Ageing - The Process

For many people, ageing is a dreaded and unwelcome experience. The process in itself is gradual; however, our consciousness of it is usually sudden and this may make the adjustment difficult. Moreover, the experience is not the same for everyone and those who go through the process without much pain and distress should be thankful.

• Suddenly, you can’t spring out of bed in one fluid movement anymore; you have to stretch the stiffness out of your joints and do it gradually.
• Suddenly, you can no longer take the stairs two at a time or just simply run them up. Oh no! You have to take your time now for halfway up, you’re out of breath.
• Suddenly, you recognize that you no longer have the stamina to keep going all day and all night as you used to before. Your body seems to say quite frequently, “I’m tired, I need a rest now.” In fact, no sooner you sit down than you go into relaxation mode and before you know it you have dozed off.
• Suddenly, you can no longer read the labels of items on the store shelves so you have to turn and ask another shopper, "Can you tell me the price on this label please?". Or else you have to hold things at an odd angle in an effort to distinguish what is written on them. Aha! You can’t even thread a needle any more so you have to call for help with that too. You remember when your mum used to call you to do that for her! You know it’s time to purchase those dreaded spectacles!
• Suddenly, you find yourself saying quite often, “Beg your pardon. What did you say?” Something’s wrong. You just don’t hear quite as well any longer. What’s with this sudden dulling of the senses?
• Suddenly, you need to take less salt, less sugar, less fat – less of all the things you used to love and more of the bland stuff that makes eating a duty rather than pleasure! You need to cut back on the ice cream, the pizza, the scrumptious cakes and delectable pies for issues such as cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension.
• Suddenly, this thing hurts and that thing hurts – a different issue every day. You feel as though things are just not going well. The doctor’s appointments grow more frequent no matter how careful you are to do things right.

You can’t take these sudden changes anymore so you decide to go take a look at that stranger who is living inside of you. Inside of you? What you see is a total stranger looking back at you - this person with the sagging cheeks and faded looks - a deem memory of the vibrant, beautiful person that you once knew yourself to be. How could you not have noticed before?

Somehow, you never really stopped to notice how white your hair had grown, how the brightness had left your eyes and the glow of youth had abandoned your cheeks. In dismay, you rush to your photo album turning page after page and slowly it dawns on you that this has not been sudden after all. It has been happening gradually, stealthily, surely.

This thing called ageing can take you unawares; it will steal up on you and if you are not mentally prepared you can be really hard hit when you wake up one day and suddenly discover that the years have grown on you, old age ailments have started creeping in, your senses have become diminished and you are just not the person that you used to be.

Ageing can be dignifying and gratifying if you have lived a fulfilling life and are prepared for the ageing process. However, it can be earth shattering when it catches you unprepared, unaware, full of regrets and what- might- have- beens.

Do not be taken unawares. Age healthily, gracefully and graciously. As you advance in age, prepare yourself for the ageing process:

• Pay more attention to your diet - This would mean more home cooked meals. Of course, even as your own cook, you would need to shop wisely and prepare meals suitable to your health needs.
• Snack less and when you must, watch the sugar, salt and fat!
• Do not eat heavy meals right before going to bed. You can't break the food down while you sleep!
• Have regular medical checks.
• Get into an exercise program and make sure that you are regular at it.
• Walk when you can. You do not always have to use the car!
• Laugh more and worry less. Oh yes, that helps. You will be surprised how much!
• Socialize. Get involved. There is a lot to enjoy in life even while you age!
• Make time for an afternoon siesta. The body needs to rest.
• Dress to suit the changes in your body!
• Pay less attention to what other people think, say and do.
• Reminisce about the past and look toward the future with anticipation - No regrets!