The Power of Social Rituals in Active Aging
Aging well isn’t a solo sport Continue reading The Power of Social Rituals in Active Aging
Tag: moving through the world
Anxiety After Retirement: When the Usual Coping Tricks Stop Working
Retirement anxiety, post-stroke emotional regulation, medical trauma, and the uneasy business of becoming human again after the detours. In Brief Retirement can remove the structure that once helped keep anxiety contained, especially after major health detours like cancer treatment and a hemorrhagic stroke. In this Active Aging reflection, I look at retirement anxiety, post-stroke emotional regulation, medical trauma, irritability, and the practical search for counselling The Uncomfortable Thing I’m Noticing I have been thinking about retirement, aging, and the uncomfortable possibility that I am becoming harder to live with. That is not an easy sentence to write. It is tempting … Continue reading Anxiety After Retirement: When the Usual Coping Tricks Stop Working
The Art of the Stumble: Finding Balance in the Uncharted Journey
The journey into retirement sometimes begins abruptly, when we aren’t completely ready for it. We thought we were ready. Are you ready? Have you got your finances in order? Do you have an activity plan? We are pitched on the … Continue reading The Art of the Stumble: Finding Balance in the Uncharted Journey
Wildfire Smoke and Your Garden Health
Flames and smoke rise from the South by U.S. Forest Service (source) is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0 Safeguarding Your Garden and Health During Wildfire Season Wildfire season is no longer a distant concern for specific regions; it’s an intensifying global challenge with far-reaching consequences. Wildfires are affecting big chunks of North America, from Western Canada and the Northwestern United States to the Midwestern United States, Central Canada and Quebec, and even the Maritimes and New England States. Canada’s north is not immune, and in fact may be a surprising source of wildfire smoke. Communities big and small are facing the … Continue reading Wildfire Smoke and Your Garden Health
Creating a balcony garden or container gardening in a tight space
A beginner-friendly guide Balcony and container gardening is one of the best low‑barrier, high‑reward activities for seniors and singles—especially those looking for something calming, purposeful, and easy to maintain. It offers routine, beauty, fresh food, and a sense of accomplishment without requiring a yard or heavy physical work. This is the time of year when you start seeing your neighbours out on their balconies planting flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Maybe you’re thinking, “Could I do that too?” The answer is absolutely YES! Balcony gardening is one of the easiest ways to begin growing something beautiful or edible, even if you … Continue reading Creating a balcony garden or container gardening in a tight space
The Edge of Despair: Drowning in the Noise of Now
The Edge of Despair: Drowning in the noise of NOW Continue reading The Edge of Despair: Drowning in the Noise of Now
What’s in your GO-BAG?
What’s in your Go-Bag? I’m not talking about that small travel bag that you take on an overnight visit or the one that you cram into the overhead bin on an airplane. And I really don’t mean the bag you keep in the back of the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet at work in case you don’t make it home after having drinks with friends the night before. I’m talking about your emergency evacuation ‘get-the-hell-out-of-Dodge’ GO-BAG! Things have gotten tough enough and unpredictable enough that we really need to consider having a Go-Bag ready ‘just in case’. We’re facing … Continue reading What’s in your GO-BAG?
A Journey to Fulfillment? Distractions! Caught in a Loop!
A journey to fulfillment? Uh, no. Guess what? Distracted again! Caught in a loop! A Journey to Fulfillment stymied. Do you remember my commitment to setting priorities for all those goals and self-imposed deadlines that I intended to put in place or had been putting in place when last I posted? Caught in a loop! Distracted again! Speed bumps on a journey to fulfillment! Well, guess what,? I’ve missed most of them because there’s still just too much to do and I have allowed the outside world to get a toe hold in my focus and my imagination. For instance, … Continue reading A Journey to Fulfillment? Distractions! Caught in a Loop!
TIAs and Aphasia
TIAs and Aphasia are not to be confused with Tiaras and Asparagus. TIAs and Aphasia are serious indications of something going wrong in your brain. Let me ask a couple of questions to put this in context. Have you ever found yourself short of words? At a loss for words? Have you ever had trouble thinking of the right word, or any word that will get your thought across? And when you couldn’t string together three or four words that you could actually say, not even an “F” bomb, did you panic? That’s aphasia! What happened? Were you having a … Continue reading TIAs and Aphasia
Hitting the creative wall in retirement
The creator part of me has hit a wall in retirement. It may be more of a speedbump than a wall. I just need to figure out how to move forward. Got any solutions for hitting the creative wall in retirement? I’ve got a lot of ideas, I just can’t get them done. There’s a lot of reasons for it. Its not inertia. I’m overwhelmed and it shows up as procrastination. I have an active retirement. Some activities are are driven by family and friends, and the necessities of a new retirement career. Some activiites are leftovers from my working … Continue reading Hitting the creative wall in retirement