Do you feel angsty when you wake up some mornings?

You feel something is amiss, or about to go wrong. But you don’t know what it is.

It burdens your heart but you can’t express it. What’s worse is you don’t have anybody to express it to,

I do. And my first time got me really scared.

Thoughts of a heart attack danced before my mind.

I felt a slight pressure pushing against my chest, breathing was difficult and painful, and my heart was going boom, boom, boom.

With haste, I immediately drove to the nearest hospital. The results came in after almost an hour of the usual tests. And the verdict was…

My heart was good but my mind was running wild. It was nothing but a severe case of anxiety.

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. While anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful events, the elderly are more prone to it because of the various issues that come with aging.

Here are six of the most common:

1.  Mental Health

Mental health is the level of psychological well-being or an absence of mental illness. It is the state of someone who is “functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment”. – Wikipedia

With old age comes a change in lifestyles. While most seniors handle this transition with ease, a few (about 15% of adults aged 60) struggle with it, consequently affecting their mental health.

Among the stressors that can cause mental deterioration among the elderly are:

• Retirement
• Depression
• Dementia
• Change in environment
• Effects of medications
• Loneliness and isolation
• Loss of a loved one
• Physical disability
• Chronic illnesses
• Alcohol or substance abuse

2.  Physical health

If there is a scorecard on physical health, most seniors will fail. According to the National Council on Aging, 92 percent have at least one chronic condition, and 77 percent have at least two.

Physical health issues greatly impair your ability to perform daily tasks and other activities like sports. People with physical health issues can’t get by without taking several medications a day to keep them going. Often, they need someone to help them with ordinary activities like eating or personal hygiene..

A myriad of physical health issues can befall to  people in this age range, including you and me. The most common are:

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Respiratory diseases

Most of these can be managed to allow you live happy and productive life.

3.  Health care costs

Politicians and medical practitioners define “health care costs” differently but this article is not going to give you a giant headache. So to cut through the chaff, it’s going to make it simpler.

“Health care costs are out-of-the-pocket expenses or the amount of money you regularly spend to maintain your health and overall well-being.”

For example, I am taking multi-vitamins and an anti-hypertension drug on a daily basis. They represent a portion of my health care costs, not counting tennis club membership and other things to keep me physically fit.

This amount can be huge even if you are covered by Medicare. A study done by the Center for Retirement at Boston College shows that an average retiree spends around $ 4,300.00 on out-of-the-pocket health care costs per year.

4.  Financial security

Financial security refers to the peace of mind you feel when you aren’t worried about money matters; that you have enough money to cover your daily needs and emergencies well into the near future.

As in physical health, a lot of seniors will fail in the financial health category. Over 25 million Americans aged 60 + are living below the Federal Poverty Level ($ 29,425 per year per person).

They have issues on housing and health care bills, inadequate nutrition, access to transportation and diminished savings. And things due to normal rise in cost of living, their difficulties are expected to go from bad to worse.

5.  Elder abuse

Elder abuse is the single or repetitive lack of action in a relationship or trust, and which causes harm or distress to an older person.

It includes physical, emotional, sexual, financial exploitation or neglect of their welfare by people who are directly responsible for the care of the elderly. This is a growing menace as most of the victims would rather suffer than report them. In fact, more than half a million reports of elder abuse reach authorities every year.

6.  Loneliness and social isolation

Loneliness is a negative feeling resulting from unmet social needs in terms of quantity and quality, while social isolation is total or very limited social contact; to be cut off from your normal social network.

Social isolation and loneliness are often taken as the same. They are not. On one hand, loneliness is temporary and is often a choice, but social isolation is caused by factors like mobility, health issues, no access to services or community activities, or a total lack of communication with friends, family, and acquaintances.

Both are bad for the elderly. Isolation can result in serious chronic diseases such as lung disease, arthritis, and mobility problems, and loneliness can make some seniors engage in unhealthy habits like overeating, drug abuse, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking.

Everybody wants to finish well – whatever we are doing. Retirement is no less. We all want to retire in good fashion – healthy, financially independent and with a vibrant social circle.

Things, however, don’t always turn out the way we want them to. No matter how good your plans are, these old-age issues can derail them any time. The above are just a few of them.

