You may have noticed that your body is a little more vulnerable to injury than when you were younger. A good workout at the gym and voila, you are stiff and sore all over. The frustrating part is that it happens so gradually that you hardly notice. One day when you are playing touch football or skiing with the grandkids, it dawns on you that you aren’t as young as you used to be. There are no alarms and no warning lights to let you know when you should start pulling back, or even when to stop certain physical activities. It is a rude awakening.
We were all brought up with the ‘stiff upper lip’ philosophy so it isn’t easy to admit to ourselves that we are struggling a little. Yes, you may have noticed that door knobs are harder to turn or that it is impossible to get the lid off from the pickle jar, but little things like that aren’t serious are they? We’ve always known that as we moved from youth to older age that there would be some bumps in the road. It is unfortunate that society implies that getting older and having major or even minor limitations is not okay. This censure makes people feel that they need to pass themselves off as being less vulnerable than they really are. Exposing your shortcomings and your fears to your employers or even your own children is not an easy task.
If you have always been the strong one in the family it is difficult to admit that you need help. Asking for help makes you feel vulnerable and old. One of the major roadblocks is how to adapt your work/living environment to make life safer and easier. Physical risks in your home are easy to assess and avoid. We still need reminders because most of us aren’t very good about thinking ahead. Pay attention to what the experts are saying as they study and recommend ways to keep you independent and safe. Basically we just to need to accept what is happening and learn how to do whatever we can to keep us safe and strong.
People who feel that they have control are more motivated to overcome challenges, and that is what it all boils down to. It isn’t so much a matter of adjusting your environment as it is about accepting that you can make changes, and you can work or live independently if that is your desire. The best way, according to Bernice Bratten in her book Project Renewment, to exude confidence and control is by using good judgment and minimizing risks.
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