Productive Aging and Retirement
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The aging process cannot be stopped, I can make choices that improve my ability to remain active in my later life. Besides spending time with loved ones, the things that I do as I age must be enjoyable. I have learned that since healthy aging and happy retirement goes hand in hand, it is good to prepare oneself psychologically in readiness for retirement.
Tackling on healthy aging first, I know what to expect and, indeed, everyone should expect, as we get old. The general weakening of vital body organs gradually follows the aging process where the cardiovascular system, bones, joints, muscles, digestive system, memory, sexual activity, to mention just but a few, tend to function less effectively. These call for informed personal interventions such as eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular and moderate physical activities to enhance body immunity and reduce stress. Consulting with a doctor is also necessary for one to get recommendations on the specific types of foods and supplements one should take depending on their health needs. One should refrain from using some substances that are unhealthy for all the aging people. Such substances include heavy consumption of alcohol, smoking, and too much caffeine.
Concerning retirement, one’s readiness to retire goes beyond finances and tends more to be psychological. The impact of retirement or no retirement would have on my health and well-being, and on that of anyone else largely depends on the reasons for one's choice to retire or not. While some people are happier retired, others are happier working. Unfortunately, sometimes retirement is not a choice since there is an already prescribed age that one retires, which means that it is necessary psychologically to prepare and plan for retirement. I would choose to work until retirement but make sure that as I do that, I have engaged in other long-term projects. Such projects must be viable and, I must plan for them long before I retire so that I can continually evaluate my life after retirement currently and avoid unrealistic expectations that people have when starting new projects after retirement.