Retirement: Stay Active & Purposefully Engaged

Enjoy Health and Vitality in Your Senior Years

BECOMING AN ?YOUNG OLDSTER?

There are many who have reached the dignity of maturity while maintaining their ability to think, act and look younger, but primarily lack the inner belief and motivation necessary to sustain this as the later years arrive. 

Age tends to be more a state of mind than a condition of the body. The public abounds with people in their senior years who run circles around their counterparts in mental alertness, memory, judgment, business and management abilities, writing or speaking. In some areas they can even excel at sports.

It has been said that elderly people are often poor subjects for hypnosis. This is not necessarily the case. A factor worth noting is that several of the world?s most outstanding and skillful hypnotists are in their seventies, eighties and even nineties.

BEING ACTIVE & SOCIALLY ENGAGED IS CRITICAL TO YOUR HEALTH

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS

Seniors, for the most part, face the same problems that affect younger people. They have hopes and dreams and plans?and when these falter or fail, they are subject to anxiety, stress, sadness, frustration and similar emotional difficulties. Older people have feelings and needs, which younger generations often do not realize. They are subject to hurt, anger, grief, resentment, etc., and react accordingly. They can fall in love, and when a relationship is ended by either choice or death, their pain is no less intense than that of younger people.

For most of these problems, hypnotism is as appropriate and applicable as it would be for members of earlier generations. Seniors must deal with stress, habit control (overeating, smoking, alcohol, etc.), sleep issues, attitude adjustment, apprehension, fears of illness or loss of independence. As their earning days draw to a close, concerns over assets and liabilities as well as a changing income stream enter the picture strongly.

For some seniors advancing years bring self-doubt?feelings that new trends and developments date them, place them behind the times. Scientific and technological progress is not understood, and not being conversant with modern times from the standpoint of communications, seniors can feel inadequate. 

Self-esteem and self-confidence go into a decline and those in this type of downtrend syndrome tend to feel they are no longer interesting to others. Withdrawing from social interactions follows, accompanied by loss of the sense of self-worth. One by one activities are dropped; contacts with other people, whether family or friends, diminish. This increasing tendency to withdraw enters into a cycle that can be devastating, causing an unwarranted sense of being unloved and alone, leading to discouragement and sadness. Personal and psychosomatic problems emerge. Deep loneliness, with no will to seek out companionship, can become an obsession.

IT?S ALL SO UNNECESSARY

Hypnotism has some special capabilities in such cases. Attitude and behavior modification, the regeneration of self-esteem and self-confidence and motivation are necessary, all of which are among the most beneficial approaches available through hypnosis. 

Clients can be brought to realize that they don?t need scientific savvy to be interesting people. They can discover that younger generations have much to learn, and must out of necessity turn to the ?older and wiser? seniors for information and guidance. They can uncover opportunities in part-time jobs or volunteer work that will quickly convince them that they are needed and have value. They can be motivated into getting back into circulation through contact with their local senior centers, places of spiritual worship, hobby & special interest groups, and innumerable charitable outreach organizations? where their help is invaluable and they can re-experience appreciation. As all this takes place, self-esteem, confidence and motivation will increase dramatically, sadness will fade, and smiles and joy will brighten in newly discovered ways of usefulness.

STAY ACTIVE & SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS

THE ?FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH? PROGRAM

In most cases, hypnosis achieves success by focusing on one problem at a time. Dealing with what has been sometimes referred to as the ?Fountain of Youth? program, hypnosis can take a broader approach in that while several elements can be involved, they all add up to a single problem?feeling old.

As in all forms of psychotherapy and hypnotism and coaching, the first step towards success is the establishment of trust?development of a rapport in which the client is willing to listen without pre-established disbelief. If it is possible, it may be beneficial to introduce the concepts of such a hypnosis approach in a group setting. Some members will respond more rapidly and with greater enthusiasm than others, and the inter-communication will tend more to elevate the willingness of others who may not be as easily grasping the positive factors.

The intermingling of personalities in a group setting likewise brings about what for some will be deeply needed elements of human contact. Those with positive reactions and those still holding onto negative outlooks will have opportunities to express their thoughts, and will find others willing to listen, since all are sharing in similar experiences.

Once participants become comfortable with human contact, hypnotic programming can be achieved, either in individual sessions or group format. Sessions can incorporate various approaches, like regression to recall periods of high self-worth, bringing into memories successes of the past. Suggestions that foster recognition, appreciation and contribution are beneficial, with illustrations of types of opportunities. These can generate attitude changes from despair to hope.

Of course, with progress comes increases in self-esteem?and the social contact in groups develops greater self-confidence. The powers of visualization can then be used to create mental pictures of success, achievement of goals, and new levels of acceptance as well as individual recognition of self-worth. People who had mentally put themselves out to pasture can now be motivated to feel, think, act and even look younger ? greeting an appreciative world with renewed purpose, welcoming its challenges as opportunities for growth and personal connection.

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