Fill your life with routines that involve friends and family
occasionally be rebuffed. But most people will be thrilled at your offer. A social invitation is a wonderful thing, whether you are a 6 year old being invited to a birthday party or a 68 year old being asked to join a bridge game. For a sense of personal satisifaction, there's little that can match bringing people together.
Here's how to get started.
Revive the dinner party ritual When was the last time you invited four people over for dinner? Once, dinner parties were a natural part of life. But over time, they've become less common. Change that. The fanciness of your cooking is not important. What's important is the opportunity to sit at a table together, not rushed by a waiter or intimidate local by crowds or noise, and to talk freely over a glass of wine and a plate of food. Make a vow: two Sundays from now, you're having guests.
Be hold and take up a sport It may sound like a cliche, but try golf. With 3 to 6 hours spent on the course, you've plenty of time for conversation and companionship. Plus, there are the required post-play refreshments at the 19th hole. If golf just isn't your thing, other good 'companion' sports include tennis and bowling.
Or take up a game Chess, poker, bridge, mah-jong, pool and darts are all great choices. sitting around a table with friends and jovially playing a game for a few hours is one of the best things you can do for your health. (Beware, though, of all the snacks and alcohol.) Make it a twice-a-week ritual.
Or join a club Enjoy wine? Check with your local wine merchant. They'll have information on wine groups in your community. If not, put a leaflet up in the shop offering to start one. The key here is to take something you enjoy - tasting wine, solving puzzles, knitting, fishing, woodworking, gardening - and run it from a solitary activity into a social one. The wine club formula works for nearly and hobby.
Meet your neighbours You may well know the postman better than you know the person you've lived next door to for six years. Why not throw a barbecue for a few neighbouring households, organise a street party or start a neighbourhood newsletter, in print or online, to get to know the people surrounding you.
Get a job Of course you've looked forward to retirement for 40 years. But studies find that people who aren't working are more likely to be lonely than those who work. You don't have to work full-time, some kind of part-time job that requires you to interact with your colleagues and the public is just the ticket. In other words, not a solitary desk job.
Register for college courses If you never went to college or university, or never had a chance to finish, now is the time. The more education you have, studies find, the more social connections you have as you age. Conversely, the less education you have, the more likely you are to become a loner because you don't trust others enough. A higher educational level means you're more likely to volunteer and, as the next tip shows that's also a key quality in successful ageing.
Volunteer Nothing makes a person feel more wanted and appreciated than volunteering. We know this instinctively, but researchers around the world have reams of data proving it. When you help others, your own of sense of control increases. And with a stronger sense of control, you're less likely to become depressed. It also makes you more likely to accept help from others, another key component of successful ageing. And you don't have to offer your services to other people if you don't want to -
why not volunteer at a local animal sanctuary?
Visit the cafe every morning Instead of drinking your coffee or tea at home alone, have it in the company of the 'regulars' at your local cafe or coffee shop. Not only will you get a boost from the caffeine (which studies find reduces the risk of depression by more than 50 percent), but you'll also get another boost from the social scene, and once you become one of the regular faces, you'll make new friends.
Commit to connections Instead of a vague, 'we must get together some time', whip out your diary and ask which day is best. That which we put off till tomorrow... well, you know what happens.
Weed out bad connections If you want to get the most from your relationships, quality is better than quantity. To find the time to focus on the best relationships, weed out the people who suck energy and joy from your life (like your friend who never stops whining about her sore back, her credit card bill and her 35-year-old son still living at home, and who never asks how you are). Next time she calls, gently extricate yourself from the conversation. After a couple of times, she'll get the message. If not, have the courage to say what you mean. Be kind but honest; 'I just don't think our relationship is working. I need to pull back for a while. I hope you understand.' The short-term pain will be worth the long-term gain.
Develop rituals with others We know of a couple who like a host an annual karaoke evening. Another family celebrates the first sighting of the spring daffodils with an open house, and a third has a summer barbecue that's a must on every calendar in the neighbourhood. Such activities keep you connected with people in your life, provide pleasurable activities to plan for, and ensure that you'll have regular opportunities for meeting new people (tell your old friends to bring a new friend).
Visit a nursing home It may sound depressing but it's one of the best things you can do for yourself and the residents of the home. Ask the staff to recommend someone who doesn't get many, if any, visitors. Introduce yourself and start talking. Most important: listen. Ask the person about his or her family, former job and so on. If you don't click with one person, try another. You'll make a friend, and you'll be helping yourself. It also provides a powerful motivation to keep up with all the other advice in this session, to ensure that you maintian your own independence and physical strength.
