How do you plan to make the new year more exciting? No matter what your age, we must all try to thrive this upcoming year.
That’s why for your young hearts, here we bring a list of terrific ideas of new year’s resolutions for elders to try next year. These are all divided into categories or aspects of life. So, if having fun is a priority for you, for instance, head straight to that section.
Ready? Here we go!
5 New Year’s Resolutions for Elders Who Prioritise Health
1: Eat more fruits & take multivitamins regularly.
There are certain nutrients and vitamins that every elder must get regularly. Some of these include calcium, vitamin c, folic acid, vitamin b12, etc.
Now, many essential nutrients and fiber are available in fruits. So, you must increase your dose of fruits this year to boost your immune system plus improve your heart health.
Additionally, you can consult your doctor to get a dose of multivitamins, which will fulfil the need for nutrition that fruits cannot bring you.
2: Quit smoking and drinking.
Smoking and drinking are the fastest way to reduce your lifespan. They kill the healthy cells in your body and increase your vulnerability to diseases. In case you think it is too late, you must know, it’s never too late.
By quitting these bad habits today, you can reduce your risk of cancer, heart attacks, and stroke. You will have better blood circulation. Plus, you will become a fantastic example for your kids and grandkids.
3: Go to yoga or meditation classes or commit to regular morning walks.
Adding regular movement to your daily routine in the form of yoga or morning walks is a great way to improve your health. And this can be the best new year resolution option if you are struggling to stay healthy. These activities improve your sleeping habits. Keep blood pressure in check. Help reduce anxiety and are great for the heart.
4: Understand your fall risk.
One of the major disadvantages of being old is that you are more likely to fall. Falling can break your bones, injure your brain, and is very likely to affect your quality of life.
That’s why this new year, try to come up with fall prevention strategies. Recognize the risky situations. Analyze if some of your ailments might be contributing to the risk of fall. Try your best to avoid falls.
5: Follow the diet plan you have been recommended.
The diet plan you get from your doctor has a reason, so don’t take it lightly. But being old may take away many abilities like the energy to cook your favourite healthy meals.
So, hire a cook or get a caregiver to help you follow the diet. Some elders are not able to chew nicely, while others cannot have sugar. It’s necessary to follow your diet because every elder has different nutrient requirements according to the diseases they have.
7 New Year’s Resolutions for Elders Who Prioritise Fun
1: Try volunteering for something you are passionate about.
Being old merely doesn’t mean you keep focusing on just your physical health. Fun and emotional health are of importance too. And one of the best things to do for your soul is to spend your time doing something you are passionate about.
You can start volunteering. Maybe you could teach English, Science, and Maths to children whose parents cannot afford proper education. You could volunteer with environmental NGOs and help them preserve nature, plant more trees. You could help with women’s empowerment by voicing your opinion.
Any of your skills, like writing, speaking, planning, organizing, etc., can come into use to volunteer and give back to society.
2: Laugh more.
Whether you join a laughing club or decide to never crib about anything, committing to laughing more can be a splendid resolution this new year.
The past few years has seen a lot of stress, which made laughing difficult for us. And the less the smiles, the more the frowns. This means a decline in your ability to have fun.
So, laugh more. Let go of the sad memories and focus on the happy ones. Make new happy memories this new year.
As a bonus, laughter is also great for health. Experts believe a healthy laugh keeps your muscles relaxed for at least the next 40 minutes. It helps reduce the stress hormones in your body and makes it immune.
3: Pick up a new hobby.
Picking up an activity that’s novel and enjoyable is great to add some fun to your life. It is difficult for many working elders to suddenly retire and have nothing to do at home. Hobbies help with the transition.
They are also incredible to explore your hidden potential. You might have never imagined that you could paint so well. Or write beautiful poetry.
The sense of accomplishment that hobbies provide also makes you much more confident and helps you grow spiritually.
4: Travel solo this new year.
Did you have a bucket list when you were young? Did it include any places you wanted to travel to? Many of us aren’t able to enjoy travel while we are young because of family responsibilities.
Now, when your kids can handle themselves, how about ticking off that travel bucket list. This is the time to use that money you saved for your dream vacation. You don’t need to start somewhere abroad. Start local – maybe with the town nearby.
Traveling solo will help you explore yourself too. Plus, you get to make new friends.
5: Follow your passion.
We all are passionate about something or the other. But many of us were not able to follow our passion because of family responsibilities. When you are living the last few years or decades of your life, you ought to make full use of this time.
