Spring Into Your Best Life in Your Forties and Beyond
The first official spring day of 2022 is March 20th. Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It’s a time of balmy weather, colorful flowers, and singing birds. The liveliness inspires me. March is a great transition time when people can create healthy new rituals that carry over into summer.
I must confess though …
I have a personal connection with March that makes the onset of spring even more meaningful to me. It is my birthday month! For me, birthdays are a time of reflection and growth, just like the springtime. Since I’ve been in my forties, my focus has shifted to longevity and vitality.
Since you are so dear to me, I wanted to share three seemingly small shifts that can make a big difference in our forties and beyond.
Consider Your Caffeine
March is also Caffeine Awareness Month! While caffeine can have health benefits, it can have downsides as well.
In March 2020, the National Coffee Association released a comprehensive study of American coffee drinking habits.
Some of the study’s key findings were:
Americans were drinking more coffee than ever before.
Most coffee drinkers had about three cups per day.
Coffee consumption increases with age, but the under 40 crowd was significantly increasing their coffee consumption too.
In other words, Americans love our coffee! Nothing is wrong with that, but it can become a bad habit. Coffee dependency is a pretty common phenomenon. Plus, coffee can adversely affect people with caffeine sensitivities. It can make people jittery, increase anxiety, and send you running to the bathroom more than you care to. Another aspect we need to be mindful of is how we’re consuming our coffee. If you’re having three cups of joe a day filled with sugary creamers, then downing sodas and energy drinks, you’re piling on the empty calories.
But, it’s not all doom and gloom. You do not have to give up your beloved coffee ritual to have a healthy lifestyle. Like dessert and alcohol, coffee can be part of a well-balanced diet. A few tweaks can go a long way. You can switch to half-caff, use less creamer, or cut back altogether.
If your coffee habit is still getting you down, you can also consider a coffee alternative. There are more and more options coming out all the time.
Make Time for People
Spending time with others can feel like a luxury in a world filled with screen time, appointments, and working from anywhere at any time. But making time for social relationships is not an indulgence, it’s a necessity.
One Harvard study spanning almost 80 years found that the quality of people’s relationships played a huge role in how healthy they were. If you don’t view spending time with your friends and family as self-care, it’s time to make that mental shift. It definitely is.
Most of us know this on some level, but finding the time can be tricky. It requires a perspective change that prioritizes relationships as much as work and other obligations, if not more.
Forming those relationships is part of the challenge. It can be hard to make and keep friends as an adult. Busy schedules, life changes, moving so many things get in the way of truly connecting!
Here are a few suggestions that might help you get on your way.
Make time to do things you love. Love dancing? Make it a priority to hit that Zumba class at least once a week. Repeated exposure to the same people helps build bonds. Plus, you'll be doing something you enjoy anyway.
Piggyback on your current routine. Do you already walk 30 minutes every evening or treat yourself to popcorn and a movie on the couch every Friday night? Let others know what you’re up to and invite them to join you. Standing invitations make it easier for people to say yes whenever they can.
Reconnect with old friends. Who have you lost touch with that you’d love to reconnect with? Do it! Chances are they’d love to hear from you too. Take a minute to reach out and let an old friend know you’ve been thinking about her. You will make someone’s day in the process.
Prioritize Play
When we think of play, we think of children. However, play is just as vital for adult well-being as it is for kids!
According to HelpGuide, playing as adults can:
Improve our brain function.
Help relieve stress.
Boost creativity.
Support vitality.
Improve relationships.
And those are just a few of the perks!
But … What exactly is play?
There are so many ways to define it. To keep it simple, we can think of play as something we do purely because it’s pleasurable and fun. There’s no other objective.
If the thought of play makes you feel as awkward as attending a job interview, try this short exercise.
Close your eyes and try to remember how you enjoyed playing as a child. The more details, the better. Were you alone? With siblings? With friends?
Make a list of how you could recreate your favorite childhood play activities.
Give it a whirl!
Of course, your play may look different as an adult. For one thing, you might have to schedule it in order for it to actually happen. Besides that, the possibilities are endless. If you’re having a hard time getting back in touch with your playful side, here are some options to get you started. Have fun exploring the ones that resonate with you!
Have a dance party! This can be by yourself or with friends. Start where you’re comfortable.
Host a game night. Games are not just for kids! They’re a fun way for adults to connect and be silly too.
Go flaneuring! In short, flaneuring is wandering around aimlessly on your own. Try it in a new neighborhood or walkable city. You never know what you’ll discover.
If you’re ready to spring into your best life, but you feel like you need a little guidance, I invite you to join my 21 Day Reset that starts on April 5th.
It’s the perfect way to get your groove back and institute some healthy habits, all with my support every step of the way.
Regardless of the method, I hope you will use this month to nurture yourself the way you deserve and spring forward in joy and wellness.
Let’s Connect!
This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner.
All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only.