Sometimes, an exchange of smiles is the best medicine in the world
A nice walk,
soothing massage,
good conversation:
life's simple pleasures can help to cure depression
TRAIT 3 An ability of manage depression
When it comes to avoiding the frailty and disability of ageing, nothing beats preventing or treating depression. While we've known for years that depression significantly increases your risk of death from heart disease, a major Norwegian study has found it also increases a risk of death from stroke, pneumonia, influenza, Parkinson's disease and mutiple sclerosis. One American study found that people with symptoms of depression were 42 percent more likely to develop diabetes - the worse of depression, the higher the risk of diabetes. And a Dutch study showed that a history of depression raised the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 2.5 times.
Depression is far more than just a low mood. Feelings of sadness and lack of enjoyment of normal activities occur for most of the day, almost everyday, and persist for weeks without relief. Typically they are most intense at the start of the day. People affected lose motivation, may find it difficult to concentrate and may feel exhausted, irritable, guilty, hopeless or worthless. General aches and pains may develop along with headaches, palpitations and chest pain, and sleep patterns and appetite are disturbed.
This is a complicated condition with many interacting causes. Sometimes depression is set off by external events, such as bereavement, debt, major surgery or a diagnosis of serious illness, including cancer or a hear attack. And sometimes, it just happens - so-called endogenous depression. People with a family history of depression seem to be more vulnerable, as do those who abuse alcohol or drugs. Even some prescribed medications may precipitate depression. People with sleep disorders, women with young children and unemployed people are all more likely to become depressed, as are people is unhappy marriages whereas those with supportive realtionships seem to be protected. Some diseases, such as an underactive thyroid gland, are directly linked with depression. And researchers from the Institute for the Health of the Elderly at the Univeristy of Newcastle upon Tyne have shown that depression in later life may be associated with narrowing and hardening of the arteries supplying the brain.
Depression is not a prolonged bad mood. It's a serious disease, connected to many major causes of death
The link between depression, disease and death? Recently an outpouring of research has highlighted links with chronic inflammation - the state of heightened immune system activity that doctors now believe is the underlying cause of so many diseases. People who are depressed have overactive immune system that produce inflammation-promoting chemicals such as cytokines, which are known to influence many conditions that become more common with age. And people with inflammatory diseases are more likely to become depressed. Those with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, are two or three times are likely to become depressed as the rest of the general production-and when they are depressed their arthritis tends to get worse. This suggests that there is 'cross-talk' between the brain and the immune system.
occasionally be rebuffed. But most people will be thrilled at your offer. A social invitation is a wonderful thing, whether you are a 6 year old being invited to a birthday party or a 68 year old being asked to join a bridge game. For a sense of personal satisifaction, there's little that can match bringing people together.
Here's how to get started.
Revive the dinner party ritual When was the last time you invited four people over for dinner? Once, dinner parties were a natural part of life. But over time, they've become less common. Change that. The fanciness of your cooking is not important. What's important is the opportunity to sit at a table together, not rushed by a waiter or intimidate local by crowds or noise, and to talk freely over a glass of wine and a plate of food. Make a vow: two Sundays from now, you're having guests.
Be hold and take up a sport It may sound like a cliche, but try golf. With 3 to 6 hours spent on the course, you've plenty of time for conversation and companionship. Plus, there are the required post-play refreshments at the 19th hole. If golf just isn't your thing, other good 'companion' sports include tennis and bowling.
Or take up a game Chess, poker, bridge, mah-jong, pool and darts are all great choices. sitting around a table with friends and jovially playing a game for a few hours is one of the best things you can do for your health. (Beware, though, of all the snacks and alcohol.) Make it a twice-a-week ritual.
Or join a club Enjoy wine? Check with your local wine merchant. They'll have information on wine groups in your community. If not, put a leaflet up in the shop offering to start one. The key here is to take something you enjoy - tasting wine, solving puzzles, knitting, fishing, woodworking, gardening - and run it from a solitary activity into a social one. The wine club formula works for nearly and hobby.
Meet your neighbours You may well know the postman better than you know the person you've lived next door to for six years. Why not throw a barbecue for a few neighbouring households, organise a street party or start a neighbourhood newsletter, in print or online, to get to know the people surrounding you.
Get a job Of course you've looked forward to retirement for 40 years. But studies find that people who aren't working are more likely to be lonely than those who work. You don't have to work full-time, some kind of part-time job that requires you to interact with your colleagues and the public is just the ticket. In other words, not a solitary desk job.
Register for college courses If you never went to college or university, or never had a chance to finish, now is the time. The more education you have, studies find, the more social connections you have as you age. Conversely, the less education you have, the more likely you are to become a loner because you don't trust others enough. A higher educational level means you're more likely to volunteer and, as the next tip shows that's also a key quality in successful ageing.
