By Catherine Grace O’Connell
Our attitudes, beliefs, energy, patterns, and behaviors in the present determine our future. What we think and believe directly affects how we age.
Looking for tips to master modern middle life at 50, check these 5 out to all new You.
Adopt a Fierce Mindset & Attitude
Positive aging requires a positive outlook on life along with a new perspective on what it means to be a woman at Midlife. When we choose to see Midlife as a new beginning and an opportunity to reinvent ourselves with unlimited possibilities rather than an ending, we shift our energy from a negative to a positive. Cast away traditional cultural beliefs around aging and adopt a mindset that’s fierce, fearless and unstoppable. Our attitude and outlook determines our behavior and our action steps. Positive attitude leads to positive action.
Surround Yourself with a Supportive Community & Get Connected!
Research shows us that isolation leads to depression while connection and community lead to feeling happier and more fulfilled. Find a supportive community of like minded Mid-lifers like the Forever Fierce Revolution Community that’s based in empathy, kindness and compassion. When we surround ourselves with a community that believes in celebrating and uplifting one another and seeing the best in ourselves and one another, it helps us to push ourselves to live our best lives.
Be Inspired and Get Rewired!
The mind body connection is real. Our thoughts determine our reality. Surround yourself with people you admire who inspire you to ignite the potential in you. It’s impossible to feel both inspired and depressed. Read books that inspire and uplift you. Follow aspirational people who are reinventing themselves at Midlife. Adopt positive mantras and affirmations to train your subconscious mind to focus on the positive and uplift your energy. Try new things – new hobbies, take a class, learn to sing or dance, learn a foreign language, try out a variety of yoga classes, download a meditation app and try out some new meditations. Find ways to expand your mind and rewire your brain by leaving old patterns behind and adopting new, positive ones that move your life forward.
Get Physical!
A recent study by Yale & Oxford shows us that physical activity leads to more happiness than money! Exercise increases our energy and improves both our mood and our overall health and well being. By the time we reach 50, most of us have experienced menopause which usually leads to weight gain and a decreased metabolism. A combination of cardio, weight training and stretching, raises our metabolism, increases our blood flow to the brain and throughout the body and helps our physical body to stay limber and flexible. Don’t buy into limiting cultural beliefs that you should be more sedentary or less adventurous because you are getting older. Believe that you can and you will! Don’t rock a rocking chair. Rock a yoga class instead!
Meditation over Medication
Begin your day with even 5 minutes of meditation. Science shows us that the way we start our day is the way our day goes. Davidji, who led the Chopra Center Meditation program for over 10 years created the popular 21 Day Meditations adopted by Oprah and Deepak Chopra. Davidji developed a simple technique called “RPM” or Rise, Pee, Meditate! As soon as you wake up, take a few minutes or as long as you can to go within, focus on your breath or choose a simple mantra like “OM,” to calm your nervous system and begin to train your mind to focus on peace and stillness. Meditation naturally rewires our brain and helps us to shift our energy and attitude into a more peaceful and positive state.
All answers lie within you, so why look around.
Bio:
Catherine Grace O’Connell is an Ageism Positivist, the Chief Executive Catalyst of Forever Fierce Media, and the Founder of The Forever Fierce Revolution. She is the host of the Mastering Modern Midlife Talk Show/Podcast and the creative behind the lifestyle blog, CatherineGraceO.