35 Comments
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Janice Walton's avatar

Time for a pop-up for a discussion. Are you ready?

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Lucy Keil's avatar

Trying to keep balance! Physical - so I don't fall. Social - making an effort to spend time with others but savoring time alone., Intellectual - keep my mind challenged but not stressed. Service - contributing to my community but taking care of myself. Attention to exercise and sleep.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Lucy, that sounds like a nicely balanced plan.

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Paolo Peralta's avatar

Get mindful, move a ton, eat clean, listen to people

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Donna McArthur's avatar

This is a pretty comprehensive list because from it come all the other things. First if we are mindful about our health and how we move through the world it will set us up to take the other steps. If I had to choose one main thing it's to move a ton.

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Witsd's avatar

Maintain friendships and even create new ones. Keep your mind active with new learning or puzzle books, reading, coloring, painting…..walk outside a lot. Do moderate strength and balance training. Read the Bible, talk with God. Let Him guide you.

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maryc's avatar

Absolutely 👍

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Sandra's avatar

Try to have a stress free life as much as possible. Do things you genuinely enjoy. Try new things- a cooking class, gardening class or join a book club. Keep active and enrich your mind.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Sandra, doing things you genuinely enjoy - that really is key.

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Erika Andersen's avatar

In the form of a shameless plug for my latest book, The New Old, (and also because I believe these four things are key):

- Be the boss of your life

- Master your mindset

- Get good at change

- Connect!

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Erika, perfect!

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Erika Andersen's avatar

😊👍🏼

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Valerie Flynn's avatar

Be mentally prepared for the worst, yet don't be overwhelmed with bad things. To be realistically optimistic is the most healthy approach physically and mentally.

To keep relationships and mind positively engaged is good for all stages of life.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Valerie, I so agree with your point about being prepared. In retrospect, I surely wasn't.

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Jane Duncan Rogers's avatar

To keep choosing to find the positive, no matter what the situation is. Keep engaging with others, both younger and older. Make enjoyment a priority!

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Jane, that's a shift I'm working on - making enjoyment a priority.

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Paolo Peralta's avatar

Rejoice, right here, right now

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Audrey Dumas-Ghidotti's avatar

Having a commitment on a daily basis. Mine is waking with friends.

Community volunteering. I presently volunteer at our public library once a week.

Social activities. Am presently hosting a weekly mahjong gathering. This also promotes mental acuity.

Quiet time. Spending time with myself which presently consists of knitting, reading and do yard work or just walking on nature.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Audrey, the older I get, the more important it has become to spend time with myself. It's my time to relax and restore.

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Sylvia Chard's avatar

I love all the suggestions. I have accumulated a list too which include many of the ones I read here in the comments.

One important additional thing for me is learning how to see the connections, the alignment, among them all. I have in recent years been wanting to feel thoroughly at home in my own personal identity. It is tempting, and sometimes useful, to take on new ideas and suggestions and try them out in your own context. But I found that I have wanted more than anything else to have a clearer idea of who I really am in this world. I have been searching out my priorities. I find myself to be an outlier type, so I have wanted to become comfortable with my uniqueness.

Maybe what I am sensing is the shift I feel is coming as I complete my 80s and look forward to my 90s. I am 87. I imagine that in my nineties I will no longer be looking for keys for aging. I will already have found them for myself. I will already be fully aged. I imagine living out my identity as authentically as I can and dare. In the wisdom of my nineties the question that would interest me more would perhaps be “how do I graciously scale back my daily life so that I can confidently remain who I am till the end.”

This does not mean that I would no longer be curious and interested in new ideas. Just somehow I would easily recognise myself in relation to new ideas and experiences and respond accordingly and with confidence.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Sylvia, two points you make resonate strongly with me. One is about being open to new ideas, trying them out to see if they fit, and then making our own decision regarding their value. The second is your question about scaling back and remaining true to who we are. I wonder if it isn't also a matter of not letting others make for us or influence us to make decisions that don't align with our identity.

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Sylvia Chard's avatar

Your last question is a good one. I would go a step further, to ensure others don't make decisions that don't align with our identity, we have to have the necessary discussions ahead of time to make sure we have done all we could to avoid that! I feel very lucky as I have a son who is aware of my wishes concerning my possible dependence on others at some point up ahead. We have had long frank discussions and there are no secrets between us or the possibility of any other family members making other decisions for me. I think we need to be open in planning for the possibility of a life of dependence on others ... while we still have a voice!!

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Syvia, I totally agree. My daughter and I have that conversation regularly. She and her brother know precisely what I want and support my choices.

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Roberta Gale's avatar

Humor has seen me though so many challenges in my life, whether physical or emotional. Laughing with others, watching funny TV shows and talking dog reels, reading humorous writers (Dave Barry, Samantha Irby, Tina Fey!) I don't ignore the dark side of life, but making sure humor is a part of mine makes me much more resilient. When I started my Substack, I made it a humor column on aging, because no one can take care of the business of their life without lightening up once in awhile.

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Melanie R. Jordan NBC-HWC's avatar

Thanks for asking Janice. I feel it starts with having a positive attitude about aging. It won't be all sunshine and rainbows but most things healthwise people associate with getting older are not necessarily inevitable and many are outright myths. And then of course there's eating healthy (but leaving room for treats at times), physical activity, being a life-long learner and staying engaged with others in the world.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Melanie, having a positive attitude about aging is a crucial aspect of aging well, along with good health. The good news, as I see it, is that we have the power of choice and can make many choices to support ourselves.

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Melanie R. Jordan NBC-HWC's avatar

Agreed Janice. It’s all about choosing how you show up in the world and that’s powerful.

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Gail Post, Ph.D.'s avatar

Perspective, pacing, courage, community, connection, and productivity

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Gail, I'm finding that courage plays a significant role, as well.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Spirituality is increasingly more important. Celebrating and continual learning about Judaism has given me peace. Wonderful convo.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi CK, I completely agree with your point about spirituality - it is indeed a key factor in all of this.

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Abigail Thomas's avatar

Stay curious about everything, and write.

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Janice Walton's avatar

Hi Abigail, those sound like great ideas. Having the opportunity to write has been a significant plus for me, and I'm becoming increasingly curious every day.

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