Everyone wants to stay vital and healthy as they age, but there is another way to do it besides eating well and getting regular exercise. The other way to stay feeling good is doing some social networking. When you age, it becomes harder to learn and retain more information, especially if you don’t do things to keep your brain stimulated. But, by having an active social life, interacting with peers and other people; this is one of the best ways help keep feeling young and your brain active.
How to stay connected socially
There all kinds of things to do to keep you stimulated intellectually and to stay socially connected. One would be to join a club that you’d be interested in joining. You might be a sewer, love gardening, reading books or even doing art. Some clubs involve these activities. So keeping up with hobbies and meeting new people at likeminded associations while doing them is an excellent way to be socially active.
Also, you could always go back to work. If you feel you’re missing part of who you are, then consider part-time work to fill that void. It will revive your sense of contribution, even though you’ve already contributed so much, as well as stimulate your mind. You may even meet a new friend or two. Going back to school is another idea, many seniors do this and get a senior discount.
Also, you could nurture the social network of people that you already have. Because when you make an effort to keep in touch with family members and close friends by calling, texting or social media; you feel more connected. So plan an outing or luncheon. Get out of the house and talk the afternoon away. If you have friends who live or vacation out of town, send them emails and stay in contact with them through social media. If you aren’t computer friendly, there are classes just for seniors through colleges, libraries, and even assisted living centers to help you.
Another idea is to volunteer in your community. There are lots of organizations who always need volunteers. You can even contact Senior Corps, which will give you connections to local and national organizations who need help that use volunteers. Senior Corps is an organization which is run by the government. By volunteering your time, you can help other people who need it; and make new friends while doing it.
If you live in a community, find out what sort of activities they have going on too. Most communities have a social center where they may have potluck dinners, dances, card games, exercise classes and many more events. Talk to the other residents and see what’s going on the social center near you. They might be doing something that you’ll enjoy regularly doing.
You can also stimulate your mind by playing chess, doing word puzzles and other intellectual endeavors. Playing these games with other people will help you stay socially connected, keep sharp and build relationships with individuals who have similar interests as yours.
By staying socially active, it keeps you fit mentally.
Question: What kind of social activities do you enjoy?
References:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/enhancing-your-life.aspx
https://www.fountainsseniorliving.com/ways-stay-social-engaged-age/