Not to say that living alone will always lead to loneliness, neither does living with others guarantee happiness. You can keep your independence as you age while still developing solid social connections. But if you are feeling lonely here are a few things that can help…

Tackling loneliness

Stay connected – Spend time with and stay connected to family and grandchildren. Especially if you have mobility issues, keeping people around can lift your spirit. Preserve relationships you have already established. Get in touch with old friends you have lost contact with and build up stronger relationships with the people who live close to you. Joining social sites that are designed to help you keep up family and friends could be something you may want to look into as well. Get out more, go where people are. Even going out to run errands, can help you feel more connected.

Explore new hobbies – Embrace your freedom the best you can, take up a new hobby, spend time doing things you enjoy doing instead of only what you must do. You can join a book club, learn to play an instrument or sign up for an art class

It doesn’t matter so much what it is you do to keep yourself entertained but what is most important are the connections and friendships you’ll make while doing the things you love.

Get a pet – Dogs and cats are known to help with loneliness. They are able to provide a solid companionship. They can also display a variety of human-like behaviors. A dog can show you their love by jumping into your lap and embracing you. Pets can force you to participate in some healthy activities that can improve your feelings of being alone. For instance, getting you to go outdoors and get some exercise