Why can’t everything stay the same? It is hard to be positive when your life has been thrown into disarray, but you can do this. Adapting is what we do.
This could be, should be, the best time of your life, but dealing with all of the changes that occur can be quite challenging. Our bodies and our minds seem to be in competition to see which one can beat us down first. It is important to stay in control.
Aches and pains emerge, the mind isn’t quite as sharp, daytime fatigue increases, and sleep is harder to come by. Even worse, who is that person in the mirror?
It’s a known fact that people are living longer, but that doesn’t make any of this easier to accept. Physical limitations and memory issues are just the tip of the iceberg. It will take a good deal of acceptance to adjust to this “new normal.”
So, what are you supposed to do? Accept. Accept. Accept. You have to accept your limitations before you can move forward.
Your choice. Roll with the punches so to speak, or not. Start by acknowledging that life will never be the same again and try to move on from there.
Change is never easy, especially when in your head you are still 26. Good mindset, but at some point, you are going to have to acknowledge that you will never be 26 again. You are 70 or 80 or whatever. Your feet hurt, you are tired, your balance is off, and multitasking doesn’t work anymore.
Adapting means that you may have to switch up your routines. Running becomes speed walking, and then speed walking becomes a walk around the block. It also means you need to suck it up and ask for help. Family and friends are there for you. Your local Council on Aging is there for you.
Go ahead, grieve for what you have lost but then pull yourself up by your bootstraps and move on. Create a new normal. Do the best that you can and applaud your accomplishments.
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