Seventy per cent of the way we age is dictated by our lifestyle:
- How actively we move around.
- How much we drink (water not wine).
- How well we sleep.
- How many close friendships we maintain.
- How engaged we remain in life and community.
This is all very well, you say, but how do I handle this when I am worried about going out? When friends are locked down in their houses? When the activities I used to engage in are no longer available to me?
I have a couple of suggestions:
How much did you enjoy colouring when you were a child? Whether you did or did not, now is the time to begin again. Get yourself some coloured pencils or some real crayons. Choose an adult colouring book or just play with the colours on paper. Discover your internal Picasso or Monet. Even more fun are watercolour pencils. Art – good or bad – relieves stress, encourages creative thinking, boosts self-esteem, and provides a sense of accomplishment.
Something else that transcends age and physical limitations, not to mention improving overall health, is laughter. Find reasons to laugh every day. Giggling reduces stress hormones. Chuckling tones facial muscles and acts like a mini face lift by increasing blood flow, nourishing your skin for a more youthful glow.
One minute of hilarity is as effective in getting your heart rate up as 10 minutes on a rowing machine. If you can guffaw for 10 minutes, you will burn 50 calories. You get an internal workout, too! Want to work your abs, diaphragm and shoulders? Have a belly laugh. Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without leaving your house.
We are doing so well in our communities with regards to this pandemic. Our goal now is to simply keep on keeping on. Staying the course should keep us healthy, safe and grateful. So, for the next month, until we connect again, have a laugh, use your coloured pencils, and make a note of what you did that you really enjoyed – and what you learned.
We are all on the same path, wanting the same things – love, joy, acknowledgement. This moment in time we have been given away from regular life is like a blank canvas. Use it to create a bright and colourful canvas of your life.
We do not quit playing because we grow old, we grow old because we quit playing. Never stop playing.
Remember what your mother told you, wash your hands often. Physical distancing is the new hug. And wear a face covering when you enter an enclosed space.
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Pat Nichol is a speaker and published author. Connect with her at mpatnichol@gmail.com.