Water represents 60% of the human body and 71% of the Earth’s surface, so it is no wonder that water is essential to the physical health of our bodies.

Drinking lots of liquid is especially important during this Covid-19 health scare. Water or green tea are most recommended.

The importance is to drink and to drink often. If you are sitting much of the time to work, each time that you get up also get something to drink. I set the alarm on my mobile phone to ring every 20 minutes to remind me to stand up. It is also when I remember to make some tea or drink refreshing water.

If you are confined to bed, then keep a bottle next to you and drink regularly. Bonnie Fatio

Bonnie Fatio

Activity and routine will also help you sleep better. A good night’s sleep is restorative and helps to prevent illness. Here are a few sleep exercises that I have personally tested and find helpful.

It’s true. Counting your blessings can be powerful. I personally find it helpful to give thanks for three blessings just before I go to sleep.  As I snuggle under the duvet each night, I remind myself of three things from the day that make me happy and for which I am thankful. This relaxes me and calms my thoughts since it focuses my mind on positive events of the day. Most often, remembering just these three things sends me off to slumber with a smile.

Note: You may find it a bit challenging when you begin. Stay at it, though. Soon you will find counting your blessings is as natural as brushing your teeth.

A breathing exercise I find uplifting as I lie in bed is to breathe in everything good, healthy and positive and to breathe out the unhealthy, negatives and bad. For instance, as I breathe in through my nose, I breathe in happiness, peace, health, understanding and love. Then as I breathe out through my mouth, I breathe out fear, pain, disease, war, sadness and cruelty. This often relaxes me completely. You can also be very specific in what you breathe in as good and breathe out as bad. For instance, I breathe in the hugs of my grandchildren, the prayers of friends, and knowing I am cared for. I breathe out all traces of Covid-19, fear of being ill, and sadness of not seeing friends.

Do you have a book that you enjoy reading? A pleasant story, poetry or prose that calms you can provide a soft transition from a busy day to a good night’s sleep. I also find that doing a cryptogram or crossword puzzle helps me to unwind.

Age-esteemers know that sleeping well is important to our overall health and helps us to age well with age-esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

3rd is our Physical Health which has to do with movement, rest, drinking, breathing, and eating the right foods

Physical health seems obvious to us; however, it is also an area of health we tend to overlook, so let’s look at it now.

Beginning with exercise let’s look at the different aspects of physical health. As we’re aging, we don’t necessarily want strenuous aerobic exercise. What we do need is physical activity; we need movement.

• One of the best and simplest activities for your physical health is walking. If you are in a low populated area, you may still find a time when you can take a brisk walk without coming into contact with others. 
• If you’re not able to get out and walk any distance, then why not put on some music and just move to the rhythm or dance? What is important is to move, to be active.
• Are you sitting much of the day? Then you can set a timer to remind yourself to stand up, turn around, and go get something to drink every 20 minutes.
• If you need motivation, search programs on the Web for exercise, dance, yoga, tai chi, and breathing for older people. A favorite of friends of mine is Eldergym which includes exercises to strengthen specific parts of the body and to alleviate pain.

Remember, the goal is to remain active to preserve mobility, strength, and balance. Age-esteemers know that movement is key to aging well.

Bonnie Fatio

Compassion for others is another aspect of emotional health as is being able to show your emotions. Especially in these uncertain times, compassion, caring for other people and what is transpiring in the world without becoming negative or fearful, is crucial to your emotional health.  Are you fearful? Use the exercise of transformative language you are testing from the last message. Instead of saying, “I am afraid”, tell yourself, “I am confident all will go well”, “All is fine”, or “Today is full of new opportunities to be creative”. Remember, you do not have to believe what you say; just say it.

Emotional health also ties into your social health and spiritual health in reaching out to others with compassion. No matter how you feel, you still have space for concern for the suffering of others. Ask what you could do to make today easier for someone’s suffering or distress? In other words what is that act of kindness that you wish to show today? Multiple research shows that we are healthier and happier when we are doing something that has a positive influence on the life of another.

Especially during these days of isolation and quarantine there are exceptional opportunities to reach out to others in creative ways. Search for ways to positively touch the lives of others. Some examples were given in the previous blogs under Social Health.

Age-esteemers know that having a purpose that brightens the lives others is key to age-esteem and remaining healthy and vital as you age.

Bonnie Fatio

You might know that pumpkins are a great source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that plays a significant role in cancer prevention, and pumpkin seeds can fight bad cholesterol. However, did you know that a pumpkin is also good for your age-esteem?

Imagine yourself letting go of worries and concerns by allowing yourself to get into the mood of witches and goblins. Take part in a costume party. Wear something playful and out of the ordinary. Spend time carving a pumpkin and creating a work of art while enjoying the health benefits that pumpkin has to offer.

Grab some dark chocolate, benefit from those antioxidants and allow your age-esteem to shine this Halloween.

Several of my peers are afraid to travel, because they do not feel comfortable traveling alone. If a friend were free and could afford to travel with them, they would gladly pack their bags.

