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Vitality and Energy: Why You Need Them Both After 60!

We all want to maintain our health and age well. Whilst energy levels can dip and dive, did you know that vitality will always sustain you?

I’ve learned that what separates a vitality-person from an energetic-person is that it’s not about dashing here, there and everywhere. Rather, it’s much more about mindfulness and soulfulness.

I’d like to share why vitality is so important as we age. I’m 63 now and confident in navigating my energy and vitality, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing through those waves!

At 36 I underwent early menopause resulting in clinical depression with huge energy dips and dives alongside a breakdown in my immune system.

I resolved from then onwards to understand how to manage my energy levels and age well, rejecting the medical practitioner’s prediction I would be “Old before my time” and my sex life was over. That was a red rag to a bull, let me tell you!

Through my journey I discovered vitality. But first, here is a question for you.

Are You a Lark or an Owl?

I’ve learned that I’m wider-awake with more energy in mid-afternoon into the evening. I’ve always been like that, so in charting my energy dips and dives I began looking for patterns. It turns out our birth time can effect our more productive energy times.

So I’m an owl. I was born in the evening and I’m more alive in the evening. If you’re born early in the morning you may well be a lark. Is this you – up with the lark early in the morning?

Do You Have an Energy Dip Between Midday and Mid-Afternoon?

After my surgeries, I learned that if you want to even out your energy patterns, it’s a good practice to take a nap or rest in the afternoon.

Giving myself ‘time out’ reduced my stress intake and increased my ability to relax at will. It is a vital skill for moving through the ups and downs of life and a step on the way to living on the inside of my beautiful mind where I could open up to vitality.

In fact, why don’t we all take a leaf out of the kindergarten’s book where everyone had cookies and milk and rest after midday? Imagine how different the world might be if everyone had an afternoon nap together? The world would be offline between midday and 2pm every day!

Unlocking the Door of Vitality

There’s something different about people with vitality.

You can’t help but notice when they enter a room. There’s an aura around them, they seem to glow, whatever the time of day or night.

They’ll take challenges in their stride, moving through life’s gateways, including the inevitable ageing threshold, with alacrity.

They exude inner strength and inner peace. There are no dips or dives in vitality, it’s with them all of the time.

Nothing to Do with Age and Everything to Do with Transition

People with vitality move through the ups and downs of life, whilst others get stuck, or simply can’t or won’t move on. In my toughest times so far, I was stuck in the memories, thoughts and experiences and needed to learn a way to let go of what hadn’t worked so well for me.

I had to do this because my outlook on life and physical wellbeing were suffering. I needed to understand and accept that change is part of life. When we transition well through our personal challenges our payback is vitality.

Inevitable Change in Our 60s and Beyond

After we hit 60, our roles change, many things shift and I’m not just talking about gravity! Of course, it can be difficult to accept that life isn’t like it used to be, and that “We aren’t like we used to be.”

Why Is Vitality Important as We Age?

The choice becomes vital because every choice you make may be crucial to your imminent wellbeing. If you choose to take even one small step toward moving through any stuck part of your life, your transitions in life will be easier.

What’s worked well for me – and over 10,000 hours working with clients – is creating a timeline to help free up what’s holding us back from having the time of our lives. I learned how to let go of what has gone before including holding onto past memories that were no longer serving me well.

Most importantly, I learned how to reflect, release, repair and reset my mind at will. It’s less painful than remaining stuck and unable to go with the flow! A lighter hearted approach ensues whatever and whenever life throws a curved ball. Vitality steps in.

How Will You Know Your Vitality Is Growing?

On the outside the years will continue to show changes in your physical body, and energy levels will dip and dive. But on the inside, in your beautiful mind, the soulful and mindful ‘you’ continually glows because it’s here where vitality exists.

What do you do to keep your energy level up these days? Do you exercise? Dance? Something else? I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Please join the conversation!

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The Author

Ann Tanmayi Bruce offers guidance, support and coaching in ageing well and exploring the beautiful mind, where sustained peace, love and happiness reside. With over 30 years’ professional experience, Ann’s quest is to help create a silver revolution – where we live in an age that has no age! Please visit her website here http://www.anntanmayi.co.uk

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