How to Live Your Best Life as you Age

I wonder if you have ever searched for ‘how to live your best life’, or ‘how to have more energy‘, or even ‘how to live life with more purpose‘?

I think most of us want to keep improving, and look for ways to advance our self development as we age.

Yet as we age so many things change.

Life begins to slow down and the manic pressures of our thirties and forties become less.

With time our energy decreases, imperceptibly at first, and then suddenly we can’t cram everything we might want to into our days as we once used to. Perhaps our joints begin to stiffen, and we have to work harder to keep our muscles strong and our joints flexible. Our interests change, or we have more time and less inclination to try new things.

It’s not pretty! But that’s life. And we have to keep on keeping on finding ways that suit us in the quest to live our best lives as we age.

You might also like this post: Tips for Living the Good Life after 50

How to live a better life

We all want to live well and have enough money and resources to be happy. Of course money doesn’t buy happiness, but having enough money can help smooth the way when things are tough or difficult.

Obviously we all want to stay well and remain healthy, but there are some things that just can’t be changed and we have to learn to live with that too because sometimes our bodies begin to let us down.

I’m lucky to have a positive minded circle of friends who are enjoying getting older and making the most of the all the positive things leading up to retirement. But I know some of them struggle with their health or their outlook on life at times, and we often talk about these things – which is healthy too.

Some of the things we chat about together continue to help me, and in compiling this post I’ve drawn on shared wisdom.

I hope this post might help you live a better life and keep healthy and active too.

• Keep active.
• Be playful – have some fun.
• Keep learning – anything.
• Stay engaged with the world and what’s going on.
• Have an opinion about world affairs.
• Try and do some good often – help someone out, pay a compliment, volunteer.
• Stay in control of your finances.
• Take up a hobby – be creative.
• Spend less than you earn.
• Be sociable.
• Explore – the world or your own vicinity.
• De-Clutter your home and lessen the load of material goods which can weigh us down.
• Explore what will give you more purpose for your years ahead.

How to Live a Good Life after 50

As we get older I think we need to ask ourselves …

• What are our real valuables?
• What are our intrinsic values?
• What gives our lives purpose?
• What things are really important to us?
• Who are the people who are important to us?
• What gives us joy?

Change your Habits as you get older

Having a clear out of worldly possessions is honestly a good start to freeing up your mind! Try it!

Along with throwing out, or donating to charity things we don’t need anymore, I think it’s time to get out of our comfort zones as we get older, which really means just changing our habits and creating time to do the things we have energy for.

We don’t all have the same energy to do the things we used to do, you know rushing around all the time, a million projects on the go, kids to ferry here there and everywhere perhaps, so we have to be more selective with what we put our mind and attentions to.

We need to actually build in rest times, and not just grab them when we can.

Take breaks and don’t feel guilty doing nothing – just recharge.

We need to think about what we loved doing before we got so busy that we don’t do now, and then we need to find time to do those things NOW while we still can.

And again, I think back to what my Mum said when she was about 65 about energy depleting as we get older: “When you get over the age of 50, you slowly start to slow down.”

I think as we age we need to make room for new things. And cut out things which are draining our energy, such as those things we do because – well we just have always done those things.

We need to turn our mobiles off, and have technology free and TV free time too. 

And as we get older we need to remind ourselves that we don’t need to fill every moment of our waking days. We need space now to daydream and smell the roses.

Overall, I think this is the age when we need to learn to let ourselves be, because most of all we are human beings, not human doings.

10 Ways to be a Better Person

1. Cherish your family. Bolster them through their difficulties and challenges and applaud their every success no matter how small.
2. Recognise people who are toxic, or those that undermine you (even family members) and spend as little time as possible with them.
3. Don’t waste a minute on people who try to manipulate or control you.
4. Be the best version of yourself you can be everyday day.
5. Don’t accept hypocrisy.
6. Don’t accept arrogance whether it be intellectual, or based on physical beauty or money.
7. Head on conflict is a no-no. Disarm people personably.
8. Embrace difference and diversity, and try to be patient with those who have rigid points of view.
9. Treasure loyal friends, and don’t spend too much time spreading yourself thin amongst acquaintances.
10. Give and accept compliments honestly and graciously, and honour those who give them.

I would love to hear your tips and inspirations about how to live your best life.