I once heard someone joke, “If I’d known how long I was going to live, I would have taken better care of myself!”
That is so true. Now that retired me has much more down time, I’m in the process of developing awareness of my physical well-being and health. Throughout most of my life, I took my health and physicality for granted. Thankfully, I was healthy overall, mostly sensible, did not smoke or abuse substances, generally exercised regularly, etc.
“No one on their deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office…'”
Looking back, there was one key way in which I certainly could have improved on my health. This involved my work schedule (with its ever-changing shift work). Add in personal, home and kid-related requirements to that schedule, and something had to give. In my case, it was my sleep. I am sure prolonged unhealthy sleep has had negative physical repercussions that retired me is starting to realize now. Work/life balance was not such a concept back then. I wish I had incorporated this current great idea into my earlier life.
“Sleep, the main course in life’s feast…” (Shakespeare’s Macbeth)
Based on Macbeth’s description, many people are neglecting that main course of life’s feast- and starving. I am not the only person that has ever been sleep-starved. I have read that sleep deprivation (getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night) has been going up steadily among American adults. Sleep depravation can make those individuals more prone to obesity, heart disease, stroke, mental health problems or anxiety. Just a quick look at https://www.cdc.gov. (and their sleep links) reveal insights into the health importance of enough good sleep. I no longer have a full-time job with unhealthy alternating time demands. This is leading me to more positive sleep patterns. What a great side effect of retirement!
If You Don’t Listen To Your Body, Who Will?
Like many others, retired me is also starting to deal with other health issues. I think that my health is not necessarily changing expressly due to aging (although aging does have its impacts). But when my life was filled with the demands of family, growing children, and a full-time job, I had less time to listen to my body. Now I have more time, and my body seems to be “talking” to me to make up for that lost time. I am listening now, and taking some actions. I believe these steps will lead to a better state of health, arthritis and all.
Oldvertising (“It’s Fallen and It Can’t Get Up!”)
I know that some marketing focus on senior health is inevitable. But really, horrible “oldvertising” is what I cannot escape anymore. Most marketing to seniors is awful. A senior dealing with health problems and bathtubs that kill is the obvious stereotype when watching any TV show that targets an older demographic. That program’s time slot will be filled with endless commercials addressing vision problems, brain health, gas and bloating, incontinence, arthritis, shingles, dentures, and mobility devices.
Additionally, there are multiple ads about lurking illnesses of which I have never heard. However I, as an aging senior, must urgently, immediately, aggressively address these. These ads urge me to “Talk to your doctor about…(bubonic plague or whatever).” Firstly, they make it seem as if establishing some chatty appointment with my doctor is an easy accomplishment (have THEY tried making a medical appointment lately?) Secondly, of course chatting up the good doctor with profound deep discussions about my cholestatic pruritus should be my all-encompassing life goal. Most oldvertising makes the “lighter” ads for home security or reverse mortgages positively engaging.
Awake, Oh Marketers!
The US Census Bureau projects that by 2035 there will be more older adults in the population than children for the first time in history. Companies and marketers need to keep this growing senior power in mind. There are a few occasional brands that do offer some solid less-stereotypical marketing to seniors. (Take some recent Covergirl ads, for instance). But usually, when I watch any TV programs interspersed with ads for hot cars, beer, slick phones, or designer item shopping sprees, I know that the marketing world does not intend that show or those products for retired me.
By the way, my knee is hurting and I must sit down and ice it. Is is time to watch “Jeopardy” now?
