Want to Stay Strong as You Age? Find a Purpose!

Some people seem to enter their golden years and become even more vital, social, and motivated than when they were younger. Others struggle and seem to decline. Nutrition and exercise are of course crucial factors here, but there’s something else that experts are honing in on as crucial to aging well: finding a purpose.

Purpose and Aging Well

The Basics

Let’s start with what we know for sure. More than one study has shown that, as we age, having goals and a sense of life direction are strongly associated with positive health outcomes. University College London even did a study of older people that investigated all the factors involved in successful aging, like health, income, culture, and relationships, and found that having a sense of purpose in life was more important to happiness and longevity than any other factor.

Previous studies had shown that a sense of purpose contributed to better health and happiness overall, but until recently, this connection had not been investigated primarily in the context of our older years. It turns out that purpose is just as important at 50, 60, and beyond as it is at 18, 25, or 35. Even better is the news that you don’t need to have a particular purpose: just so you have one!

How to Find Your Purpose

The findings explained above are all well and good, but a lot of us don’t need to be convinced that it’s important to have a life-driving purpose. The problem is figuring out what it should be. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Find a Work Purpose

Just because you’re retiring doesn’t mean you’re going to stop working. Lots of people start their second career after retiring from their first one, and others turn hobbies and side hustles into full-time gigs.

And “work” doesn’t have to mean the same thing as it did when you were younger. In early adulthood, most of us have to take whatever jobs we can get. After retirement, finances are hopefully not such a desperate concern. Is it time to write that book or maybe donate your carpentry or plumbing skills to needy families?

Find a Social Purpose

Relationships are important to humans at every age. As we age, we have incredible wisdom and experience to share with those following after us. Now could be the perfect time to invest in the lives of grandchildren, for example, and be a living example of the kind of values you want them to embrace as they enter adulthood.

Find a Creative Purpose

This could take many forms, but it means finding something you’re passionate about and building goals around it. Do you love birds? Turn that into a goal of seeing every bird native to your region within five years. Visit all the places on your bucket list, practice your painting or modelling skills until you’re featured in a show, or keep at your pie-baking skills until you win that ribbon at the fair.

There are other avenues to explore and no limits to the possibilities when it comes to finding your purpose. Support your sense of purpose and drive to succeed in life with the best nutritional support at Panacea Scientific.

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