Making friends after 50 not always easy

The early years of midlife are a hectic time for many people. Around the time many people reach their late 30s and early 40s, they’re balancing the responsibilities of a career and a family. But as people enter their 50s, some of those responsibilities tend to be less significant, leaving more time for recreational pursuits.

Hobbies and other pursuits outside of work are often more fun when enjoyed with friends. People over 50 undoubtedly recognize that it’s not always so easy to make new friends, even though it’s undeniably beneficial to have supportive relationships into your golden years. A 2017 study from researchers at Michigan State University found that valuing friendships was a stronger predictor of health and happiness among older adults than valuing family. Those results align with an earlier Australian study that found Australians age 70 or older tended to live significantly longer if they had more strong friendships.

Making friends after 50 might not be as simple as it was during your school days, but these strategies can help men and women in midlife build new friendships.

Identify your interests. Fiftysomethings who have spent the last couple of decades building a career and raising a family can give some serious thought to their interests outside of work or passions they hope to pursue now that they have more time to commit to such pursuits.

The more interested you are in a given activity, the more likely you are to stick with it. And the longer you stick with something, the more likely you are to meet like-minded individuals (i.e., future friends) willing to make similar commitments.

Utilize social media. In years past, men and women over 50 may not have had any readily available tools to reach out and connect with new people. Social media has made it much easier to build such connections. Even the most obscure passions likely have a social media group of locals devoted to them, and these groups can be great ways to meet new people. A local runner’s club may have its own social media accounts, and local governments and community groups often share information about sports leagues and other groups via social media.

Sign up for group outings.

Publisher Joy Monopoli

Sports Editor Robby Fletcher

Production Manager denine d angelo ddangelo@mechlocal.com

Classifieds Cindy adams cadams@mechlocal.com through Scriptural examples. A live baptism will be performed following the Saturday morning session, and a prerecorded drama will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions. “Patience is important to us since there is so much going on in the world today that requires it,” said Gaskins. “Patience is something none of us have mastered, but we are taught how to put this quality into practice. This convention theme helps us to see how and why we can develop the patience we need during these trying times.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers and theaters around the world for more than 100 years. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, the summer of 2023 marks the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions. The convention is open to the public, and no collection is taken. For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, please go to jw.org.

—Submitted by William Jackson Davis, Jr.

Learn to relax for summer

Summer is a time of year that’s synonymous with relaxation. The warm air and glowing sun of summer helps people to relax and take some time away from work to smell the roses. Or so it may seem.

METROCREATIVE PHOTO so easy

Communities often sponsor group outings to museums, the theater, sporting events, and other day trips. Signing up for a bus trip to a local museum presents a great opportunity to meet people who share your interests, providing the potential to build lasting friendships built on a foundation of shared interests.

„ Broaden your horizons. Just because you’re in your 50s doesn’t mean your friends have to be. Don’t hesitate to invite younger or older acquaintances and colleagues over for dinner or on weekend excursions. Friends come in all shapes, sizes and ages, so you could be missing out if you’re not willing to extend a hand in friendship to people of different ages and backgrounds.

„ Making friends after 50 can be challenging. However, various strategies can help men and women over 50 connect with new people.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, Americans accumulated 705 million unused vacation days in 2017. That’s 43 million more unused vacations than the year prior. Americans’ neighbors to the north seem to be following suit, as a 2018 survey from ADP Canada found that only one in three Canadian workers use their two weeks’ of vacation each year.

Unused vacation time may be having a more adverse effect on workers than they know. The American Institute of Stress notes that various studies have shown that job stress is a major and primary source of stress for American workers. When workers don’t use their allotted vacation time, they never get a break from that stress, allowing its effects to accumulate and put their long-term health in jeopardy.

The arrival of summer presents a perfect opportunity for professionals to take some time off from work and focus on reacquainting themselves with relaxation. The following are various practices that can help people relax, courtesy of the NorthShore University Health system.

Breathing

Healthy breathing techniques can help the body take in more oxygen, which can relieve anxiety, slow the heart rate and stabi-

WE WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR ISSUE-DRIVEN LETTERS lize blood pressure. Deep breathing exercises can teach people how to control their breathing.

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Meditation

Various forms of meditation can be employed to help people alleviate stress. Meditating for as little as five to 10 minutes can be effective. The Synchronicity Foundation for Modern Spirituality notes that meditating for as long as you feel comfortable, whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, can be effective, and that it’s even possible to meditate too much. The group advises paying attention to your meditation tolerance and set aside enough time to benefit from meditation without overdoing it.

Yoga

Many people find yoga to be great exercise for the body and an excellent way to alleviate stress. Combining various poses with breathing exercises, yoga can relax the mind and promote flexibility in the body. That latter benefit can be especially useful for people whose muscles tighten as a result of stress.

Visualization aROund THe

Visualization involves participants imagining relaxing settings and focusing on their details. The goal of visualization is eliminate stressful thoughts and calm the body.

Summer is a time of year that’s synonymous with relaxation. It also marks a great time for people dealing with stress to embrace various relaxation techniques that can help them reduce their stress and restore their energy levels.

State tournaments wrap up spring season

STAFF REPORT

The spring sports season has officially come to a close, with all sports state finals for Class 4 finishing up over the weekend.

In the Class 4 baseball tournament, the Hanover Hawks defied the odds with a miraculous run to their second consecutive state championship. The Hawks entered the Class 4, Region B final against Mechanicsville as underdogs, but came away with a huge 7-3 win, sparking a states run that featured victories over Jamestown and James Wood before a 9-1 win in the final over Smithfield, the Class 4, Region A champions.

In softball, the Hanover Hawks finally suffered defeat this season, putting an end to a 45-game win streak that included an intense 1-0 finish against the Powhatan Indians in the regional semifinals, one of their closest wins of the season. Hanover got the best of Smithfield in the quarterfinals, but in their semifinals matchup against Louisa County, the Lions came back from an early deficit to hand the Hawks a rare 5-4 loss. A day later, the Lions were crowned champions, knocking off Halifax County 9-1 to close their season in inspiring fashion.

The girls lacrosse final saw the Western Albemarle Warriors maintain their perfect season, topping Dominion 14-11 to win another state title. The Warriors beat the Powhatan Indians twice this season, though the Indians gave them a good battle in both matchups, first falling in a 12-8 final on April 13 and later losing in the region final 17-9 on May 30.

The boys lacrosse final also saw a team end with a perfect record, as the Atlee Raiders ended the year 20-0 with a 14-2 beatdown of Dominion the same day as Western Albemarle. The Raiders won all three games in the state tournament by double digits on the way to back-toback titles.

In the boys soccer state tournament, Jamestown captured the championship a year after failing to reach the state tournament after a semifinals loss in the 4A regional tournament. Jamestown beat Smithfield 1-0 in a game that went down to the wire.

The girls soccer title for Class 4 belongs to the Tuscarora Huskies, who held off a Western Albemarle team in the finals that has lost just one game this season. That game also went down to the wire, with the Huskies putting in two shots and being the only team to hold the Warriors scoreless all season.

The girls lacrosse final saw the Western Albemarle Warriors maintain their perfect season, topping Dominion 14-11 to win another state title.