Reinventing Yourself After Sixty

Sixty years of age is a key milestone for the baby boomer generation. Many people believe that sixty will be the new forty, with the many advances made in medicine and the increased awareness of health. Today’s people live longer lives and have higher quality of life and are in better health today than they did when their grandparents lived. According to the 2010 statistics published in The State of Aging and Health in America by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy for American citizens has increased to 78.5 years old.

The years between 60 and 80 have been a crucial time in senior citizens’ lives due to the fact that people live longer. This is the age of retirement. These people have fewer responsibilities in the workplace and at home than others. They also enjoy more freedom and money, as well as a greater potential to invest and own large amounts of equity. This group is able to choose fulfilling hobbies and has the time and energy to explore new activities. Instead of staying home to watch soap operas on TV, seniors now have new activities and financial ventures. These include stock trading and golf, travel and volunteering. They also participate in local committees and groups. All of these interests and activities are helping people to reinvent themselves and make their lives more fulfilling.

Each person is unique and each individual’s situation will determine how they retire. Many people’s retirement depends heavily on how much they receive in social security benefits and when. The amount of monthly benefits depends on when the person is retired. Seniors born in 1943-1954 are eligible for full retirement at 66. Many people will retire at age 62 if they have earned 40 credits. The benefit amount they receive will decrease depending on the number of months that they are receiving benefits.

Some people will work longer and delay retiring in order to receive a higher monthly benefit. People who have worked beyond the age of 66, and are born between 1941-1942, will get a 7.5% increment, while people born in 1943 or later will see an 8.8% increase until age 70.

Many seniors lost the ability to plan for early retirement after the recession hit and their homes fell into disarray. While those not required to continue their careers will most likely retire, those who have to work up to age 70 or more will need to reinvent themselves. Below are some guidelines that will help people who have to go through the changes during retirement.

To reinvent yourself, it is important to first take inventory of where you are at the moment and then determine what you desire or need. The self-evaluation must include all aspects of your body. Examine your beliefs and decide what your values are. You must assess your capacity to adapt and manage stress in new situations. It will be clear that some aspects are possible to change, while others are not. You don’t have to teach an elderly dog new tricks. It doesn’t matter if your age is sixty years or more. This does not mean that you cannot change.

You cannot make anything change if it is not possible to change. Here are some tips to assist those with the motivation to change their lives and start to change. The first step is the most important. Next, you can take baby steps. Not all change has to be dramatic, stressful or traumatic. It can instead be a pleasant experience of discovery, acceptance, curiosity and experimentation that results in improved self-esteem, pride and a sense of self worth and renewal.

Reinvent Yourself Socially –

• Get involved with others. Make new friends. For communication and interaction, you can join committees or online dating websites.
• Take dance lessons with your partner, take pottery classes, swim, or join a country club. Golf, thrift stores and book shops are all great options.
• You can do more with your grandchildren or children… go to their events, assist with homework, make crafts, take them to the zoo, play a game of basketball, visit the bakery, share stories and go shopping with them.
• Your church, fraternal or religious organization could use your help. Organisations need workers, directors and organizers. Participate in the community by attending regular meetings of your city council. Volunteers can accompany seniors living in nursing homes and visit hospital patients. Volunteers are needed for various positions such as voter registration, jury duty and planning committees.
• Buy a cellphone. You don’t need to spend a lot. It’s possible to use an existing pre-paid minutes phone, and you can learn how to send text messages. The benefits of texting are that you can use your fingers to keep them nimble, and your brain sharp. You should not text while driving.
• Use your laptop to access the Internet. Get on one of the many social networking websites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. You can use the internet to enhance your social skills as well as stay updated on current events.
• More dinners, barbecues, or other gatherings can be organized with your friends, neighbours, families, suppliers, customers and coworkers.
• You can join a network marketing company and participate in meetings.

