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Seniors in the Building: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Elaine Sauer, Rick Sauer, Signe Swanson, Jack Waschenfelder
Welcome to Seniors in the Building. Join us as we talk, think and laugh our way through growing old. We are four friends experiencing aging for the first time and learning new technologies. We don't plan to go quietly into the night. We'll burn, rage, keep moving, tease, and wander down strange roads. Come join our conversation.
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- 3 days ago32 min
Rewiring Habits as We Age.
Much has been written about habits, what they are and how to change them. As creatures of habit, our daily lives are made up of repeated behaviours that we have developed over a lifetime. What are our habits? Are there any we would like to change? Can we change, or are we too old? Of course, we are never too old to change, and our discussion covers the gamut from loading the dishwasher, driving, or yelling at the TV, to challenging our habits of thought. Our habits shift as we adapt to our changing physical abilities. We adapt and adjust as we go, and if we are thoughtful about it, we can be proactive rather than reactive in our changes. Our habits can be closely tied up with our identity, so as we age, we need to look more broadly at who we are and let go of binary black and white thinking. Yet, even though some thinking may change, we don’t let go of our moral compass and continue to fight against prejudice, seeking justice. Of note, because we recorded this podcast over zoom there is more talking over one another than usual! In spite of that it is a lively conversation.
- 1 weeks ago36 min
The Paradox of Convenience
Convenience shapes our daily lives, saving us time and effort. Our reliance on it grew during COVID and has remained strong. But what might we have lost along the way? In this episode of Seniors in the Building, we explore convenience as a double-edged sword.Innovations such as washing machines and dishwashers have become household essentials for many. Yet their benefits invite broader questions about how convenience changes our lives How have labour-saving appliances changed women’s work? How does having meals delivered affect nutrition and health? How do smartphones affect relationships and connection? How does using a calculator affect our ability to do simple arithmetic?As we explore these trade-offs, we acknowledge that convenience can become a necessity as we age. We may need mobility aids to get around or home deliveries when we stop driving. Ultimately, having a choice offers the best balance: continuing to do what we can for as long as we can, while using conveniences for the rest.
- 2 weeks ago39 min
Is Retirement a Joy or a Struggle
As a group, we have collectively been retired for 12,10, 5 and 4 years. Have we made the shift? What kind of retirement are we experiencing? A meta research analysis of retirement adjustment identifies eight different types of people who may have trouble transitioning to retirement, even though they are capable and successful. Do we identify with any of them? Yes, we do and discover that we can even add a category that is not there. Talking about our experiences of retirement provides some clarity on what has gone well and things we want to change. When we no longer have work to structure our days, they can seem long. When we like to be needed, there may be no outlet. When we become physically challenged, the things we loved to do are no longer accessible in the same way. When we try to adopt a new identity, our old one keeps intruding. These all force us to adopt new behaviour and develop new interests while we build on the strengths of our relationships and the old interests we continue to enjoy. Retirement is definitely a journey. How is yours going?
- 3 weeks ago36 min
Sleep in Our Senior Years!
Sleep! Wonderful sleep! In today’s podcast we tackle the issue of sleep. Do we have more trouble sleeping now? Have our sleep patterns changed from younger years? How do we fall asleep? We have all developed ways of falling asleep like reading, thinking good thoughts, or practicing yoga nidra. But now we seem to require new ways to fall asleep maybe because we have more time to worry or are less physically active than earlier in our lives. Health issues can cause us to wake up, or get up in the night more often, or create anxiety. The good news is we can nap during the day if we need. We talk about dreams and nightmares, both recurring and new, and what they might be saying. We identify different strategies for getting a good night’s sleep and conclude that not all strategies work for everyone. We need to find our own unique ways for getting a good sleep. An interesting podcast that won’t put you to sleep!
- Oct 14, 202636 min
Finding Our Happy Places
As seniors are we seeking more safe places or happy places than in our earlier lives? Do we have places that we like to go to when we are under stress or need a break? Is it a physical space? Is it something we create in our mind? Geographic places can give us a feeling of safety, belonging or a sense of peace, sometimes they are long standing for us and sometimes we discover them in surprising ways, places like Wales, Lake Michigan, or Newfoundland. When we are forced to find safer places to be due to a break down or perpetual anxiety, we may look to eastern practices of meditation to help us. Following the breath is a way to let go of the thoughts that chase us. Shifting and realigning our whole way of being once we are no longer working means shifting and reframing our lives. Because of that, peace, serenity and quiet do come in different ways than earlier in our lives and we are adjusting and adapting our happy places all along our journey.
- Oct 7, 202636 min
What Makes Us Smile?
A smile lights up our faces and according to science has positive health benefits. Smiling at someone else makes us approachable and often brings a smile in return. So, what makes us smile? Music, movies and tv shows make us smile. Favourite comedians make us smile. Grandchildren, gardening and telling stories make us smile. But sometimes we don’t feel like smiling or laughing and we must work at making a space for laughter. Health issues particularly pile up as we age and sometimes it is hard to remember what makes us smile. What we do know is that where there is life, even in tough times, there is still the ability to laugh and smile. Sometimes it’s laughing at ourselves, sometimes it’s laughing at the absurdity of life, sometimes it is taking pride in the multicultural fabric of our country and relishing in the hopefulness that brings. Maybe laughter is the best medicine.
- Sep 30, 202633 min
Staying Informed But Not Overwhelmed By The News
How do we stay informed about what is going on in the world without letting all the alarming news colonize and overwhelm our inner life? What do we do to stay centred in the face of what seems like chaos? We watch the news because we want to know and be engaged in what is happening around us. It influences actions we take, it calls us to use critical thinking, and it can make us very anxious and fearful. Building resilience means managing the news, at times censuring it to avoid visceral reactions or taking a time out from it, a break. It also means looking outside of mainstream media for the rest of the story. Building resilience also means focusing on our inner life and enriching it with spiritual practices that help us to fight off apathy and take small actions that can have a big impact. Most importantly, lessons from our own lives teach us how to stay informed and not be overwhelmed by today’s news.
- Sep 23, 202630 min
Reflections On The Changing Seasons
Do the seasons affect us differently as we grow older? Have we become more aware not only of the changing world around us, but also of the changing seasons of our own lives? In the northern hemisphere, we experience the changing of the seasons quite dramatically with four very distinct seasons and we are moving through the autumn into winter. We may say the same of our lives, but our conversation continues to reflect our own unique responses to the seasons and how those responses have changed somewhat over the years. With Rick and Elaine still out east, this time in Digby, Nova Scotia we explore our own resilience as we adapt to our changing bodies, changing interests and how those are reflected in the changing seasons. Quilting, gardening, ice skating, hockey and playing outside in the dark, and Johannesburg all make an appearance in our conversation.
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About Seniors in the Building
Welcome to Seniors in the Building. Join us as we talk, think and laugh our way through growing old. We are four friends experiencing aging for the first time and learning new technologies. We don't plan to go quietly into the night. We'll burn, rage, keep moving, tease, and wander down strange roads. Come join our conversation.
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