Granted, some days are better than others. It’s hard to know which “you” is going to be on tap when you wake up in the morning. Some days you feel energetic and optimistic. You wake up feeling pumped, and you find yourself working through your to-do list with the greatest of ease. Life is good. Well, don’t get too pumped because tomorrow may be entirely different.
Daily life for a senior is not predictable. For some unknown reason one day is not just like the next. Through no fault of your own you may feel like spending the next day doing as little as you can get away with. I haven’t come to terms with this yet. At first, I thought it was just me, but several of my “senior” friends admit that it happens to them too.
So, should we accept that these “mood swings” happen from time to time, or should we try to figure it out? We are retired after all, and nobody will say we are failures if we want to take the day off, so why do we feel “so old” when it happens.
Is it psychological or physical? We know we would rather be using our time more productively, like in the old days, but it doesn’t seem to work that way. Let’s think about this. Mood swings or a steadier routine? I’ve thought about keeping a journal for a week or two to try to figure out what is disturbing my sense of order.
Tracking the “ups” and “downs” might, at the very least, indicate if it is random or if a pattern emerges. It could be sleep quality, physical activity, even dietary and hydration levels. It could just be that we overperform on the good days and need a recovery period. Face it, recovery time takes a little longer these days. What do you think?
Researchers are working hard to debunk the myth that to be old is to be sick and frail, so let’s do this. Even at an advanced age, an overwhelming number of people remain functionally able and productive too.
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