Reinvent Yourself Mentally –

• Take personality tests in books and online to find your personality type, temperament and preferences
• Join luminosity.com and participate in their program daily.
• Try your brain at challenging mental games, such as bridge, Sudoku solitaire, Mahjong solitaire and poker.
• Take classes and lectures at community colleges. You may also monitor classes about subjects that you’re interested in. If you’re an avid art collector, take a course on Art History. You might consider taking classes in painting or drawing if your artistic abilities are strong. For a vacation or to improve your language skills, learn another language. A lot of people spend their entire lives raising kids, working, or trying to build careers. This is why it’s a great time to start learning new skills.
• You can read more, and you will watch less television. Your autobiography, or articles about topics that interest you. You can speed-read. Aim to read one book per week. To keep up with the news, subscribe to an audiobook club. You can listen to four books per month if you do not have time.
• Expand an existing hobby or start a new one. You can collect stamps and coins or bird watch. Whatever brings you pleasure, it is worth doing. You can create candles or pottery. Or you could grow bonsai plants. You can learn to paint portraits and landscapes. You might learn to crochet, knit or crochet. Maybe you are looking to restore an old car from the garage.

Reinvent Yourself Physically –

• If you want to reinvent yourself quickly and effectively, stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, eat less red meat, eat more vegetables, stop eating fast foods, take vitamins, and exercise more. You probably heard the same advice from your mom and dad in high school. Now think about where you would be if you had followed that advice back then. Although you probably didn’t wish to hear it again, this was the truth back then.
• If you are looking for moderate exercise with a social element, join an athletic club or join a walking or running group. To make the most out of your 60th birthday, it is important to stay active and fit. Join a group sport league to play softball, tennis or racquetball with seniors. You’ll feel more energetic and social because you can interact with others.
• You can do more aerobic exercise if you have a limited budget. You should walk, bike, climb hills, and swim at least 3-4 times per week. You can increase your heart rate to the point where you are able to sustain a training session for up twenty minutes. Work out to get moving. To increase metabolism and lose more calories, exercise three to five times per week. It is a good idea to do cardio, but make sure you consult your doctor before doing so. Calculate your body mass (BMI), and then follow these guidelines to find your ideal height/weight. You can still exercise if you are unable to do so. Yoga or Tai Chi or Chi Gong will increase your flexibility, strengthen your body, enhance your balance, coordination, and strength.
• You should pay closer attention to how much you are eating and how often. You should eat within your recommended daily calories and maintain a healthy weight that is proportional to your height. A balanced diet will include fewer simple carbohydrates, more vegetables, and more fruits. Fast food and sugary sweets are best avoided. Instead, eat greener salads. You can juice and eat more meals with less red meat. A great idea is to fast one day per week.

• Get food supplements and vitamins. Start learning more about your health by visiting your local health food shop. A multivitamin supplement should be taken daily. However, you have the option to create customized supplements that support specific conditions. For example, you could add a memory function or eye sight enhancement, digestive, diabetes, stress relief, insomnia, blood pressure, cholesterol, liver and colon cleansing.
• Follow the recommended categories for your type to determine your body. Check your blood pressure and pulse daily
• See a medical professional for exams; at least twice a year, and have a complete blood work performed at least once a year. An annual complete physical examination should be performed. This includes monitoring your blood pressure, temperature and blood oxygen. It also involves listening to your heart and checking for any lumps, moles or lesions. You will need to examine your ears, mouth, nose, throat and feet. A pap smear should be given to women, and the prostate gland and hernia should be examined by men.
• Your dentist should be seen at least once a year. If you wear dentures, an annual examination is recommended to make sure your dentures are properly fitted and that your mouth does not change. This could lead to discomfort later.
• You can live an active life, which could mean boating, fishing or skiing.
• A good night’s sleep should be at least 7 hours, with 20 minutes of rest after eating. While people get less sleep as they age, it is important to not become an obedient night owl or keep you up at night. Ask your doctor if you are snoring and follow his recommendations. Ask your doctor if you are experiencing insomnia, particularly during the day. Don’t sleep your life away.

