Finding Calm: A Senior's Guide to Managing Stress and Rediscovering Peace

 Summer time and the living is easy, or it should be but for many of my friends and neighbours life is not easy. People are under great stress and many seniors do not know or do not remember how to overcome and deal with the stress of life. So, I have over the next few posts created my own guide on managing stress. The next eight posts are about Finding Calm: A Senior's Guide to Managing Stress and Rediscovering Peace, I hope is that it helps as it is created for my friends and members of my association who are navigating the challenges of modern life. Over the next eight days I explore how stress affects us and offers age-appropriate strategies to lighten the emotional load. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by daily demands or simply seeking more ease and balance, I hope you discover a gentler, more joyful path forward, one thoughtful step at a time. Remember if you are under medical care, always seek the advice of your medical provider before you make any life changes. 

Life changes with age, but so do our strengths. While many older adults expected their later years to be simpler, today's world can feel more demanding than ever. Rising costs, shifting relationships, health concerns, and a steady stream of upsetting news can leave even the most resilient among us feeling worn down. If you've ever asked yourself, "Why am I so tired, and why does everything feel so heavy?" you're not alone. My hope is that together, I will explore the difference between good and bad stress, the hidden health costs of carrying too much worry, and most importantly, the steps you can take to rediscovery your calm. There's real hope, and real help.

Starting Over Summary

So, as we continue to examine why baby boomers want to start new careers late in life, I will highlight some seniors who have made the leap, next up Bernita Clark – From Medical Technologist to Computer Systems Analyst

Bernita Clark spent decades working quietly and skillfully behind the scenes in a hospital lab. As a medical technologist, she was part of the essential workforce that supported physicians and patients with accurate diagnostics. But when the healthcare system began to shift and job security became less certain, Bernita found herself facing an uncertain future.

Financial instability wasn’t something she expected in midlife, but it became a wake-up call. Rather than panic, Bernita made a bold choice: she decided to retrain for a new career in computer science, a field she had always been curious about but had never pursued.

Starting over wasn’t easy. It meant going back to school, keeping up with younger classmates, and pushing through doubts. But Bernita persevered. Her determination paid off when she secured a position as a computer systems analyst with a stable company and a solid pension plan.

What’s remarkable about Bernita’s journey isn’t just her career switch, it’s the confidence she gained along the way. Today, she’s not only financially secure, but she also enjoys part-time consulting and remains active in her community, mentoring others who are considering their own career pivots.

Bernita's story is a reminder that reinvention can be both practical and empowering. It shows that we are never too old to learn, adapt, and thrive. By trusting her instincts and investing in herself, she turned uncertainty into a foundation for new growth. Source:

Starting Over 8

 Bernita Clark – From Medical Technologist to Computer Systems Analyst

In a quiet laboratory in a bustling hospital, Bernita Clark spent the early years of her career focused on precise numbers, delicate instruments, and diagnostic accuracy. As a medical technologist, she played a crucial role behind the scenes, processing lab tests, ensuring quality control, and helping doctors make life-saving decisions. It was work she found meaningful, even noble. But over time, something shifted.

Bernita loved the science. She loved the challenge. But she began to notice another fascination growing in the corners of her work, computers. When new laboratory software systems were introduced, many groaned. Bernita leaned in. She found herself staying after hours, not out of obligation but out of curiosity. She’d ask the IT staff questions, poke around in the system, and volunteer to test new updates. While others were troubleshooting with frustration, Bernita was troubleshooting with excitement.

Still, making a midlife career change wasn’t something she took lightly. She’d built a solid career in health care. She had respect, security, and a rhythm to her life. But the idea of moving from the clinical world into technology kept calling her. It was the 1980s, and computing was just beginning to redefine every industry. Bernita saw the future, and she wanted to be part of shaping it.

So, in her forties, she made the leap. She returned to school, taking computer science courses while continuing to work part-time in the lab. It wasn’t easy. She was often the oldest person in the classroom, juggling professional responsibilities with new learning curves. But she was determined, resourceful, and open to change.

Eventually, her persistence paid off. Bernita transitioned into a role as a computer systems analyst, first within the medical field and later expanding into broader corporate IT environments. In this new role, she became a translator between people and machines, helping organizations understand how to implement new systems, training staff, and making sure technology worked for people, not the other way around.

Her unique background made her invaluable. She knew how hospitals operated from the inside, which made her a brilliant bridge between software developers and healthcare professionals. She could explain technical solutions in plain language and was known for her patience, clarity, and collaborative spirit. In time, Bernita became not only a tech expert but a mentor to others, especially women and mid-career professionals considering similar pivots.

