Retirement is the time for people to finally put work aside, but that doesn’t mean their mind stops working! Older adults need to keep mentally stimulated and busy.
Not only is it healthy, but it’s spiritually fulfilling and enriching. Here are a few effective strategies for retirees to remain lifelong learners and keep their minds sharp at any age.
Chess
Once you learn a few simple rules, you’ll know everything you need to play the game of chess. However, it’s an inexhaustible game that accommodates casual players and deep strategists alike.
Every player knows the basic rules and how the pieces move, but it’s helpful to learn a few strategies and tactics. Learning about how forks, skewers, and pins work will help you along your journey towards checkmate.
To take things a step further, learn how a rook and king can force a checkmate against a lone king, but how the king and one bishop or one knight alone against just the solo king is insufficient material to achieve mate.
Seniors living in retirement homes will never have to search far for an opponent! They don’t have to study the game in-depth to enjoy it, but knowing a few general principles and having some advice your loved ones can use can help them play some fun, exciting games.
Reading
Is there a canonical author you’ve always wanted to read but never quite found the time? Retirees have the time in their schedule to finally knock off those authors! Whether you prefer deep, long tomes or beach-read mysteries, having the time to indulge in reading is a beautiful thing.
Read what you love and stay in your comfort zone, but sometimes, it’s rewarding and fun to push yourself a bit and read outside your typical genres. If you read classics, try a contemporary non-fiction book.
You can buy books from a neighbourhood store and support your local economy or take something out of the library for free.
Writing
Writing is one of the oldest hobbies there is, and there are countless approaches you can take. Many older adults try their hand at writing a memoir to stir up memories and make sense of their life’s story, even if they write it privately and don’t plan on publication.
You can journal, write letters or emails to friends and family, or try your hand at that novel you’ve always been meaning to pen. Share your writing on a blog and try to develop a readership and connect with an audience. Or you can write privately. There’s no wrong way to do it.
Daily Walks
There’s a long-established connection between the mind and body, and perhaps nothing benefits both more than going for a nice walk. Writers and thinkers have praised walking for centuries as a way to clear the mind and recharge.
As a social or solo low-impact activity that gets you moving around the neighbourhood, there’s truly nothing like a nice walk.
Retirement is the time to sit back and relax after years of hard work. However, it’s vital to keep the mind active and busy. It’s stimulating, enriching, and good for your health.
