7 Behaviours That Show You're Fully Embracing Life In The Second Half

Plus: 10 Assets That Are Useful But Don't Cost A Penny & Books and Reading

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7 Behaviours That Show You’re Fully Embracing Life

1. You are being proactive about looking after your health.

   You’re aware that good health holds the key to a long healthspan - the length of life lived without illness or disease. You eat a mainly plant-based diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables, beans, grains, and healthy fats. You limit meat, fried foods and avoid ultra-processed food. Every day you exercise for strength, flexibility, heart health or balance. You walk as much as possible.

2. You have a positive attitude.

   This means you are optimistic and resilient. Qualities that help you through the changes ageing brings without causing you distress.

3. You’re maintaining an active social life

   Meeting up with friends and family as often as possible helps to avoid loneliness. Going to the cinema, theatre, clubs, art groups, etc., and filling your calendar with events to look forward to is good for your mental health.

4. You’re getting between 6-8 hours of sound sleep every night.

   Regular quality sleep is vital for good physical and mental health.

5. Your sense of humour is intact

   Laughter is stress-busting and helps to relax you while reducing stress.

6. You’re learning a new…

   language, musical instrument, craft or word game, something you’ve never done before that’s challenging. Innovation is good for the brain.

7. You have strategies to manage your stress, such as

   meditation, breathwork, mindfulness, journaling, getting lost in a good book or film, walking in nature, giving yourself time to just sit and think.

   

   

   Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

   10 Assets That Are Useful But Don’t Cost A Penny (Regardless of Age)

1. Common sense

2. Class

3. Good character

4. Integrity

5. Love

6. Manners

7. Morals

8. Patience

9. Respect

10. Trust

Photo by Prasanna Kumar on Unsplash

Books And Reading

If you’ve been with me here on Substack for a while, you’ll know from previous posts that, after a lifetime of reading, I gradually found I couldn’t get involved in fiction. It’s lasted several years. I’ve bought prize-winning novels, and highly recommended stories, like Lessons in Chemistry and Where the Crawdads Sing, but I couldn’t finish them. They lost my interest.

I wasn’t sure whether the fault lay with the books or me. I enjoyed the film version of Where the Crawdads Sing, so why not the book? I love good writing, writing that draws me in, along with the plot and characters. When a book has good plot and characters but mediocre writing, it doesn’t work for me.

I recently wrote a Note about the ending of a friendship. The friend and I were part of a trio that had met regularly for twenty years. One of the trio died last year and I realise she was the glue that kept us together. One of the longest standing members of my community, Francesca Bossert, told me in the comments that she was reading a book about an older group of women friends with a similar situation to mine. I was intrigued, so bought a copy of the book. It’s called, The Weekend, and it’s by an Australian author, Charlotte Wood.

It is indeed, a similar situation, a group of friends in their seventies dealing with the loss of one of their group. I’m glad to say, I’m enjoying the book! I like the writing, the plot and the characters, and can’t wait to read the next chapter. So, thank you, Francesca, for mentioning the book, it’s got me reading fiction again.

Francesca has recently published a book of poems which is getting good reviews. You might like to check it out on her Substack Just for Fun, here:

Francesca Bossert

DISCUSSION

Have you read any good books lately? Want to share a title and say why?

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