Aging With Grace: 2 Suggestions To Consider
Here are two strategies for embracing a healthy outlook on aging gracefully:
- Prepare for menopause. Mental attitude, more than any other factor, determines how well a woman passes through menopause. If it is seen as a tragic end to youth, fertility and sexuality, it is likely to cause significant disruptions in one’s day-to-day life and create the temptation to “solve” the problem with unproven and sometimes dangerous therapies that promise eternal youth. If menopause is seen as simply the natural transition to the next phase of life, it can be readily accepted, and the symptoms more easily handled. Following an anti-inflammatory diet, getting adequate aerobic exercise, practicing relaxation exercises, adding ground flaxseed and organic soy foods to your diet and if needed, supplementing with herbs such as Dong quai and black cohosh may help address the many of the practical concerns and symptoms that menopause can bring. In addition, communicating with others about your experience may help make menopause less traumatic.
- Embrace aging. Instead of focusing on the lines on your face, think about all you have experienced, learned and enjoyed in your life, and what you still want to accomplish. Start by writing your ethical will. Set aside 10 minutes in your daily schedule to devote to journaling and write about your life: your hopes and dreams, your accomplishments, your goals, your experiences. Consider the people in your life who have influenced you in positive ways and include them in your memoirs and gratitude.
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