Post-retirement years are called golden for a reason. It’s the time to enjoy and relish life to the fullest without burden. You have already done your duty towards children, towards parents, towards every other thing. Now it’s time to prioritize yourself and your spouse. Choose your resting pad (retirement home) well. Make sure that it is well-secured and easy to live. Co-operative living can be fun, comfortable and convenient when your housing society management system is apt and effective to help residents live and manage their life easily.
Other than setting yourself in a well-secured and maintained society, there are few other things that you can do to live your golden years to the fullest.
7 TIPS TO LIVE HAPPILY IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS
1. Stay connected with friends, family and neighbours:
Maintaining our social connections well is of utmost importance in our golden years. Our family, friends and neighbours help us to stay happy and motivated even at our lowest phase. They are the ones who are going to celebrate our special moments. Many housing societies use a society management app that allows the residents to connect with each other even when they do not have each other’s numbers. Just knowing the name of the wing and flat number can help residents get in touch with each other. Seniors who tend to live alone can also get a company with the help of a compassionate professional caregiver.
2. Start your day with a smile:
It’s easy to smile, but often difficult to smile when times get really tough. A simple act of smiling can trigger the happy hormones in our bodies. Encourage yourselves to smile in front of the mirror first after waking up in the morning. Starting the day with a smile helps to set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
3. Make life interesting with new hobbies:
Try to look forward to things that make you happy and content. One can enrol each other in different activities and take classes or engage in an old hobby that helps to stimulate the mind and body. If you don’t like it, move on to the next best thing on your mind, it’s all about channelling your energy into something you like. Do what brings you joy and not for the sake of doing it.
4. Prioritize health first:
Minor health problems often lead to bigger ones. For example, an injury that is not properly treated could lead to a chronic ailment. Promise yourself to go for regular health checkups and follow the doctor’s advice diligently. Following a healthy lifestyle can help in avoiding the common health problems that come with age.
Seek help if you or your loved one develop a severe injury or a serious health condition. Housing society management apps help the residents raise alarms of an emergency with just a click on the mobile phone.
5. Humour can be your good friend:
Elders do possess a great sense of humour. Having an optimistic approach and laughing at the funniest things keeping aside the fear of uncertainty is what keeps us going. Watching a funny movie or enjoying a few jokes with friends help one stay content and lift up the mood. Now it is easier to catch up with friends, family and neighbours more easily than ever with the help of video conferencing. Have a fun time without stepping out from the safety of your home.
6. Say ‘hi’ to Sun every day:
Sunshine acts as a major mood booster. Whenever one feels low, encourage them to take a short walk outside. Sitting by the front porch of one’s house in the sun even if it is for a few minutes, can work wonders for our mental and emotional health.
7. Give back to the community:
Post-retirement, elders get more time to do things that they had always wanted to do, even if that meant making other people’s lives better. Share your skills with the community, share about your experiences, stories of your life and one can feel motivated and even become a good friend when you least expect it. Enjoy each others’ company, that is what you need at times after all these years of chasing your dreams.
What do you do to add that extra dose of happiness to your life? Share with us in the comments.