In many cultures, it’s awkward to ask the age of a person. People are ashamed of being old. Perhaps it is because, in so many cases, society discriminates against old people.
There is an age limit for hiring. Although there are no laws on this, companies prefer their employees to be young and energetic. There is an assumption that the older you get, the weaker you become and couldn’t compete with the stamina of the younger generations. There is also the fear that older adults couldn’t cope with the mental rigors of work and could not keep up with the new trends and developments in the industry.
However, these are not necessarily true. The energy and vitality of a person depend on his or her lifestyle. Some young people are already frail and sickly; the same goes for their mental capacity. Older employees would have more experience than younger ones. But they probably couldn’t compare to digital natives regarding technology, analysis, and problem-solving abilities that are not dependent on age.
We have to change our mindset about growing old. Instead of being ashamed of our adding years, we should be thankful because many haven’t gotten this far. Understandably, we fear that we might become senile, or our bodies would be too weak as we age. We may worry that when we are brought to a home care facility, it would be the end of us and all we could do is wait for our death.
But this shouldn’t be the case. We should think of it as the phase when we could finally be carefree without worries from school or work. There are no more deadlines, and we could engage in our interests. There will be limitations, of course, but they shouldn’t be that significant. Even living in a hospice, we could still mingle and form new friends and engage in activities with them. Life goes on. What we can do now is to prepare our bodies so that we would be able to enjoy those years.
Beauty and physical regimen
Even the simplest person has some level of vanity. Of course, it is normal to fear that the beauty that we possess right now would eventually fade with age. Going through the knife is always an option, but it’s not natural.
While the first wrinkle hasn’t yet appeared on your face, try some natural remedies. Honey, for example, when applied to the skin, is good at preventing wrinkles. Collagen is also good for maintaining skin elasticity. You could improve your diet to include pork and other meat that provide a large amount of collagen.
Speaking of diet, what you eat or drink will affect your appearance. Consuming too much sugar would hasten the wrinkles. Consumption of alcohol and smoking would dull the skin and dry it up. On the other hand, food rich in antioxidants like berries would help your skin keep its youthful radiance and luster.
Exercises will also do a lot for your skin. It helps keep your muscles firm and thus prevent or, at the very least, delay sagging. Eventually, your muscles will not be the same as when you’re young but constant exercise will at least keep your body firm for a longer time. Exercising will not only keep your body healthy but also contributes to your general well-being, positively affecting your mental health.
Strengthening the mind
The fear of going senile is reasonable. With several movies and novels focusing on dementia, you might think it’s a common illness. But interestingly, according to the World Health Organization, the rate of dementia in a population is only around 5 to 8%. Despite this low rate, it would be best to prepare and strengthen your mind while still at your peak.
As with maintaining a good body, proper nutrition and exercise help strengthen the mind. Keeping away from vices will also do your mind a world of good. You can keep a hobby that helps you do mental exercises. Play chess, meditate, play a musical instrument.
Proper rest is also necessary to keep your mind fresh and allow your brain to recuperate from the daily grind. The recommended duration of sleep for even individuals in their prime is from seven to nine hours a night. Don’t push your brain to the limits by keeping late hours at work.
Growing old is part of our life. Unless we meet an unexpected death, which we don’t want more than aging, we will all be heading in that direction. So we have to embrace it and, in the meantime, prepare for it so that we will be able to enjoy fully at that age.