4173. SELF CARE for retirees -

 4 Nov 2022:

Sedentary retirees. 

Yesterday, one career lady told me she was worried that her father, 68 who just retired would just sit at home and use his handphone. No other activities. "He might get dementia if he continues".

1. "He has no hobby", she told me when I advised her to ask him.
2. "Does he go out to exercise?". She said no.
3. "Does he take photos like me?" She said no.
4. "Has he friends?". She laughed, "His friend is his wife. She would accompany him to drink beer every evening". I was impressed. "She does not drink at all. He drinks 2-3 bottles," she laughed.

"He really took good care of her when she was ill," the daughter said.

It is not surprising that retirees are inert. 

It is hot and humid outdoors in Singapore. I cope with it like today, I was outdoors to spend time to relax at One Punggol waterway - see flowers and river, cycle and exercise.

SOME SUGGESTIONS OF ACTIVITIES FOR SEDENTARY RETIRES

1. Photography promotes observations of life and Nature. It promotes physical and mental health for retirees who are not into socialisation with people.

2. Brisk walks promote some exercise of the leg muscles for retirees whose leg muscles will atrophy due to lack of exercise. 

3. Fitness corner in public parks are free to use. I recommend the leg push equipment to strengthen your calf muscles especially, to prevent cramps.

4. Stop smoking.

5. Package tours overseas.  

 

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WorkingWell
S.T. 7 Oct 2022.  B2 Insight
To work well, we have to commit to rest well.

Rest is more than getting enough hours of sleep. We need to replenish our inner resources, esp those most depleted.

1.  Physician Saundra Dalton-Smith wrote a whole book on rest. She suggested that humans need 7 types of rest: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory and creative.

Emotional rest - Covid-19 pandemic - the toll of caregiving on doctors, nurses, teachers, therapists and others in emotionally draining professions.  

2. Dr Christina Maslach - gold standard for measuring burnout - the Maslach Burnout Inventory.
She lists 3 core dimensions of the burnout experience as:

Exhaustion (the stress response)
Cynicism (the negative reaction to others and the job).
Inefficacy (the negative evaluation of one's own accomplishments.

We need to slow down and take time to replenish the parts of our life where we feel most depleted.