Seniors-A Check-up Your Doctor Can’t Do

Do you, as a Pre-Boomer or Boomer, find yourself  doing something you suddenly realize can be bad for you?  Like snacking instead of making a balanced meal, sitting on the couch reading or doing paper work instead of going for a walk, watching television late into the evening—habits that conspire to sap your energy and undermine your physical and mental health?  These are unconscious behaviours that whittle away at the quality of your life.

Be Conscious

In her blog, the Aging Generalist, Margie explains what being conscious, or mindful means to her :

As human beings we spend very little conscious time in the moment—this moment—the very brief here and now. Instead, we are generally consumed with rehashing the past or projecting the future and, in that process, missing this very precious present. Totally missing it. No wonder we think time is flying by.

I’m not suggesting that you need to be mindful of every minute, and everything you do throughout the day, but here is something simple you can do:

Periodically throughout the day, stop whatever you are doing (even if it is nothing!) and ask yourself:

Is this good for me?
Could I be doing something healthier?

This is like pressing pause—on having that snack you don’t need, or slouching instead of sitting up straight, or even worrying.

Don’t Put it Off—Do it Now!

Or it can be something you need to do for yourself, but unconsciously ignore, like taking your supplements regularly, or phoning a friend for that all-important social connection. Sometimes it can be an important omission, which can have huge implications for your health.

For example, these past few months, I have been very engrossed in my work and writing. Vaguely, in the back of my mind, as I worked at the computer hour after hour, I became aware of a pain in my left hip, ignoring the stiffness and the clicking muscles that seemed to come with it. Eventually it began to affect my ability to raise my right arm and use the computer mouse.

Only then did I take the time to pay attention and analyze what was happening to me. I  remembered that I had been fitted with orthopedic insoles to address misalignment in my hip and knee, and that when I wore them consistently, the pain in my hip would disappear.  When I went back to wearing them, my hip pain immediately eased, and my arm began to heal. I couldn’t believe that I had been so unconscious!

Do Your Own Health Check-up

Its worse if you live alone. Many Pre-boomers and Boomers do not have partners. (In Canada, one-quarter of the seniors over 65 live alone). There is no one to observe that “you don’t quite seem like yourself”, or to tell you that you should see a doctor about a symptom you have had for weeks.

Health expert Marisa Weiss, reporting in the Wall Street Journal (Feb.17, 2015), says this about having a live-in partner:

You’re more likely to follow and share regular routines, rhythms and rituals: Cook healthier foods and share meal times with someone you can relate to, process your day with, bounce ideas off of, and exchange stories with. Family, friends and partners can also help keep you safer by helping you avoid excessive indulgences, vices and dangerous behaviours.

Whether living alone or with a partner, we are all responsible for our own health and approach to life. We can take a moment a few times throughout our day to make an assessment of how we feel. We can make an appointment with our doctor to discuss changes we observe—even small ones like a weight gain, a minor injury, or a spell of depression.

We can stay in better touch with others who care about us, and who can reflect back to us changes they observe and are concerned about. And we can begin to make more connections with others; walking with a friend, taking a class, participating in community events, picking up a hobby, or getting involved in a volunteer position. These are all fairly accessible steps, and will help you to develop that all-important state of mind of being conscious.