Looking back, Bernita describes her reinvention not as a rejection of her past, but an evolution of it. “Being a technologist taught me to look closely at the small details,” she says. “That attention to detail helped me succeed in systems analysis. Nothing I did before was wasted, it all led to this.”

Now in retirement, Bernita hasn’t slowed down much. She continues to learn about new technologies, volunteers with community programs teaching seniors digital literacy, and encourages others to embrace lifelong learning. For her, reinvention wasn’t just about changing jobs, it was about honoring curiosity, trusting her instincts, and staying flexible in the face of change.

Bernita’s story reminds us that it’s never too late to follow a new path, even one that might seem completely different from where you started. She didn’t abandon her skills; she expanded them. She didn’t wait for permission; she pursued possibility.

Her message is clear: Don’t let age or tradition keep you from trying something new. Whether you’re drawn to technology, art, writing, entrepreneurship, or an entirely different field, the key is to start. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to learn.

In the spirit of rock and roll, bold, transformative, and unafraid, Bernita Clark’s journey shows us that midlife isn’t the end of discovery. It’s a perfect time to remix the track, turn up the volume, and reinvent the beat.

Starting Over 7

 oan Ruff – Reinventing Leadership and Legacy in Retirement

Not everyone finds their calling in youth or even midlife. For Joan Ruff, reinvention began as many careers were winding down. Her story is a testament to the power of later-in-life purpose, and how the desire to contribute, grow, and lead never really fades.

Joan’s path began traditionally enough. She built a successful career in corporate law and human resources, guiding others, solving complex problems, and breaking through glass ceilings in boardrooms that didn’t always welcome women. She was smart, capable, and determined. But even as her professional résumé flourished, Joan felt a pull toward something more deeply rooted in service and community, something that would matter not just to organizations, but to individuals.

By the time she reached her early 60s, many of her peers were talking about golf, travel, or simply enjoying “a well-earned rest.” But Joan wasn’t ready to slow down. Instead, she began listening more closely to that persistent inner voice nudging her toward a different kind of leadership.

In 2015, Joan stepped into a role that would not only change her life, but also give voice to millions of older Americans. She became Chair of AARP’s Board of Directors, the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.

It wasn’t just an honorary role, Joan brought decades of experience, strategic thinking, and a steady hand to a challenging and evolving organization. Under her leadership, AARP tackled major issues: age discrimination in the workplace, health equity, caregiving support, financial resilience, and housing options for older adults. But what made Joan truly stand out was her belief that aging should be celebrated, not hidden or managed quietly.

She often spoke of aging as “a dynamic process,” full of opportunity and potential. In interviews and public talks, Joan emphasized that older adults were not a burden to society, but rather a vital, experienced, and often overlooked asset. Her mission wasn’t just about advocacy. It was about changing the narrative.

Joan’s own reinvention, from private-sector executive to public-sector advocate, brought her face to face with what it meant to age on purpose. She saw retirement not as an ending, but as a pivot point. And she encouraged others to see it that way too.

“Think about what’s next,” she would often say. “What are you passionate about? What change do you still want to make?”

Her message resonated far beyond AARP’s membership. Older adults from all walks of life saw in Joan a reflection of their own aspirations, the desire to stay relevant, to lead, to contribute, and to belong.

And like so many reinventions, Joan’s wasn’t just about work. It was also personal. She began exploring new interests, strengthening relationships, and mentoring others. She spent time with emerging leaders who reminded her of herself decades ago, full of questions, energy, and quiet dreams they weren’t yet ready to share. She helped them believe they could lead too, no matter their age, background, or path.

Joan’s story is a reminder that leadership doesn’t retire. It evolves.

She didn’t find a second act in a sudden moment of inspiration or dramatic career shift. Instead, she built it steadily, shaped by decades of experience and guided by a renewed sense of purpose. Her later years became a time of deeper clarity, broader impact, and lasting legacy.

What makes Joan Ruff’s journey so compelling isn’t just what she achieved, it’s how she approached it. With humility, wisdom, and a refusal to settle for a quiet ending, she showed us all that midlife and beyond can be the most powerful chapters of all.

So what can we learn from Joan?

That it’s never too late to lead.
That service and success are not mutually exclusive.
That aging with intention is the real triumph.

And that your legacy doesn’t start when you stop, it begins when you decide to make your next years your best years.

Joan’s reinvention wasn’t about stepping into the spotlight. It was about turning that light outward, illuminating issues that matter, people who inspire, and possibilities too often left unexplored.

In her own words: “The question isn’t ‘What do I do now that I’m older?’ The question is ‘What do I want to do, now that I can?’”

That’s a question we can all ask ourselves.