Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Though this post feels like it is meant only for seniors (Mindful Creators Group at Ashby Ponds), go ahead and read it anyway. I feel it would be beneficial for younger, middle-age generation (Mindful Writers Groups) as well, albeit in future.

Different phases in life bring different transitions. It just so happens that we all are in the final stage of our lives. Some of us living here at Ashby Ponds are comfortable and at peace. But some others with a major health issue or death of a spouse may feel thwarted or terribly lonely. Some may experience sadness/relief after years of caregiving to a spouse with dementia who passes away. Yet some others may dislike being dependent as they are no longer physically fit and thus unable to live on their own. Emotions such as loneliness, sadness, anger, frustration seem to pelt us with various degrees of suffering. But such are the changes and realities we face at this stage of life. 

For some of us it takes longer to adapt to these experiences. Those of us who adapt to changing circumstances comparatively quickly are able to or capable of resuming close-to-normal state of mental well-being. But for some it takes longer, much longer. However, keep in mind that prolonged sadness leads to cognitive impairment. 

Getting old does not necessarily mean becoming less happy. Brain studies tell us that people tend to be happier when they are younger and when older. For people in their midlife (ages thirty-five to roughly fifty-five/sixty) stressors peak. Demands of dependent children increase while they are still working to maintain a career. Responsibilities of aging parents add to their anxieties. Older people (that would be us) are comparatively happier if our brain and body are functioning normally. 

“They can take away everything you own but they can never take away your sharp brain,” writes Dr. Sanjay Gupta in his book Keep Sharp. Our minds are uniquely our own and highly individual that make our lives distinctive. Our mind is unlike anyone else’s, like our fingerprints.

A routine that includes the eight disciplines, that we discussed this month, can work wonders for sharpening our brain and body. “What is Good for the Heart is Good for the Brain.”