Reinvent Yourself Spiritually –

• Attend your church, temple, or religious group regularly. Spiritual growth can enrich life and give hope for the future. It is possible to find a yoga group or tai chi class in your area, or to attend Bible studies. Or even to make a pilgrimage somewhere you’ve wanted to go all your life.
• You can volunteer at local shelters and parks, as well as public functions such as religious services, food banks and blood donation centers. You should volunteer for an organization that is important to you. Volunteer to help with the rescue organization. You may be able to help your community if the charity has previously helped you in developing countries. Whatever your age, reinventing yourself after sixty should be all about creating the life you desire. It’s only once you get to do this, so take it seriously and make your life count.

Reinvent Yourself Emotionally –

• Change your diet so that you consume less alcohol, less fat, and eat more foods that support serotonin and dopamine production in the brain.
• Combat depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and other symptoms with SAMe and herbs. Exercise is also a good option.
• You can find someone to love or a pet. It is the best medication for any condition and it can be hard to get too much.
• Daily laughter is a good thing. Keep your smile on the face and laugh every day. YouTube.com has many funny and informative videos. Find uplifting television shows and funny stories.
• Do not live by yourself. You don’t have to be alone if your family and friends are not available. Find someone you can share your space with so you will always have someone there who is interested in you. Anxiety, fear, isolation, depression, withdrawal, and loneliness are the results of being alone.
• You can join a senior centre for companionship and planned activities like bingo, music, card games, or potluck meals.
• Keep in touch by calling and visiting family members on a frequent basis. Make sure to remember birthdays by giving gifts or sending cards. Attend all holidays and get-togethers.
• Your self-esteem will be improved by changing your clothes. You don’t have to wear blue jeans if you want to change your wardrobe. You can replace your worn-out shoes with a pair that is newer. You will feel better if you wear a suit about once a week. If you are confident, it will make you feel great.

Reinvent Yourself Financially –

• These are hard times. If you feel the economy is taking your nest egg away and forcing you to live in poverty, you might have to give up your pride and request public assistance. High unemployment may make it impossible to find work. Food is your only option. For assistance, contact your local Food Bank, Health and Welfare office and free clinics. Keep doing what you can to make ends meet until the situation improves. Take the wise decision. Be smart. These are temporary economic conditions that will soon pass.
• Do not decide to retire too early or at a regular age. Work longer, and you will receive more social security benefits when you are finally retired.
• If you lost your life savings when the “too large to fail” banks collapsed, then you may be reluctant to save or invest. Making safe investments can still be a great way to grow your net worth. Consider safe growth stocks.
• Avoid day trading or putting your savings in a bank. You might consider buying tax deed certificate (paper trading), from local governments that offer high interest rates.
• It is difficult to find work that provides a living wage these days. It is possible to go back to school or retrain in another field. Many loggers and workers have changed careers to be truck drivers, CADD drafters and project managers. You can search online to find the right source of training for you and get a loan or pay as it goes to obtain the skills necessary to switch careers. You will find it worth the effort.
• If you are unable to find employment in your local area, consider moving to another city. You can still live where you’ve always dreamed of, even after reaching 60. You can sublet an apartment/room for a short time to try out life in a different town. For recommendations, check with senior centers and the Chamber of Commerce. Before you decide to move permanently, visit your kids who have moved to another place. A recreational vehicle can be used for part of the year, even if you aren’t looking to relocate. If the weather cooperates, you can stay in an RV park and travel to new places in comfort.
• Binary options trading online can offer higher returns in a shorter time period and the potential to earn thousands each month from your own home.
• You can start an affiliate website. Start an affiliate business online. Create a site that points to major suppliers such as Amazon.com or ClickBank.com. Drive traffic to the site in order to get sales commissions. Although there is some learning involved, the rewards are worth it.
• Your hobby can be turned into a business. Your crafts can be sold at craft fairs and local auctions. Your venture should be low-risk. You can still enjoy what you do, even if it isn’t a consistent or adequate sales. To grow your business and make more income, you can reinvest some profits. Make sure you take every tax deduction.