If not handled or managed well, your life will be a string of stressful events. It will be like battling one of those Australian brush fires. Instead of enjoying old age, you will wallow in a deep mire of suffering and regret.

Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be. The Internet is full of resources you can use to achieve your retirement dreams. This blog is one of them.

You can spend precious time searching them out or have them delivered to your email on a regular basis if you subscribe to this blog. The choice is yours.

But remember this – you need not walk the lonely path alone.

Image: Lovin’LIfe after 50

~oOo~

The post Six Old-age Issues You Need to Know first appeared on Age With Charm.

Officially, I am retired. Unofficially, I spend no less than 10 hours per day as a blogger and a freelance writer.

I need to. Besides loving writing, I need to find something to keep away boredom and loneliness.

My switch from engineering to writing was, at first, due to my distaste for going back to the stifling life of the corporate world.  After a while, I got the hang of it. Then I decided to make it my second career. Now I am earning a little from freelance writing. Not much, but it helps keep my nose above water.

A few retirees, those who set aside hefty funds early on, find retirement the highest point of their lives. They have achieved self-actualization. They spend their time in golf courses, traveling, socializing, or anything that gives them fun and joy.

Not may seniors have the privilege, though. Retirement is a big letdown for a huge number of retirees. It is still a daily grind of stretching their retirement funds to the max. A few even end up in soup lines or sleep in shelters for the homeless.

Between the two extremes are those who continue working to augment their retirement income.

In 2002, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5% of people between ages 65 and 74 were actively working, and this figure is expected to increase to 11% by 2022.

If you are having budget problems and want to earn extra income that will allow you to enjoy retirement, here are ten jobs you can try. They offer flexible work schedules to fit your convenience.

1.  Freelance Consulting:

Freelance consulting has become a hot job these days because companies are more inclined to hire consultants for cost reasons.

So if you need to make use of all the knowledge and skills you have accumulated over the years, be a freelance consultant. The market is in need of consultants of just about everything.

Of course, it doesn’t come easy. You have to search these companies out and pitch them the idea of hiring you.

2.  Driver:

If you can still drive and know your way around town, being a driver is a fun job you can get into. It can be a personal driver, limo, delivery, school bus, etc.

Or you can have your car rented out to service providers like Uber, Lyft, or Amazon, etc.

3.  Events Staff:

If you know of an event organizer, i.e. weddings, parties, concerts, conferences, etc., pitch in the idea of taking you as one of the hired hands on such occasions.

The pay may not be much but you get some perks like free food or and learn a few tricks of the trade. Once skillful enough, you can go solo.

4.  Hotel Staff:

If there are hotels near you, try applying as a part-time valet or concierge.

Because of competition, hotels have high turnovers, and you may just be the perfect guy at the right time. And the pay is not bad, either.

5.  House caretaker/sitter:

Couples or families who travel a lot hire house caretakers/sitters to take care of their home while they are away.

If you are the type of person who loves to do this, search for such opportunities.

They offer different conditions like a stay-in arrangement or just periodic visits. But you have to exercise diligence in doing the task because an expensive property is entrusted to your care. You must make sure that nothing is amiss when the owners get home.

6.  Pet sitter:

If you love pets, this is a perfect way of making an extra income and, at the same time, enjoy it. Pets are known to be great in getting rid of stress.

There are friends, families, neighbors who may want help in taking care or managing their pets while they are away on vacation.

Or you can work for a pet care company or start your own. This is the kind of business with minimal capital outlay. And you get to earn from something you love doing for free.

Like house-sitting, pet-sitting requires due diligence. Pet care is almost like caring for humans these days, and very expensive, too.

7.  Retail Stores:

Retail stores always look for extra hands during holidays or peak seasons.

Check out retails stores in your town, i.e., 7-Eleven, Walmart, Costco, The Home Depot for seasonal vacancies that you can do part-time. Even FedEx or UPS hire part-timers for deliveries during holiday seasons.

Fast-food chains, like McDonald’s, is into hiring retirees. They find elderly people more consistent and reliable in serving customers.

8.  Substitute Teacher or Aide:

Check your school district to see if they are in need of substitute teachers or aids. These positions don’t need lofty degrees or education to get hired.

Other than teaching, school boards often have positions in the food and cafeteria services, grounds keeping, bus driving, and other administrative positions that fit your skills and qualifications.