If you were passionate about writing – go write a book about your life experiences. Loved singing? Why not join a class? Whatever it is you are passionate about, it is time to pursue that and make your mark in the world. No matter how small that mark is.
6: Read more.
Reading is a great pastime – no matter what your age. For seniors like you, it is much more beneficial because reading helps reduce stress. It increases mental stimulation. Plus, it helps you explore more about life and find more topics to have conversations with youngsters.
7: Try using technology more (you might like it).
Many elders do not like using smartphones, laptops, and tablets, while others embrace such technology. We recommend you try to become a member of the second group.
Don’t become addicted to it like the younger generations are. But you can make excellent use of it. For instance, you could get a Kindle for reading books. Or use the voice assistant feature of your smartphone to use your phone better. You may have a lot of fun but will definitely feel a lot closer to the younger people in your house.
3 New Year’s Resolutions for Elders Who Prioritise Relationships
1: Get rid of all your grudges.
Forgive people. Here’s the truth. Life is very uncertain. You don’t know how many opportunities or time you will get to enjoy with the people you like and love.
So, when you do get an opportunity, do not waste that by remembering your past and the grudges. We all make mistakes. So whether it is a younger member of the family – maybe your children or your friends or siblings – forgive them. And move on to cherish the time you get with them. It is also great for your mental health.
2: Spend more time with your grandkids.
Whether it is helping your grandkids with their homework, playing catch with them, or making them assist you to the doctor’s clinic, any activity done with your grandkids will make your life more purposeful.
It gives your life more meaning. Additionally, having such a routine is good for the body as it encourages movement.
You also get to learn a lot from the grandkids – be it the new lingo, technology, or their new syllabus at school. Plus, it is incredible for them as they get to learn a lot from your life experience and stories.
3: Keep in touch with old friends.
It’s essential to socialize more. It keeps you away from loneliness and depression. Whether it is through text, email, Facebook, zoom, facetime, or whatnot, being in touch with your old friends will help you embrace your life more.
6 New Year’s Resolutions for Every Elder
1: Get a caregiver.
Having a professional caregiver by your side will help you in your daily routine. No matter how bad your health is, a caregiver can help you monitor your health parameters like heart rate regularly.
She can help by feeding you, preparing your food, helping you take a bath, dress up, etc. She will help you avoid loneliness and can even take you for walks and visits to the doctors.
Don’t know how to find a professional caregiver? Well, Emoha is here to help.
2: Get your tests done regularly.
No matter what your health condition, you should be aware that advancing age can make it worse. That’s why getting your tests done regularly is essential.
It will help you and your doctor find out about some ailments in advance which will make them easier to treat.
You can also have some medical equipment at home for easy testing for problems like blood pressure, diabetes, etc., with the help of a caregiver. Or you can take help from us at Emoha to arrange regular tests for you.
3: Get enough sleep.
You know why high-quality sleep is essential. It affects your cardiac health, weight, and is one of the factors involved in a disease like diabetes and breast cancer.
But with advancing age, sleeping becomes difficult. It can due to increased anxiety or something else.
By making sure you have a good sleeping environment, by going to bed early, with meditation and light exercise, you can improve your sleep quality. So, try that this year.
4: Talk when you feel upset or depressed.
Feeling upset or depressed is okay. It happens to many youngsters too. But not talking about such things that trouble you mentally is wrong. It can further impact your physical health.
So, talk whenever you feel upset. Talk to your children or caregiver. Maybe get therapy sessions. But never keep struggling with these.
5: Ask for help when needed.
At times your body isn’t able to do some things physically and mentally. Maybe you have dementia, and you forget to take a bath. Or you have arthritis, and it’s difficult for you to walk.
Maybe you are not happy with the current treatment you are getting. Or if you need help with buying groceries and stuff from the market.
Whatever the case, if you need any help, ask for it. Your children, doctors, nurses, and caregivers will be happy to help you out. There’s no need to shy away.
If you want, we at Emoha can also help you in certain situations. We also have a group of volunteers who can get in touch with you. Download the Emoha app to know more.
6: Review your legal documents.
Take a resolution to review your legal documents this new year. Why? Because as you age, it gets difficult for you to understand legal stuff and make decisions.
So, whether it is, be it your power of attorney, your will, or documents to authorize a user on bank and investment accounts. Review them and make the right decisions as soon as possible.
Summing Up
Those were quite a few new year’s resolutions ideas you can choose from this new year. Committing to even one of these resolutions will help you lead a much happier and healthier second inning of your life as an elder.
Once you choose your favourite resolutions, do not forget to share this article with elders, you know. Help them improve their life too.
