10 August 2017
Young at heart: Five simple steps to keeping a youthful outlook
Keeping a youthful outlook, or staying psychologically young, can have numerous benefits in later life. In addition to increasing our longevity, staying cognitively active can help maintain a good quality of life too. Whether your body is fit as a fiddle or not, keeping a youthful outlook can help you stay positive and enjoy life to the full. Here are five simple steps to achieving a younger perspective.
- Stay physically active
Committing to an exercise regime can be difficult for anyone, but staying physically active doesn’t have to mean punishing workouts or painful fitness techniques. Instead, find an exercise level which enables you to stay active without being too strenuous. A daily walk, for example, can be an ideal way to retain your physical strength. In addition to the many health benefits of regular exercise, spending time outdoors and boosting your endorphins is proven to boost your mood too.
- Have goals for the future
As we age, it’s important to keep looking forward. Whether you want to establish physical or cognitive goals, a specific aim can help to keep you focused and busy. Taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill or teaching others can help to improve your quality of life, whatever your age. Setting achievable goals will not only bring you a sense of satisfaction when you have completed them, it will also bring joy and fun into your life as you work towards your target.
- Volunteer in your local community
There are all sorts of volunteer opportunities available all over the UK, and working with others to achieve a common goal will, inevitably, bring with it a wonderful sense of fulfilment. Helping to tend local flowerbeds, mentoring local youths or even being a reading buddy at your nearest school will enable you to engage with the world around you and help you keep a youthful outlook.
- Embrace new technology
Although new technology may seem daunting, the digital realm can open up a whole world of possibilities. Learning how to use new software or operate a computer will not only stimulate your mental functions, it will also let you do things you never thought possible. From staying in touch with loved ones to sharing memories and making new friends, mastering the internet can add volumes to your happiness and social engagement. If you’re hesitant about using a tablet or laptop, look for a ‘silver surfers’ group or class locally to boost your skills and confidence.
- Keep socialising
Isolation or loneliness can be one of the most harmful conditions of getting older. However, there are ways to boost your social life and make new friends, no matter what your age. Local older people’s clubs may organise days out or transport around the town, or you could take up a new hobby and find like-minded people that way.
As we age, it’s all too easy to forget to enjoy each day. Working on staying positive and maintaining a youthful outlook can help us stave off the stigma of aging for longer, and could help to boost our health and longevity too. Getting older is inevitable; being elderly is optional!