Senior Living: Creating a Healthy State of Mind in Retirement

Retirement is a time that brings great joy, but the significant changes associated with aging and leaving the workforce can easily put a senior’s life in turmoil without a healthy mindset. At Garden of Palms, we believe in encouraging a positive state of mind so our residents can live our their retirement to the fullest. Below, we discuss why this is important in addition to a few of the most important components of a state of mind that promotes an enjoyable and purposeful life past retirement.

Why Mindset is Everything

What you think becomes your reality, and for people across all stages of life, mindset plays a crucial role in how one copes with life’s challenges. The changes that come with retirement bring both positive and negative challenges, and being able to positively cope with these changes can improve a senior’s resilience and overall well-being. 

Unhealthy thought patterns can hold a senior back from making positive changes in their lives, leading to feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, worry, and overwhelm. This is the last thing that someone needs during their golden years, and developing a healthy mindset toward aging and retirement can help a senior make a smoother transition into senior living and have a more successful retirement. 

Components of a Healthy State of Mind

A healthy state of mind is one that allows people to be realistic, while finding ways to grow from their thoughts instead of letting their thoughts control them. Rather than dwelling on negative feelings, those with a healthy mindset have the tools to either move beyond those feelings or accept them. 

Although positive thinking can be beneficial, it’s not always necessary for a healthy mindset. A key component of a healthy state of mind is being able to ‘roll with the punches’ and accepting the changes that can be expected in retirement. Many seniors struggle with the physical and psychological changes that often come with aging, for example, and being able to recognize these changes, accept them, and work with them can help a senior have a healthier approach toward aging. 

Clarity is another key component of a healthy mindset. When thinking about retirement, seniors should create a realistic vision of their priorities, goals, and values, and draw up a mental image of what retirement looks like based on what’s important to them. It’s easy to fall into a state of mind that retirement is either a death sentence or a 30-year vacation, but retired seniors should work to find a realistic middle ground that embraces both the positive and negative changes that come with retirement. Knowing exactly what one wants and expects from retirement can help a senior push aside some of the mental clutter and overwhelm that comes with uncertainty, creating a healthy state of mind that encourages a retirement that is truly and fully lived.

Garden of Palms

Where a senior lives can have a profound impact on his or her state of mind. If you are exploring Jewish retirement communities in the Los Angeles area, we’d love to show you around our assisted living and independent living community. Our commitment to providing a holistic senior living program that strengthens body, mind, and spirit makes us an excellent choice for seniors seeking a positive and purposeful retirement. Please consider touring our senior living community, or contact us for more information.

Please Contact Us

1025 North Fairfax Avenue.

West Hollywood, CA 90046

Phone: (323) 656-7900

Email: director@gardenofpalms.com