3 Things To Do Today That Your Older Self Will Thank You For

This is a collaboration. 

When you are a busy parent with young children at home, it can be hard to think beyond bedtime that evening! We also know that the days and weeks can fly by and before you know it, a year or two has passed us by.

It is hard to step outside of your every day full routines, but today we are suggesting that you do just that as we share with you 3 things to do today that your older self will thank you for.

Take time out just for you

This is difficult to do, but it is an important habit to develop now that will save your sanity at times and give you outlets as you get older.

As parents, taking the time for self-care can feel selfish, and at times, simply impossible to do. But we need to do this, to keep us happy and reinvigorate us right now, and to give us the tools that we will need as we grow older.

When our children are no longer as reliant on us, the temptation can be to throw ourselves into our work. Whilst this might work for some of us, most of us will seek something more satisfying at this time, which is where those good habits will come in handy. We will know that long walks with the dog fulfil us and make us content. We will have tried new things and met new people, that we will now fill our time with.

Look after your body

We know that we should prioritise this, but it can be hard at times to give this one the attention that it deserves.

We are not suggesting any complete lifestyle changes or diets as these invariably fail after about two weeks. We would recommend smaller, more sustainable changes. Build things into your routine that you know make sense to do and that you will feel the effects of quite quickly. You will then be more likely to stick with them.

For example, you might ensure that you have breakfast every morning from now on, even if it is just grabbing a piece of fruit on the go. You might be able to take up jogging or yoga, easy activities to do around everything else as you can do them on your time and terms.

Plan for your retirement

It might seem like it is ages away yet, but it can never be too early to plan for your retirement. In fact, the earlier the better as it is far more affordable that way.

Firstly, ensure that you have a pension or long term savings plan in place. It is worth seeking financial advice to prepare for this so that you can be confident that your hard earned money is going in the best possible place for you.

You will also need to make a will. Whilst this is never a pleasant thing to think about, making provisions for your family will ensure that they are safe and comfortable in the event of losing you. Ask your solicitor to talk you through the implications around long term care and the impact that can have on your estate if at some point you need to go somewhere such as Porthaven care homes. They can help you to make your funds last and protect your loved ones.