So we have established that confidence is key. Whether you are pursuing a new career, looking to contribute through philanthropic pursuits, and/or simply looking to live the best quality of life that you can, you need to feel good about yourself. You need to take care of yourself.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the process of looking for a job when you are over 50 and not employed is a very humbling experience. It will likely take a toll on your confidence level. There are so many things outside of our individual control that we truly need to step up and manage those things that are within our control. Our physical health is, for the most part, within our control. I have a couple of fairly serious health issues, but made a conscious decision to mange the symptoms and not let these issues get in the way.
Just as I recommend you objectively assess what skills you may need to polish in order to set you apart, I recommend you objectively assess your health. Are you getting enough sleep every night? This is the time when so many of us are facing hot flashes. I felt like I hadn’t had a good nights sleep for three years, before I finally went to the doctor and found out I was going through menopause. I promptly started on a low dose of Estrogen. This eliminated the hot flashes and the fogginess I was feeling, which made concentrating difficult. If you are going through menopause and experiencing the traditional symptoms, talk to your doctor about options. Not feeling in control and not sleeping makes coping with life’s challenges extremely difficult. Think about it. How often have you been close to tears over something fairly insignificant, and then realized your lack of sleep just has you on edge? When we don’t get enough sleep we look tired, we are edgy, we are emotional, and our confidence goes down the drain.
Are you eating right? If you are out of work and looking for a job, you may either lose your appetite altogether, or (like most women) you will turn to comfort food to get you through the grey days. But what happens after a night of eating too much fat, carbs and sugar? First, you probably had a lousy night’s sleep. Second, your confidence is down because you are angry with yourself over your compulsive eating. We all know or have access to information on what ‘eating right’ means. My advice to you during this stage is to eat right ( Mood Boosting Foods), and exercise (it releases good hormones!) as much as you can. Make time for it – this is important so don’t put it off any longer.
If you feel good about your body and how you feel and look, you walk taller and feel stronger. This is one of the few things you can completely control – so make it a priority. At a minimum, just try to be Healthy-Ish. You can do it – be strong!
