9 Secrets to Increase Joy in the Senior Years

 

How Do Senior's Finish Strong? Joyous Living!

In this time of endless self help books and articles that purport to tell us how to be happy, here are nine lifestyle approaches that are likely to bring us joy. 

1. Let it go - over the last 60 years or so, almost everyone has accumulated a list of mistakes, woes, hurts, enemies, losses, and other negative things.  None of it matters anymore.  If there are still unsettled issues, settle them.  Your life will double in joy if you can leave all that stuff behind.
2. Forgive - 75% of all emotional illness is tied to a failure to forgive others.  Your failure to forgive someone is unlikely to be impacting their life at all.  But it might be making you sick.  You don't need to contact them to forgive them.  Just decide you are no longer going to carry that brick around.
3. Pay it forward - Did you see the movie.  If not, rent it!  You have had many, many good things in your life as a result of others doing things for you out of the kindness of their heart.  Now you can use the gifts, talents, wealth, or other benefits that you have derived to help others.  Do it and find joy.
4. Stay connected - We are social beings, but it is easy to shut all that down.  Relationships take time, emotional work, can result in hurts, and will all eventually end.  Accept those facts and keep in touch with relatives and make new friends. Almost everyone you meet could use another friend. Spread joy.
5. Keep up - The world is changing faster and faster, and it may seem impossible to stay on top of all the new technology, fads, politics, and even your favorite personal pastimes.  Don't let that negative talk in your head stop you.  There is great joy in learning and achieving results.  Take a risk.
6. Keep laughing - You will live longer, happier, more joyfully if you take time to sing, dance, and laugh.  What can you do today to create a few full out belly laughs.  At the very least you can learn the technology to watch some cat videos on your smart phone or iPad. Then help someone else laugh.
7. Practice optimism - Every study shows it.  Optimistic people are more joyful, healthier, and live longer.  Worry never changed a thing.  Pessimistic expectations are wrong more often than optimistic thinking. Changing from negative thinking may be a major effort.  The joy will be worth it.
8. Be thankful - Make lists of things to be thankful for.  Therapists get paid $100's per hour to give that advice.  I just gave it to you for free.  Be thankful for that!  Next, write down the things about your spouse, children, grandchildren, best friend, and others that you are thankful for.  WOW!
9. Ask for help - You might think you are being a burdon to others when you ask for help.  And some folks will give off that vibe.  The truth is that most of us are happy to be asked and to be of help.  Instead of wasting time with senseless unmet needs, ask someone for help and share some joy.