– a guide to ageing well

There is much to be said for and learned from the valuable hindsight that belongs to those who have experienced life, although it is important to utilise what intellectual capacity we have now to create a plan to age well.

The concept of ageing well can be perceived in a cosmetic sense, conjuring up images of anti-wrinkle remedies and the revolutionary youth serums which purportedly stall the physical metamorphosis we undergo as part of our evolutionary existence.

It’s a lucrative industry selling youth; one which has no expiration date, because the ‘youth in a bottle’ market and everything it encompasses will have life for as long as humans walk the earth and their desire for a life of longevity exists.

But ageing well in life cannot be taken at face value alone. Because while the restorative properties of age reversal potions and practises may bring skindeep satisfaction to our lives, ageing well in a holistic sense is what fulfils us in mind, body and soul.

We have heard the supposition ‘wisdom comes with age,’ time and time again.

It is a proclamation that suggests our wisdom well is fuller when our eyes, minds and hearts have absorbed a lifetime worth of knowledge and are more in tune with the way of the world.

For life’s greatest pearls of wisdom may well be reserved for a moment in time beyond our immediate reach, but making age well plans requires the application of today’s wisdom while the wisdom of tomorrow still belongs to the future.

We spend our lives planning. Plans are personal maps for life which we formulate to help us reach milestones, fulfil ambitions and complete tasks effectively.

And while a life plan may not grant us immunity from the serendipitous way of the world, the protection, security and direction afforded to us by having a strategic plan, can only contribute to a life of longevity.

There is no dictionary definition for ageing well, no textbook manual open for our consultation.

Ageing well cannot be mimicked or even learned from others because while peers and family may be able to offer suggestive guidance, our unique genetic blueprint means how we define ageing well and go about it, will require a personal touch.

Therefore, a definitive list of steps for entering elder-hood and working towards a life of longevity cannot be given, but recommendations for areas of focus can be provided to help you on your journey.

And like adventure at any age, your physical, emotional and spiritual values should be your guiding intuition.

We can all remember the physical liberation attached to being young and ailment free.

And while it becomes harder to reverse or right the physical wrongs we have committed as the years pass us by, if we are consistent throughout life and honour a balanced and physical lifestyle, we can continue to experience the physical autonomy gifted in youth.

The saying, “you are only as old as you feel” is applicable to the exercise equation because beyond the aesthetic merits of staying active, physical exercise is also an elixir for staying young in mind and spirit.

As a combatant for what ails you, the positive effects of a physical lifestyle are further increased with the adoption of other physical practises.

In order to beat stress effectively you need to have a grab-bag of antistressing tools that you use often and proactively before your body’s stress response fully kicks in. The more anti-stressing tools you can learn the better.

Sleep is also as important to our health as diet and exercise – without it we cannot function properly and may even become ill.

We know when we sleep, our bodies rest – conserving energy and decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and body temperature, but our brains remain active – laying down memory, restoring daytime mental function and carrying out tasks that lead to physical growth.

The physical benefits of a balanced diet are also well documented, which is directly associated with healthy ageing.

When entering any era in which our life profoundly changes, we need to get emotional – in an intuitive sense.

As we get older and life presents us with new emotional challenges, understanding our emotional needs and feelings and catering to these, is as importance to our wellbeing as maintaining physical health.

Ageing well emotionally is like a quality of life initiative; the different realms of quality of life include physical, mental, social and spiritual factors.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, ageing well can be about maintaining what is working now for you and what has worked before in those specific domains and then adapting those to the appropriate age context.

Looking after mental health is incredibly important during our latter years in life and older age is most commonly the time in which people reach out to mental health workers or a social network.

Grief, dementia and physical, mental or social loss can be the catalyst for seeking out the support and assistance of others and it is in the process of seeking this assistance that people find renewed strength and direction.

In conjunction with seeking advice and emotional support from social networks and support systems, following a plan for ageing well emotionally can also involve taking a psychotherapeutic approach through cognitive behavioral therapy.

Getting out and about, staying active, having good hygiene and fitness as well as following regular sleeping patterns are all related to this.

Asking the existential questions in life, such as: “Who am I? Where am I going? What do I want from my life?” also benefits people’s emotional health and understanding of themselves, as does seeking out the guidance of spiritualists who are open to different denominations and people.

Life is what you make it. Plan for tomorrow, live for today and seek out the support of any of the following organisations to guide you as you age well physically, emotionally and spiritually throughout life.