Senior Citizens Day – Are You Missing Out on the Fun?

Senior Citizens Dancing - Image from Steven Martin

More and more people are realizing that getting older has many benefits. Firstly there is the wisdom and insight of one’s years. Then, there is access to that most precious of gifts: time! There is time to dothings that one truly enjoys. At a later stage in life, one has freedom from the responsibilities of middle age such as children to nurture and a career to consolidate.

In fact being a mature citizen today simply means that the fun is just about starting now! 21st August of each year is celebrated as National Senior Citizen’s Day probably because we all recognize this fact. Though the original reason for the observance is to raise awareness for the support of older people and to bring attention to social, health, and economic issues that affect seniors, it is more than just that.

The observance recognizes contributions and achievements or seniors as well. More and more older people are shrugging off the ‘senior’ tag to embrace the chance to celebrate life and just have a great time! You can too; here are some ideas:

Dance Your Heart Out!

This hugely entertaining and inspiring video of the famous dancing couple Pete and Beulah Mae may give you some ideas. Not that you have to put on your dancing shoes right away if there is something else you’d rather do! The takeaway from this video really is that you’re never too old to have fun, to try out something new and to do stuff that you enjoy. There is never any reason to not do something you want simple because of how it would look at my age or because of what people will think! In that video, the dancers and everyone watching; they all had such fun!

Some Ideas for Celebrating National Senior Citizens Day

If you’re thinking along the lines of a party, some games for senior citizens or some fun senior citizen activities, good for you!

• Plan a party! Invite your friends, have a barbecue, head out for a picnic or just organize pot-luck at the home of a friend whose name you pick out of a hat. Play games, have a drink and simply enjoy the occasion.
• Have a date! With your significant other or someone new! Go dancing, enjoy a gourmet meal, take a stroll somewhere nice.
• Go for a cruise; especially if you’ve never been on one. It’s a wonderful experience, you get to meet lots of interesting people and see new places. Lots of liners have special senior citizen activities lined up too.
• Volunteer for a good cause. Give someone the ultimate gift; the gift of your time. Helping someone else will demonstrate how valuable your contribution to the community is; how others can benefit from the wealth of experience you bring to the table.
• Go on a hike or go camping. Reconnect with nature, enjoy the outdoors and recharge yourself.
• Learn a new hobby, skill or language. How about taking a dance or a Zumba class? Great exercise and great fun! Learning a new skill or language is challenging, fun and is thought to keep the old brain in great working order!
• Do something you’ve never done before. Parasailing, bungee jumping or a scary rollercoaster ride anyone?
• Schedule a Skype chat with a friend or relative
• Spend the day with grandkids, nephews, nieces. Take them to a museum, a show, a movie and a meal
• Treat yourself to a new gadget. You can keep in touch with friends, family andgrandkids via social networks, keep yourself up to date with the news, watch funny videos and generally have a great time discovering what all the gizmo can do!

Some More Ideas for a Longer, Happier Life

There is a lot of evidence to show that people who are happy and in committed, loving relationships live longer and healthier lives. So nurture the relationships you have in your life! Communicate your love to your spouse, your children and others who mean a lot to you.

Take time out for friends and family and prioritize the things that you do with them. Perhaps you can start a project that involves family: a family tree, a photo collage, timeline or a family history project. In particular spend more time with younger people such as your grandkids. This gives you a different, more youthful, more positive perspective of life.

Make the effort to be physically affectionate; there is evidence to suggest that this releases happy making hormones and reduces stress hormones such as cortisol, known to be detrimental to good health.
Keep active. There is nothing as good for the body as regular physical exercise.

And don’t forget to have a happy, fun filled Senior Citizen’s Day. Cheers!