Volunteer Nothing makes a person feel more wanted and appreciated than volunteering. We know this instinctively, but researchers around the world have reams of data proving it. When you help others, your own of sense of control increases. And with a stronger sense of control, you're less likely to become depressed. It also makes you more likely to accept help from others, another key component of successful ageing. And you don't have to offer your services to other people if you don't want to -
why not volunteer at a local animal sanctuary?
Visit the cafe every morning Instead of drinking your coffee or tea at home alone, have it in the company of the 'regulars' at your local cafe or coffee shop. Not only will you get a boost from the caffeine (which studies find reduces the risk of depression by more than 50 percent), but you'll also get another boost from the social scene, and once you become one of the regular faces, you'll make new friends.
Commit to connections Instead of a vague, 'we must get together some time', whip out your diary and ask which day is best. That which we put off till tomorrow... well, you know what happens.
Weed out bad connections If you want to get the most from your relationships, quality is better than quantity. To find the time to focus on the best relationships, weed out the people who suck energy and joy from your life (like your friend who never stops whining about her sore back, her credit card bill and her 35-year-old son still living at home, and who never asks how you are). Next time she calls, gently extricate yourself from the conversation. After a couple of times, she'll get the message. If not, have the courage to say what you mean. Be kind but honest; 'I just don't think our relationship is working. I need to pull back for a while. I hope you understand.' The short-term pain will be worth the long-term gain.
Develop rituals with others We know of a couple who like a host an annual karaoke evening. Another family celebrates the first sighting of the spring daffodils with an open house, and a third has a summer barbecue that's a must on every calendar in the neighbourhood. Such activities keep you connected with people in your life, provide pleasurable activities to plan for, and ensure that you'll have regular opportunities for meeting new people (tell your old friends to bring a new friend).
Visit a nursing home It may sound depressing but it's one of the best things you can do for yourself and the residents of the home. Ask the staff to recommend someone who doesn't get many, if any, visitors. Introduce yourself and start talking. Most important: listen. Ask the person about his or her family, former job and so on. If you don't click with one person, try another. You'll make a friend, and you'll be helping yourself. It also provides a powerful motivation to keep up with all the other advice in this session, to ensure that you maintian your own independence and physical strength.
Sometimes, an exchange of smiles is the best medicine in the world
A nice walk,
soothing massage,
good conversation:
life's simple pleasures can help to cure depression
TRAIT 3 An ability of manage depression
When it comes to avoiding the frailty and disability of ageing, nothing beats preventing or treating depression. While we've known for years that depression significantly increases your risk of death from heart disease, a major Norwegian study has found it also increases a risk of death from stroke, pneumonia, influenza, Parkinson's disease and mutiple sclerosis. One American study found that people with symptoms of depression were 42 percent more likely to develop diabetes - the worse of depression, the higher the risk of diabetes. And a Dutch study showed that a history of depression raised the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 2.5 times.
Depression is far more than just a low mood. Feelings of sadness and lack of enjoyment of normal activities occur for most of the day, almost everyday, and persist for weeks without relief. Typically they are most intense at the start of the day. People affected lose motivation, may find it difficult to concentrate and may feel exhausted, irritable, guilty, hopeless or worthless. General aches and pains may develop along with headaches, palpitations and chest pain, and sleep patterns and appetite are disturbed.
This is a complicated condition with many interacting causes. Sometimes depression is set off by external events, such as bereavement, debt, major surgery or a diagnosis of serious illness, including cancer or a hear attack. And sometimes, it just happens - so-called endogenous depression. People with a family history of depression seem to be more vulnerable, as do those who abuse alcohol or drugs. Even some prescribed medications may precipitate depression. People with sleep disorders, women with young children and unemployed people are all more likely to become depressed, as are people is unhappy marriages whereas those with supportive realtionships seem to be protected. Some diseases, such as an underactive thyroid gland, are directly linked with depression. And researchers from the Institute for the Health of the Elderly at the Univeristy of Newcastle upon Tyne have shown that depression in later life may be associated with narrowing and hardening of the arteries supplying the brain.
Depression is not a prolonged bad mood. It's a serious disease, connected to many major causes of death
The link between depression, disease and death? Recently an outpouring of research has highlighted links with chronic inflammation - the state of heightened immune system activity that doctors now believe is the underlying cause of so many diseases. People who are depressed have overactive immune system that produce inflammation-promoting chemicals such as cytokines, which are known to influence many conditions that become more common with age. And people with inflammatory diseases are more likely to become depressed. Those with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, are two or three times are likely to become depressed as the rest of the general production-and when they are depressed their arthritis tends to get worse. This suggests that there is 'cross-talk' between the brain and the immune system.
No comments:
Post a Comment