Happy aging is the key to living at old age. The word “happy aging” essentially means leading a life that is happy, cheerful, free of worries/problems and with dignity
Happy aging is the key to living at old age. The word “happy aging” essentially means leading a life that is happy, cheerful, free of worries/problems and with dignity. There will be, no doubt, age related issues/problems. But despite that elders must lead a life with best possible cheerfulness. There are primarily two major dimensions to happy aging for the elderly: keeping “physically well” and having an “agile mind”. Both are equally important.
Lucky are those who are blessed with both physical fitness and mental agility. And motto for these elders is to maintain both these assets as best as possible in the longest stretchable time. Alas! That may not happen. As old age continues and throws its extended shadow, either of the two facets of life (physical or mental) or at least one of them fades, causing problems in life’s journey.
Traits of Absence of Mental Wellness:
While both physical as well as mental wellness are equally important from survival point of view, the “mental counterpart” is often found to be the key driver. As the mind is the starting point of all thoughts and feelings, state of mental wellness possibly becomes more important. “I am not well”, “I feel isolated”, “No one cares for me”, and “Everyone seems to neglect me” are some of the negative feelings that elders often suffer from. These are not “mental illness”; these are symptoms of “lack of mental wellness”.
This means that the ability of the elders to think and feel with rational analytical brain sometimes get blocked with emotive clouds thus overcoming rational thought processes and developing mental blocks. Lack of mental wellness develops several symptoms like worries, sese of isolation, feelings of loneliness & depression, and absence of emotional balance to deal with situations. Thus, elders suffering from such syndrome often tend to withdraw, feel uncomfortable in the presence of others, feel irritation at the slightest provocation and suffer from a sense of helplessness.
Prevention is Better Than Cure:
Since the absence of mental wellness is more of a psychological construct, there appears to be no remedy for the same. The best way, therefore, is to understand the menace and be ready not to fall prey for the same. The way out is to develop the right mental set up and equip the mind so that it remains fresh, free from worries, emotionally stable, and balanced to take rational decisions. As they say, “prevention is better than cure”.
Strategies to Improve Mental Wellness:
Doubts have been raised if how one can maintain and improve mental wellness. While there are no prescriptive solutions, there are obviously some ways of life that one can follow so that mental wellness is nurtured.
Some of the strategies in this regard include:
- A mental resolve
- Keep the body fit
- Keep the mind active
- Remain socially connected
- Be with positive aspects of life
A mental resolve to keep the mind above worries and negative thoughts is the starting point. We often see that elderly, as they grow old, lose the resolve to fight the symptoms of mental fatigue. At every point in life, we must make it a point to keep the worries away from us. That’s the first step in fighting this battle against mental unwellness. Positive mental make-up is imperative.
Keep the body fit. A weak and not fit body is often found to be the breeding ground for mental weakness. As people get physically tired, so does the mind. Therefore, all efforts should be made to keep the body fresh and agile. A daily dose of physical exercises, walking, yoga, and other workouts will help the body in good condition and thereby keep the mind fresh as well.
Keep the mind active. One of the main reasons for the absence of mental well-being is that the elderly keep themselves idle and thereby a passive mind. This idle mind is the main source of all types of negative thoughts & ill feelings rendering it weak and unstable. The best way is to keep the mind active and busy, barring sleeping and resting time. One should always have a defined routine so that one’s mind is kept busy. New hobbies, moving around, gardening, listening to music, reading books, doing community service, are some of the ways the mind can be kept busy. This will prevent any unwanted thoughts and subsequential lack of emotional issues. The purpose of living in old age must be found out to live a good life.
Remain socially connected. Man is a social animal, and hence social connectivity is essential for a good life. We often see many elders withdrawing from active life including their friends / earlier colleagues and taking recluse in self-made retreat. This is not the ideal way of living. Human beings must enjoy the fun and energy of groups; humans are created to live in teams. Family is one example of it. This is possibly the best way to keep the mind engaged. Elders must talk to all the people they know, or they may not even know.
They should talk to all types of people of all ages. That will keep them engaged and at the same time busy. Becoming active members of senior citizen associations or like-minded groups like “walking club” or “musical group” is one of the best ways of “collective living”. This helps to keep away individual worries / problems at least for some time. The other crucial aspect of social networking is interacting from “adult ego state”. “I am Ok, You are Ok” is the right type of communication in terms of human transactions. Adults with negative or not so mind wellness will tend to transact with either of three types of transaction modes: “I am not OK, You are not OK”. I am OK, You are not OK, or “I am not OK, You are OK”. Elders should avoid either of the three.
Be with positive aspects of life. As often seen, “negative thoughts” are the prime source of unhappiness and lack of mental wellness. Hence, the elderly must make conscious efforts to be away from people who emanate negative energies. There is no point in arguing as that does not lead to anywhere. The best way is to be away from such people. Similarly, elders must explore what gives them positive energy; human beings are unique and have different likings. They should remain in touch with those things / activities / aspects of life that give them positive energy and should stay away from those that radiate negative vibes.
Looking Forward:
Mental wellness is an important aspect of attitude. You may be fine and still you may feel negative. Therefore, it is important to develop the right mental attitude to feel good and mentally stable. The attitude of looking at everything with a positive mindset will improve the mental quotient and quality of life. All elders mut develop strong mental wellbeing as it is crucial to happy and healthy aging.
Author
Dr A K Sen Gupta is the Co-Founder and Chief Trustee of My Retired Life Foundation (MRLF). This article has been published in Free Press Journal (FPJ) on 19th December 2024, where he is a regular contributor. Dr Sen Gupta was the Director of S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, and Director & Mentor at SIES College of Management Studies, Navi Mumbai. He was a World Bank Consultant and instrumental in setting up the National Banking College in Ghana, Africa.
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