Volunteering

The number of seniors, as I have talked about, volunteering is in decline. I am sad about that because I believe that volunteering can add so much joy and meaning to your life, that everyone should do it. However, finding work with a nonprofit or a volunteer opportunity can be challenging. You want to get the right fit.  There are hundreds of ways to help in your own community — try contacting schools or hospitals, for example.  You can also go farther — much farther — afield for a volunteer adventure.

In British Columbia here are a few organizations that can help you find a rewarding volunteer in retirement gig near home or somewhere far away:

https://volunteerbc.bc.ca/

Volunteer BC is the voice of volunteerism with the goal of promoting the value of volunteerism and building healthy BC Communities.

Our programs help British Columbians mobilize their talents as volunteers, offer education opportunities, provide useful tools and ways to address critical community needs.

https://www.govolunteer.ca/

Since launching in 2003, over 1.8 million individuals looking to volunteer their time and talents have used Govolunteer.ca to connect with not-for-profits and charities across BC.

Did you know? Every year more than 300 thousand people visit GoVolunteer.ca to seek out meaningful volunteer opportunities where they can build stronger and more connected communities.

Govolunteer.ca provides volunteers with a wide selection of opportunities that connects them directly with not-for-profit and charitable organizations.

https://www.volunteermatch.org/

VolunteerMatch is the largest network in the nonprofit world, with the most volunteers, nonprofits and opportunities to make a difference.

Do a search on Google or your own search engine, “Volunteer opportunities, (name of your city)

Plan in Advance

Don’t just jump into the nonprofit world; start planning especially if you think that you might want to turn your volunteer work into a career and get paid for your good work.

Some popular nonprofit fields for 50+ workers include finance (accountants, bookkeepers), marketing, sales, fundraising, event planning and public relations, Hannon says. Whatever the field — or organization — seek out positions that can benefit from your lifetime of knowledge and experience.

If you’re not yet retired, spend some time volunteering on the weekends or in the evenings to get your feet wet in the nonprofit world, while adding some helpful skills and experience to your portfolio.

Sharpen Your Skill Set

Many volunteer organizations will offer you training but getting started on your own can be a good idea. Learning new skills or taking a few extra college courses will help prep you for an encore career or exciting adventures.

Market Yourself

When launching into a volunteer position, it is not just about the skill set you have or will learn, but it is also about the people and the opportunities that will come your way. If you are interested in building a second career, volunteer work is especially important, because “often, that volunteer work leads to a position at a nonprofit. I know a few people who started by volunteering and then grew the work into a full-time position.

Six Ways to Promote Brain Health and Reduce Your Risk of Dementia

The following was taken from the McMaster Healthy Ageing Portal

Physical Activity and Weight Management

Follow the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Engage in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity such as:

aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. Add muscle and bone strengthening.

activities using your major muscle groups at least two days per week. Pick activities that you enjoy so you are more likely to stick with it. Eat a balanced diet to assist with weight management.

Diet and Nutrition

Adopt the Mediterranean Diet to optimize brain health. There is no evidence that vitamin and mineral supplementation will promote brain health.

Blood Vessel Health

Actively manage conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes to promote blood vessel health.

Smoking and Alcohol Use

Quit smoking and stay within Canada’s Low−Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, which advise:

•  For women: no more than 10 drinks a week, with no more than 2 drinks on most days.

•  For men: no more than 15 drinks a week, with no more than 3 drinks a day most days.

•  Plan non-drinking days every week to avoid developing a habit.

•  For women aged 65+: no more than 1 drink per day, and no more than 5 per week.

•  For men aged 65+: no more than 1-2 drinks per day, and no more than 7 per week.

•  A standard drink is 142 ml (5 oz.) of wine, 341 ml (12 oz.) bottle or can of beer or 43 ml (1.5 oz.) of liquor.

Brain and Social Activity

Strive to maintain higher levels of brain activity in mid to late−life. Being socially active is an important predictor of well-being in general and brain health throughout life. For optimum effect, incorporate activities that provide both cognitive and physical elements such as yoga or tai chi.

Health Conditions and Drug Side Effects

Watch for medications that have the potential for adverse effects on memory and cognitive function (e.g., benzodiazepines, ‘Z−drug’ sleeping pills and certain pain medications such as those that contain opioids.

Treat depression, get adequate sleep, manage conditions that lower your oxygen levels, like heart failure, COPD, or sleep apnea. Get help with hearing loss.

Anxiety and Empathy

Anxiety is a silent obstacle limiting many. In wake of the COVID19 pandemic, a recent study reported negative mental health affects a large portion of the population.

To overcome anxiety or to help others overcome it we have to be self-aware and align our personal values with behaviour. That takes courage which means that we do what recognize what we need to be afraid of and what we need to overcome the fear by doing what we need to do. 

When we struggle with our fears, we still have to hold empathy for others which is recognizing that someone else's emotions and experiences has value too. More specifically, empathy is the ability to be present with and hold space for the emotions and experiences of others, even when we don't understand or agree with them.

Helping yourself overcome anxiety could be as simple as remembering how you love the morning dew on your face, the midday sun on your skin, and the fragrance of jasmine wafting at twilight. The sight of dragonflies darting, the sound of owls "hoo-hooing," and the infinite perfection conveyed by all your physical senses at every moment of every day, even now.

Hungary, don't eat junk food

We do a workshop on healthy eating for seniors and I was thinking about the last one I did and the other day and I noted that some of the participants talked about the fact they turned to junk food for comfort or eat impulsively when they were busy or bored? Self-soothing through food is a pattern that most people can identify with and one that many of us have lived with throughout our lives. In some cases, this is learned through our family systems growing up. For example, ice cream for a bad day or a bag of chips after a break-up. In other cases, cravings for junk food are biochemical. Stress releases the hormone, cortisol, which activates cravings for salty, sweet, and fried foods. These foods often give a quick but short-lived burst of energy and therefore, temporary relief.

This is called emotional eating and it can have significant consequences. It can cause weight gain, guilt and shame, depression, and alienation from social supports. Developing an awareness of the relationship between stress (and other emotions) and eating is the first step to healthier behaviours as individuals. It is also the first step to changing the unhealthy associations with food that gets passed down to our children within the family system. Teaching kids to manage emotions without a hamburger or chocolate bar empowers them to make good self-care decisions as teens and adults. 

Here are some tips for a healthier relationship between food and emotions:

·  Delay eating when you feel a craving and take that time to check in with yourself about what you need. Oftentimes you aren’t hungry!

·   Enjoy a sweet or savoury treat when you are not emotionally triggered and take the time to be mindful about each bite.

·  Try talking to a friend, having a cup of tea, taking a hot bath or going on a walk to process emotions and stay connected with yourself and others instead of reaching for a comfort food right away.

·  Start to recognize the difference between real hunger and food distraction. Real hunger occurs gradually throughout the day and is used as fuel for the body. Food distraction is when cravings to eat relate to a desire to self-soothe emotions, to avoid dealing with emotions and are often associated with junk food or comfort foods.