Guest Post Author: Erin Young | Evergreen Matcha

While growing older opens the doors to many freedoms – travel, the pursuit of passions, and time spent with loved ones – it also comes with its fair share of challenges.

One of the best ways to enjoy your retirement is to ensure you feel positive, motivated, and at peace. Good mental health will help boost your overall health, and make it easier for you to overcome any new challenges that growing older may present.

Read on for our five easy-to-follow tips to help maintain positive mental health:

Stay social

The path to aging does not have to be a lonely road. By default, we are all wired as social beings, so it is crucial that we interact with others every day. Especially at an age when some of our thoughts weigh heavier, it can help greatly to have someone to share them with (even if we don’t, having the option makes all the difference).

Ask around if your locality has any community groups and be open to joining. Participate in events or even help organize them. Be proactive in setting calendar dates. Book meet-ups with friends and reunions with family in advance (if you can) so you always have social gatherings to look forward to.

Eat and drink healthier

There is plenty of research that supports the effect of diet on mental health. As the expression goes: “You are what you eat!”

A diet composed mostly of vegetables, legumes and nuts, fish, and other healthy proteins promotes clearer and calmer thinking. Hold off on processed and sugar-filled food and drink, and you’ll boost your serotonin and dopamine levels for a more positive mood.

If you’re keen on adding a game-changer to your diet, matcha green tea is a good start. It’s a perfect coffee substitute that’s packed with antioxidants and the amino acid L-Theanine, which is linked to stress reduction, mood improvement, and better concentration.

Develop an exercise routine

Exercising regularly will do wonders for your health and also your mood. You don’t have to do difficult workouts, but just find ways to move more. Walk the dog, park your car at a farther distance, and try to use the stairs. There are so many ways to start stretching your legs.

Studies show that exercising is not only good for cardiovascular health but also raises serotonin levels which boosts your mood. And if you’re looking to hit two birds with one stone, why not exercise with friends? Brisk-walking is perfect for a good chat!

Practice gratitude

In today’s world that’s so preoccupied with building more, and making everything faster and better, sometimes it’s best to just slow down and be grateful for what you have. Meditation is a terrific way to do this. There’s nothing like isolating your thoughts from the noise of the rest of the world.

The path to living a more measured and mindful life can begin with something as simple as gratitude. An easy exercise you can do is to sit with a hot cup of tea, and calmly write three things you are grateful for. This exercise trains you to look at things more carefully and can help you reflect on what has brought you joy in your life.

Keep learning

Learning is critical to well-being and happiness. Learning in any form (from travel, books, new skills) will help you feel energized, at peace and happy. Why not write a learning bucket list? Whether it’s organizing the trip of a lifetime, attending events, reading books, or helping other people, putting together a bucket list is a timeless exercise.

It doesn’t even have to be things you’ve never done before. It could be things you’ve meant to do again after many years. Jot down anything at all. Don’t hold back, even if some of them seem difficult. The point is to make goals fun and make the journey enjoyable.

In Summary,

Retirement and getting older is a wonderful time in your life, and it is also a time of great change. Without the structure of work, it can be easy to feel lonely and let your wellbeing slip. Maintaining positive mental health will help you in feeling happy, motivated and at peace. Staying social, eating well, exercising, practicing gratitude and remembering to always keep learning will help you stay positive, happy and at peace.

About the Author

Erin Young is a health food writer and a tea expert. She owns two tea companies; Evergreen Matcha in the USA and Zen Green Tea Matcha in Australia. She partners with sustainable tea farms in Kyoto, Japan to source her premium matcha green tea powder.