Why is Living with Purpose Important When You Get Older?

Retirement is a point to which you have been working for many years and, likely, looking forward to. These are the days when relaxing and taking it easy are mixed with daily activities of your choosing. But what happens after months, or even years of doing whatever you want? For many Americans, this can lead to a sense of listlessness and even depression. And your risk of these conditions can increase by about 40% when you don’t give yourself enough to do. That is why living with purpose is so important as you age. 

Living with Purpose as You Age

So, how can you maintain living with purpose in retirement, especially when your family is grown? Here are some tips you may be able to use to give more purpose to your life.

Make New Friends

Did you know that making friends later in life actually comes with a plethora of benefits? Here are just a few benefits of friends in retirement that can help fulfill your life:

• Help keep you occupied
• Introduce you to new hobbies
• Motivate you to maintain yourself
• Promote a healthier lifestyle

Support a Cause

Knowing that people are counting on you helps you feel more connected as you age. While it’s unlikely that you are looking for another full-time job, giving a few hours of your time throughout the week to a cause you believe in is a great way to find purpose. 

To find a cause worthy of your time and effort in retirement, think about what is important to you. Do you enjoy spending time with animals? Then volunteering at an animal shelter might be a good use of your time and effort. Think about what sparks your interest and reach out to local organizations to ask if they take volunteers. This is a great way to bring purpose back into your life without sacrificing too much of the free time you’ve worked so hard to earn.

Follow Your Heart

If you, like many, spent most of your adult years conforming to a schedule like work or child care, having the freedom to make your own schedule can be empowering. However, without a sense of purpose, this can lead to unhealthy habits like watching TV all day. Being sedentary is especially unhealthy and older adults are at a higher risk of losing motor function. 

So, how do you avoid becoming too sedentary? Well, one solution is to follow your heart. Think back to when you were working. What did you dream about being able to do? Was it playing the drums or painting? Whatever it was, now is the time to follow that dream. This is a healthier approach to living with purpose because getting in touch with an old hobby can help give your day structure and meaning.

Learn Something New

Back when you were working or raising your family, there was little time to think about much else. But now the work is done and you have the time to learn something new. Not only does this help give your day structure, like following your heart, but it also helps promote cognitive function by keeping your mind active. Try learning to crochet or maybe become an expert on a certain time in history.

Take some time and think about what new thing you would like to learn. Did you always want to learn how to sing? Get an instructor. Did you always want to learn how to play an instrument? Well, now is the time. 

Commit to Self-Care

Though this may seem a little out of place when talking about living with purpose, maintaining yourself is an important aspect of aging. But this is more than just getting showered and dressed every day. This means taking care of your mind as well. 

By making self-care a daily priority, you can help stave off medical challenges as you age. To do this you can try:

• Eating well
• Sleeping well
• Staying hydrated
• Exercising

We hope this helps you to make every day count!

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