HEALTH & WELLNESS
Mindful
Aging What it is and why you might want to try it now BY TRACI NEAL
28
55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022
Photo: iStockphoto.com/adamkaz.
I
f you’re exhausted and overwhelmed as we navigate an uncertain future—thanks to the pandemic, climate change and world issues, to name just a few—you’re not alone. “For many, the current reality encompasses a daily web of risk assessment, upended routines and endless news about the state of COVID-19 in the world, America and our individual communities,” write the authors of a survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association in August. Aging can sometimes exacerbate these feelings. As we age, the losses—of people, our jobs, our routines, our vacation plans or lunches with friends—become more profound. Uncertainty about the future can be crippling. But psychological experts say there’s a way out of the “hamster wheel” of grief and regret over the past and fear of what’s to come. It’s called mindful aging, and with a little practice, mindfulness can help you put aside your anxieties and live your best life going forward. “You can become happier with yourself and your life, engage more in the world around you, and feel more fulfilled when you age mindfully,” writes Andrea Brandt, a psychotherapist, speaker and author of the book, Mindful Aging: Embracing Your Life After 50 to Find Fulfillment, Purpose, and Joy, in an email. “People don’t often see it this way, but aging offers you a
