With these 10 realizations, you will live happily ever after

What kind of life do you want to live? The decision is in your hands, and it is never too late to decide. Especially for the elderly, if they can have the following 10 awarenesses and work hard to put them into practice, they will definitely live a happy life until the end of their lives.

1. Accept your age but don’t admit it.

Aging is a life problem that everyone has to face. The wisest approach is to acknowledge aging but not to submit to it. This is crucial. If you can look at your age rationally, you can find effective ways to cope with it and gain happiness and joy from it. If not, you may bear a heavy psychological burden, be immersed in feelings of loss, and your quality of life will be seriously reduced. Every stage of life has its own unique charm, embrace what you have now. When you get older, although the youthful vitality of your 20s is no longer there, your experience and knowledge will give you a more thorough and profound understanding of the world. When facing crises and difficulties, your judgment and decision-making will also be more accurate. These are intangible wealth.

2. Express your emotions and needs clearly.

A happy family relationship is the best aid to longevity. Surveys show that most Chinese elderly people have a more traditional view of happiness and believe that happiness mainly comes from family. Therefore, children should try their best to create such a harmonious atmosphere for the elderly, pay more attention to and accompany the elderly. At the same time, the elderly can also take the initiative to strengthen contact with their children and family members, which can effectively improve their mentality and alleviate negative emotions.

If the elderly have any needs, it is best to tell their children directly and communicate in a timely manner. Do not let your children guess, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and troubles. For example, if you need to go to the hospital for an important examination and are a little scared, tell the woman clearly, "I need you to go with me." This can increase her sense of security. But you cannot rely on your children for everything, and you cannot force them to do anything. You must live a relatively independent life.

3. Live happily every day.

Learning to adjust one's emotions is a compulsory course for every elderly person. As people get older, they become more emotional and it is easy for them to accumulate negative emotions in their hearts. Problems such as loneliness, irritability, depression, and suspicion follow one after another. When facing these bad emotions, you must have an open-minded and optimistic heart. Whether you are happy or unhappy, it is also a day. Life should not be affected by bad emotions. In old age, we should achieve three joys: being content, enjoying oneself, and helping others. Be realistic, don't be too demanding on yourself or others, and strive to remain kind, calm, and content.

4. Realize your unfulfilled dreams one by one.

Paul Baltes, a famous German developmental psychologist, proposed the theory of lifelong developmental psychology, which states that everyone needs to learn throughout their life, especially the elderly, who need to continue to develop rather than just degenerate. Many elderly people have toiled all their lives and their dreams have been constantly put on hold. They should seize the good opportunity after retirement to fulfill their dreams and realize the things they wanted to do but did not have the opportunity to do when they were young. Older people have a lot of free time, so be willful and make good use of it.

In addition, the elderly can cultivate more hobbies and interests, learn more new things to make their lives fulfilling and rich, and avoid just sitting in front of the TV every day without leaving the house.

5. Don’t be afraid of illness.

Disease is a guy that the more you fear it, the more it will come after you. If you try hard to deal with it, it will be scared away. In the face of the gradual decline in body functions, we must keep a normal mind. It is normal to have chronic diseases in old age. We must live a positive and optimistic life even when we are sick and taking medicines. We must not hide our illness and avoid seeing a doctor. Starting from middle age, you should pay attention to changing your lifestyle, maintain health, exercise more, eat more fruits and vegetables, limit salt and alcohol, quit smoking, have regular physical examinations, and seek medical treatment in time if you are sick.

6. Make good use of pension funds.

The elderly should have the awareness of reasonable savings and financial management to prepare for old age and ensure their future living needs. A generous pension can also bring a great sense of security, and it is best to start planning for this fund in middle age. Jane Cullinan, economic adviser to the American Association of Retired Persons, believes that retirement savings should account for at least 10% to 15% of annual income. Other studies have shown that if the living expenses after retirement are 70% of those before retirement, the elderly can basically be satisfied. In addition, you should also prepare an emergency fund that can cover 3 to 6 months of total living expenses. It should be noted that it is best for the elderly not to engage in "roller coaster" style financial management. For example, stocks have greater risks. It is recommended to choose stable financial products suitable for the elderly.

7. Establish a strong “family-like” living network.

In addition to family, friends are an important and indispensable element in life, which is of great help to physical and mental health. The elderly should build their own social circle and communicate more with close friends and friends of similar age who have similar temperaments and hobbies. Especially for the elderly who have moved to big cities with their children, they should actively adapt to local life, make more local friends, participate in more community activities, and chat with neighbors about daily life. When you have nothing to do, call old friends and say hello to each other. You can also learn to use computers and mobile phones to strengthen communication and contact with friends through various instant messaging tools.

8. Make preparations in advance to take care of your parents.

As people's life expectancy continues to increase, every family has to face the situation of "the younger ones taking care of the older ones". When you have elderly parents and young children to take care of, you must ask yourself three questions and objectively evaluate what you need to do: How much can I do? How much have I done well? How much can I do? When you find that you are unable to do it, you must actively seek help from professional organizations. Generally speaking, people should start preparing for the issue of how to care for their parents around the age of 40. They should understand what resources various social organizations can provide so that they will not be at a loss when their parents fall ill and need care.

9. Choose the lifestyle you need.

Home-based care is currently still the main form of care in our country, but if conditions permit, one should choose how to care for the elderly according to one's own needs. For example, the increasingly popular senior centers, nursing homes, senior apartments, and senior communities are all good choices. There, not only is there medical insurance, but you can also make many elderly friends.

10. Always stay calm.

Everyone fears death, but since life has an end, there is no need to be too afraid. People often say that life for the elderly is a state of mind. One should learn to face it calmly, cherish every day of the present, face old age positively, and make the end of life more perfect. At St. Christopher's Hospice in the UK, most of the elderly people there are reading books, playing cards, and watching TV. Even if some of them only have about a month left to live, they are still enjoying life. This calm attitude towards life is worth learning for everyone.