10 Things to do in midlife that will help you age with vitality

What do you want your future you to be like?

I did an exercise a few months ago where I visualized having lunch with the version of me 3 years from now. I really like her. She’s vital, fun, kind and feels good in her skin.

She’s been doing the things on this list. I hope it helps you too.

1. Come to your senses.

Look away from the computer and give your eyes a shot of nature. Take a moment or two longer to smell that cup of coffee and that strawberry. When you wash your hands, delight in the feeling of the water, and of the towel as you wipe. Stop and listen to that song you love so you can feel it in your body. Appreciate sweet silences.

2. Suck at stuff.

When you try new things, you’ll suck at first. Don’t stop because it’s hard or frustrating. Whether you do get good at something or not, give yourself a chance to see if you enjoy it.

3. Be picky and open.

Surround yourself with people who lift you up, who make you feel good, who are active and aging as vitally as they can. This is easier to do if you stay open to who those people may be.

4. Shake your booty.

Exercise, yes. And keep moving whenever you can. Have solo dance parties in your kitchen. Try to not sit for more than 50 minutes at a time. Jump out of your seat and wiggle around like a marionette. Make it a game.

5. Chuck it.

Release those small things that cumulatively weigh on you more than you think. That book you say you want to read that’s stayed unopened on your bedside table for months, give it to someone who will. The plant that just isn’t flourishing no matter how much love you give it, compost it.

6. Get paid to do your own thing.

It’s never too late to start a business. Midlife entrepreneurs succeed at higher rates than their younger counterparts. Creating something that is completely yours is hard but feels great.

7. Embrace technology and also don’t.

Don’t close yourself off from using new technology if it keeps you connected to culture and people. But also consider using less of the tech that makes it easier for you to move less. Leave the car, if the distance is walkable. If it’s 3 floors, don’t use the elevator, mix your cake by hand.

8. Get your freak on.

As Emily Nagoski says, pleasure is the measure. Your sexuality doesn’t disappear after 50. As women especially, we haven’t owned our right to pleasure. Read Emily’s book Come As You Are and explore what it means for to be a sexual being for as long as you want. There’s no age limit.

9. Become a local somewhere else.

Live in another city or country for at least a month. Keep working and approach the temporary move as though it was permanent. Explore your neighbourhood to find your coffee place, your grocery store, and pub.
Go out every day and talk to people. Be a local.

10. Giggle, chuckle, snort.

Let your silly side out. When you don’t take yourself so seriously, you’ll smile and laugh more. It feels good. And who doesn’t want more good?