Even the suggestion of joining a tour group where everything is organized and planned scares them. They still fear traveling alone.

One of my friends even backed out of a special invitation to Rome just because she was afraid she would not feel comfortable. (Rome is less than a three hour train ride from where she lives, and she is fluent in Italian!)

These same friends are always eager to hear about my travels and to praise me on how courageous I am to travel alone.

Another friend who lost her husband two years ago, travels alone to foreign countries to places she knows, and joins a tour group for the more exotic places that are new to her. As she says, “If the group is boring or not interested in including me in conversations, I always carry a good book to read during any free time or I strike out to visit something not on the tour.”

Not everyone wants to travel or can afford to travel. That is fine. What is disappointing is to see people give up part of the life they wish to live due to fear.

Are you among those who wish to travel but are afraid to go alone? The first step to doing anything new is to take that first step!

• Travel with an organization that specializes in destinations for older people. For example, Road Scholars (formerly Elder Hostel) has destinations where you are involved working together to help people within the country or have classes so you could easily get to know the others in the group, many of whom are also on their own.
• Take language classes to learn the language and culture of the country you wish to visit. It will give you confidence.
• Organize a trip with friends to a country that speaks your own language or join a tour to that country. It will be less foreign even though very different.
• You can prepare yourself to visit the country of your dreams by renting videos, researching on the internet, attending conferences and travel lectures.

You may also find that the first step is to plan a trip near home in your own country. Whatever you decide, the first step is all you need to get started.

Flaunt your age-esteem and take that first step!

Bonnie Fatio

For Grandparents

…And All Who Love Children

 How many times had I voiced the opinion that Grandparents greatly exaggerated their descriptions of their grandchildren? No child could be so cute or so intelligent or so clever as the one they describe.

Well, I began to eat those words nine years ago. Certainly I became more sympathetic towards those wonderful people. You see, I was also about to join that exclusive club of grandparenting. At the time friends must have been saying, “If she is like this before the child is born, what will she be like later when the baby is here?” Actually, I asked myself the same question as I chatted about the grandchild to be.

Knowing what a low tolerance level I had towards doting grandparents before knowing that I would be one, I have decided to make up for it and write a daily blog during this month of Grandparents Day. It is for Age-Esteemers who are grandparents and those who love being surrogate grandparents. Many of the blogs were written when our first grandchild was born. I will publish them as written at the time.

Bonnie Fatio

Intergenerational Diversity

 A quality of Age Esteemers is to have regular contact with people of all ages. I would also extend this to include diverse backgrounds and cultures.

We live in a world today where we can no longer simply sit back and live as though there is no evolution and we can live with the status quo. The world constantly evolving: technology is advancing, health care is making tremendous inroads concerning our bodies and minds and how to keep them healthy, education includes topics that were not yet dreamed of when we were children.

It is an exciting time to be alive!

One way to make the most of it and to keep up with worldviews and events is to speak and interact with people of diverse backgrounds and from other cultures.

• Ask questions,
• Share your traditions with them and allow them to share theirs with you,
• Invite them to see photos of your life and perhaps the lives of your ancestors and take the time to view their own photos and
• Share the stories that highlight each of your lives.

As you get to know each other better and to understand both your differences and similarities, you will grow in appreciation and tolerance of those differences and find new complementarities among your similarities. Instead of criticizing each other, you will be able to value the other person for the qualities she has.

Bonnie Fatio

Leg Health To Enhance Age Esteem

 It is easier to feel good about yourself at the age you are and to glow with age esteem when you are healthy. – And healthy legs are important to your overall health.

You can do much to prevent varicose veins and keep your legs healthy.

• Sleep with legs raised.
• Move.  Climb stairs, walk to the grocery store.
• Change position regularly.
• Avoid saunas and hot baths, peeling wax, and exposure to the sun.
• Replace high heel shoes with low heels or flat shoes.

Age-esteemers know it is important to care for their legs.

Grandma Nature

Love with Every Age

Do you remember the first time you were kissed? – Really kissed!  Your heart seemed to stop, your toes tingled and you felt as though the ground was opening under your feet.

I hope you did, or will.  It is never too late.

Let’s face it, though.  Lights don’t always go off and bells don’t always ring.  – Nor is it necessary.

There are many ways to love. The media focuses our attention on romantic love as though it were the end-all.  They forget the love of a parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle, teacher or tutor, or the love of a sibling for another.

The media also overlooks the love that we share among friends.  It has nothing to do with romance.  It has everything to do with listening, understanding, and being there for the other person.  It is based on shared experiences, memories, laughter and tears.  It carries the knowledge that you can say what you really feel and not be judged, or ranting over something silly and not be laughed at.

Love is an important ingredient to aging with vitality and health, and with age esteem.

Look at your own relationships and ask yourself

• Who do I love?
• How do they know how important they are to me?
• How can I express to these people that I love them, care about them or appreciate them?

Age-esteemers know that love is a gift.  They use it generously.

Bonnie Fatio