Aging gracefully requires more than simply looking good and preventing wrinkles – it involves taking care of both body and mind throughout your golden years. That means staying active, feeding your mental wellbeing with hobbies like reading or learning new things, keeping strong connections with loved ones, as well as getting regular checkups and screening tests to maintain good health.
Practice of gratitude can help us to appreciate what we have in life. Research reveals that the more one focuses on their blessings, the happier one becomes. Counting your blessings can be helpful; but even better is taking notice of specific people or circumstances for which one should feel grateful; whether that be shorter lines at coffee shops or your coworker smiling back – just taking notice reminds one that there is much reason for joy.
Researchers Sarah Schnitker and Jo-Ann Tsang have discovered that being aware of what you are thankful for increases your prosocial behaviors, prompting others to do the same and strengthening social bonds.
Finding gratitude during times of trouble can be challenging, but by broadening our perspective from narrow ego-self to interdependent social, ecological and spiritual life it can become easier to recognize how lucky we are to be part of something so wonderful.