Breaking Free

Unlocking Your Full Potential

Photo by Jenna Lee on Unsplash

Even though I’m 86, I intend to remain active, healthy, and happy. However, aches, pains, and anxiety can get in the way. If the mind-body connection is valid, and research suggests it is, I’ve been experimenting with three practices: mindfulness, imagery, and a new exercise program to help improve it.

Understanding that qigong is an exercise program that involves mindfulness and visualization techniques reinforced my decision.

Mindfulness is the foundation of the approach.

Tracy Mansolilo’s article “I Failed at Mindfulness: How I Found What Worked For Me” clarified my thinking. 

1. Mindfulness is being aware of one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them. It doesn’t require a degree or require sitting silently for an hour, which isn’t going to happen. However, when I pay attention, my thoughts are anxious. “What if,” “I can’t do it,” “I’ll make a mistake.” You get the idea.

2. To be mindful, people must be present- aware of their surroundings and acknowledge their thoughts and feelings.
   When mindful, I focus on what I’m doing rather than the chatter that sneaks in.

3. Finding the right mix of mindfulness activities.
   My mix includes actions I currently take and the new ones.

I was

• Journaling

• Box Breathing - which involves breathing in for the count of four, holding for four counts, breathing out for four counts, and holding for a count of four over and over again until feeling calm.

• The 3X3 method - which involves identifying three things that are seen, three sounds that are heard, and moving three body parts.

• Naming and facing the emotion as it arises.

• Focusing on gratitude.

• Stretching and exercising.

But I needed more. Here’s what I’m finding.

Mindfulness

This required a fundamental shift in thinking, which takes time. However, I’ll continue because I’m experiencing benefits. The first one is having a single focus, which allows me to understand things more clearly and see things I missed when my mind was so busy worrying. The part that trips me up is observing non-judgmentally.

Visualization

I’d used visualizations for years but gotten lax about it. Now, I’m reminding myself to imagine relaxing places as a way to reduce anxiety and visualize the desired outcomes I want rather than dwelling on the “what ifs.”

Qigong

I knew nothing about qigong until two months ago when I watched several online sessions and discovered that I liked it. Then, I found YouTube instructors offering free sessions, so I’ve been practicing regularly along with my other stretching exercises.

It’s a practice involving movement, breathing, and meditation, often used to promote health and rehabilitation. However, Yoga, Tai Chi, and other forms of exercise also involve stretching and breathing exercises.

I started this plan about six weeks ago, and here’s my report.

All in all, so far, so good. I’m still early in the journey - anxiety is somewhat less, or I’m managing it better, and the body seems happier - not perfect, but enough to encourage me to continue.

These additional practices may make aging well more achievable—at least, they seem worth the effort, and I plan to keep at it.

If I had advice for others, it would be to discover what works best for them and do it.

P. S. I’d love it if you could share the Aging Well newsletter with others. I want to share the lessons I’ve learned through the years of life and caregiving with as many people as possible. More than anything, I want to continue expanding our community of readers.

So please forward this email to a friend and invite them to join us. They can subscribe here:

Thank you for being part of the Aging Well community.

If you want to contribute to my work, consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association. This link takes you to their website. The choice is yours.

Janice Walton is a psychologist, a widow, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and a writer. Her book Aging Well: 30 Lessons for Making the Most of Your Later Years is available on Amazon, and she has written articles for Substack