Do you want to start the day right? By “right” I mean waking up in the morning fully refreshed and energized after a good night’s sleep. Then after a short prayer of thanks for being alive, dig right in to do the things scheduled for the day.
It is to wake up with much enthusiasm and motivation to start doing the items on one’s To-Do list.
I know it’s a tough call for seniors who have sleep problems, digestion problems, incontinence problems, and those who endure an evening of asthma or crippling arthritic pains.
But it is tougher to go through another day, grumpy, irritable and idle. It is so demoralizing not to have accomplished anything meaningful by sunset. Nothing brings you closer to the grave than the lack of thirst for life and the opportunities and excitement it brings.
To help you get away from a humdrum existence and spark you up for the rest of the day, here are tried-and-true ways you can try:
1. Wake up early:
By early, I mean as early as you can. My early is 4:50 am.
Most successful people wake up before sunrise because they get more things done.
Other than that, studies show that people’s stress levels are low and optimism high early in the morning.
2. Give thanks:
Even if you are not religious, it is a good practice to give thanks, each time you wake up in the morning – a privilege denied of so many.
Give thanks for the blessing of a new day, for your health, your home, your family, and friends. Give thanks for being physically and mentally capable to live a productive, healthy, and happy life.
Besides. being grateful improves psychological health. It reduces a multitude of toxic emotions like envy, resentment, frustration, despair, etc. Research shows that giving thanks increases happiness and reduces stress.
3. Exercise:
I wake up early so that I can fit my morning exercise into my daily writing schedule.
Exercise makes you feel “high” because it makes the brain release a lot of the pleasant endorphin hormones.
It helps control your weight, promotes a positive attitude, and arrests cognitive decline.
And it need not be expensive. Early-morning exercises can be done in your bedroom with your pajamas on, or a simple pair of city-shorts and t-shirt for a walk around the block.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast:
A “healthy breakfast is relative. Mine is a slice of bread, fried eggs, which I alternate with a slice of ham, sausage or hot dog, together with a mug of chocolate drink, capped with one banana.
It is light breakfast by any standard but it provides the energy for tennis or brisk walking until mid-day when I have a snack.
At any rate, a healthy breakfast would be:
o Eggs:
They are cheap and easy to prepare and it can b done in several ways, i.e., hard-boiled, fried, omelet, scrambled, etc.
Eggs are also high in protein, a macronutrient that helps your body repair damaged tissues, build bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
o Oatmeal:
Like eggs, oatmeal is cheap and easy to prepare.
It is full of dietary fibers which are good for constipation and helps lower cholesterol levels.
People who are above 50 yrs old, should consume at least 21 grams of oatmeal a day, says The Institute of Medicine.
o Fruits and smoothies:
Fruits like blueberries, banana, plums, peaches, kiwi fruits, etc., are full of dietary fibers, vitamins, and minerals. They are easy to chew, swallow, and digest for seniors with dentures or stomach problems.
With a little creativity, you can make smoothies from bananas, kiwi fruits, peaches, blueberries, and many others, or mix them with your oatmeal for better taste.
5. Read or watch the morning news:
To prime you up for the rest of the day, read the morning newspaper or watch the news on TV.
Early in the morning is the perfect time to engage in these activities because the mind is stress-free, clear, and information absorption is better.
Reading is good mental exercise and help s slow down cognitive decline.
6. Do a little housekeeping:
Clean up. Unless you were born filthy, living in a disorganized and cluttered home can affect your body and mind in a negative way. Nothing beats having an orderly, tidy, and clean home.
So tidy up your home. Put things in their proper places, vacuum the rug and floor. Put the dishes in their racks, do a little fixing or changing of lighting fixtures.
These are good exercise, saves you money and make your home more accident-proof.
7. Do your To-Do list:
I have a To-do list, and so should you. It is your roadmap of activities for the day, a good benchmark to gauge your accomplishments for the day and gives you a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day.
It eliminates the possibility of having forgotten something, and a good resources for the procurement of things you need around the house.
A To-do list helps account for your hours and helps you see the productive use of your time.
Being a senior, or an elderly is not as simple as others think. We just spend the entire day doing nothing other than sleeping, eating, cooking, and repeat.
We have a life to live, too. A life that can be as exciting as anybody else’s or just as dull – depending on how we set the day right.
Please help other seniors by sharing this. Better still, subscribe to my newsletter to get a weekly update on the exciting and bittersweet life of a senior.
Image: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151028-the-benefits-of-getting-older
~oOo~