9.  Tax Preparer:

If you have a strong accounting background, this may fit.

Some people are too busy or they don’t want to wade through the figures in preparing their income tax returns so they outsource these jobs to people like you.

Though this is often done by experienced bookkeepers, some people want to have cheaper options. And this is where you can satisfy that need – if you are good at numbers.

Even accounting firms hire tax preparers during peak months.

10.  Resort Staff:

Had I not been a writer, I would have loved to work in a resort.

Resorts, i.e., beach, mountain, ski, etc., because of their seasonal in nature, hire plenty of part-timers.

They are exciting places to do part-time. The pay is not so bad and the variety of people you see on a given day can be educational and entertaining. Besides, you get the full benefit of enjoying the ambiance of the place.

Please share with other seniors so they will know that retirement is not of a productive life.

Image: //cnn.it/2Dt3oeq

~oOo~

The post 10 Great Jobs You can Do in Retirement first appeared on Age With Charm.

Retirement these days is drastically different from a few years ago when it simply means to stop working, laze around the house entire day while living off a retirement pension.

Now, everybody wants to retire in style. They want to get the most out of it, i.e., spend their days the way they want to, engage in sports, travel, fine-dine at least once a week and, for singles, give love another go, and many others.

And they should. They owe it to themselves to loosen up and have fun after all those years of making a living. Now they should have a life.

Unfortunately, age-related issues like failing health, money, relationship problems, lack of a social network, etc., make all these unreachable for most.

Money is usually at the core of a retiree’s problems. It is estimated that 65 % of Americans retirees are having money difficulties. For them, getting the most of retirement is not the primary concern. Survival is.

For others who are getting by, though not lavishly, having fun at retirement is achievable and are having the best time of their lives.

How they do it may be a poser for those who have just joined the league of “old and happy men and women.” To set them off on the right track, here are some tips I learned through the years as a retiree:

1.  Manage your money:
Some people still cling to the saying that “money is the root of all evil.” If that is a beacon of their moral scrupples then let it be. But experience tells that nothing is worse than being old and poor.

So whatever financial resources you have, no matter how small, manage it well.

Limit your budget to cover the essentials, not the extras. Keep within your budget even if you have to go minimalist. Besides, abundance is not an ingredient for happiness. Contentment is.

Be content with what you have and be grateful for it. Remember that so many seniors are in worse situation than you.

Familiarize yourself with the provisions of Social Security and Medicare just in case you need financial relief from these institutions.

2.  Manage your health:
After money, the greatest spoiler of an enjoyable retirement is health issues. Statistics show that about 80% of seniors have at least one chronic disease (heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes), and 77% have two.

If you are still healthy at your age, you have much to be thankful for. Most seniors that stand behind a drugstore’s counter carry a wad of prescription.

Even if you have one or two medical issues, don’t lose heart. Medicine and science have gotten to the level of allowing you to live a normal life despite these. But you have to be careful with your diet, get enough sleep and exercise regularly.

3.  Manage your relationships:
“Relationships,” covers not only your spouse, your children and immediate members of your family but also those within your social circle, like friends, work associates, former classmates, neighbors and everybody you have more-than-casual interaction.

Don’t by the grouchy old man. When you are old, you need all the friends you can count on. So make peace with those you had a falling out with, create new ones.

Don’t shut people out from your life. Going solo in old age is like committing suicide. We need people to talk to when we are lonely; people to help us with our personal needs when we are unable to do them; pick us up when we fall, or send us off when we die.

4.  Have lots of fun:
Are you having fun I am. Lots of it.

No, I don’t have a fortune in my bank account and, except for two or three people I can share my problems with without fear of having them go viral, I don’t have a large social circle either.

But I do have two wonderful kids who are supportive of my “oldishness”  and I am in excellent health.

Having fun, however, is not a matter of externals. It comes from a deep desire of giving life one last hurrah. Old age is the time to do what we never had the chance to do in our younger years, it is the time to be what we are meant to be.

So throw all inhibitions to the wind and have lots of fun. Don’t leave this world regretful of not having done the things you always wanted to do.

Please share with other seniors so they will also have the greatest time of their lives.

~oOo~

The post How to Get the Most Out of Retirement first appeared on Age With Charm.

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~

The post Do You Want to Set Your Day Right Do These first appeared on Age With Charm.