The Balanced Life, Huntsville Alabama

“No matter what age you are or what your circumstances may be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.”  Barbara De Angelis

I have had the privilege to celebrate two major milestone birthdays for family over the past week. The first celebration was for my Mom, who turned 60.  I, with the help of my Dad and husband, was able to successfully carry out a surprise celebration honoring her with our closest friends and family.  It was a casual, laid back party that focused on celebrating her and catching up with some of her favorite people. The second birthday we celebrated was for my husband’s grandma who turned 98!  For her, we traveled to Nashville with all of her close relatives and enjoyed good food and fellowship in the assisted living facility she stays in. 

Because their birthdays are a day apart, it was an exceptional week of all the birthday favorites filled with parties, presents, and a whole lot of cake.  However, while enjoying the festivities, I found time to focus on more personal details of these women getting another year older.  I was reminded that most people dread the aging process and view it as a negative experience of their body and mind declining.  However, some see it as an opportunity to gain more wisdom and insight with each passing year. 

According to a recent Psychology Today article, overall well-being in life is more dependent on psychological and social factors than on your physical state.  This study suggests that your state of mind, including a blend of emotional, mental and social experiences over the course of your life, have a greater impact on your well-being.  Taken this into account, I found it helpful in speaking with my Mom and David’s grandma to hear their perspective on well-being as you age.  Surely enough, most of the information they gave me fell under the category of psychological wellness instead of purely physical.  With this in mind, I have comprised five life lessons on how to positively improve your emotional and mental well-being as you age:

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. We have all seen the shirt “Keep Calm and Carry On”. While I feel this saying has been overused in the past 5 years, I also believe it holds a lot of truth. Worrying about minor details only deprives you of enjoying the bigger, more important things. Not only does it take away from your priorities, but it also proves to be a waste of time--- especially if you can’t control the things you are worrying about.
2. Appreciate others. One of the main themes of both of the birthday parties was that they were filled with people the celebratory person loved.  Developing deep, meaningful relationships with others and not taking these for granted is essential in the aging process. 
3. Find hobbies or interests you love.  As you grow older, your interests change, but the concept of finding something purposeful should remain.  Whether it be gardening, sewing, traveling etc., having this positive outlet can create increased motivation and purpose at any stage of life.
4. Develop gratitude. Being grateful for the things you have and not envious of the things you don’t is a principle essential for a healthy state of mind.  With growing access of information online, it is easy to feel inferior or helpless with your current situation, but this allows us to only focus on our negatives.  Writing down in a journal or being mindful of the things in life you are thankful for allows you to appreciate them more. 
5. Be present in the moment. It is so easy to look at our past with regret or to our future with worry, but staying in each moment allows us to better enjoy them.  Some of life’s greatest memories are made up by simple, daily activities if we allow ourselves to be immersed in them and enjoy them to their fullest.

If you are stuck in one of life’s stages and don't know what direction to go next, please contact Lindsey Hill at Lindsey@thebalancedlifellc.com or (256) 258-7777 ext 104.