What can I do to keep my mind active?
Maintaining your mental fitness is as important as staying physically fit, and often the two go hand in hand. Factors such as having regular physical exercise; staying well; seeing your doctor when you are unwell and having a good diet all contribute to good mental health.
We can also exercise our mental health. ‘Use it or lose it’ still applies. There are a number of ways that the mind can be exercised e.g.:
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Keep up with events and news.
Cultivate a curious mind. Ask people more questions than you might otherwise and talk less.
Stay connected with family and friends. Try to make new friends. Talk to someone you don’t know or perhaps someone much older or much younger than yourself.
Invite someone for a meal; even for a sandwich at the park. Eating with others not only increases your appetite and makes food taste better it also creates an environment where you can be part of discussions that make you think.
Expose yourself to new things e.g., try a card game you have never tried before; go somewhere you haven’t been before; try different food etc.
Stretch your thinking by enrolling in continuing education classes or University of the Third Age.
Learn new skills – for example using a smart phone. This can be a great skill to have for peace of mind and security as it allows you to keep in contact with friends and family while out and about. It’s also a great way to keep in contact with the grandchildren.
Learn a new language.
If you are not enjoying the benefits of the internet join up with Senior Hangouts. They are a group where the focus is teaching and learning computer skills. This is done in a peer tutoring environment and means that you don’t have ‘some young thing’ whizzing you through a course that leaves you feeling breathless and discouraged. You will be with others who understand your trepidation.
Many older people are finding computers liberating and empowering e.g. email helps you keep in touch with your family and friends. Remember, the people of your generation invented computers! If you feel confident with computers you might like to offer some of your expertise to SeniorNet.
Keep doing your crosswords and puzzles.
Look for new solutions to problems and avoid the old ones that don’t work anymore and just make you angry.
Become an advocate for positive changes eg join a lobby group such as Grey Power. You may not make a difference on your own but join with others and much more can be achieved.
Record your life history. It’s great for the memory as well as for the genealogists who follow behind you.
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Christmas gifts stolen from parked car prompts warning over holiday break-ins
An Auckland man whose Christmas presents were stolen from his car on a quiet street is warning others not to repeat his mistake.
Police and the AA say opportunistic thieves are breaking into cars more frequently during the Christmas period.
Jeremy Rees, an RNZ staff member in Auckland, had packed his car full of gifts when he decided to visit a friend.
“Everyone had handed over presents and we had a couple of bags full of presents sitting in the back of the car,” he said.
“I decided it would be great to go around and see a friend, drop off some presents and say hello. My wife said to me, ‘Are you sure we should be taking this car?’ I said, ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’.
“I think it was only 20 minutes outside their house, a very quiet street. It was light [outside]. We came out and my wife pointed out that someone had smashed the rear window, reached in and grabbed the presents, and headed away.
“It was a shock. It was a shock partly because of the Christmas presents and partly because my wife had been telling me, ‘Don’t do that’.”
AA Insurance head of motor claims Beau Paparoa said roadside staff were responding to smashed windows more often.
“We definitely see car break-ins starting to occur a lot more around this time of year. We’re often hearing from customers and some of our roadside teams that there’s definitely a bit more opportunistic theft happening,” he said.
“We’re putting that down to it being a busy time of year. Everyone’s out doing their Christmas shopping and there’s much more presence of gifts and valuables being visible in the car.”
He encouraged people to be careful and make sure valuables were hidden from view.
“In terms of any valuables, if you’ve done some Christmas shopping, or if generally you’ve got valuables in your car, try [to] keep them locked away or out of sight – in your boot if you can,” he said.
“Where you’re parking is possibly a good thing to think about. If you can afford to, don’t park on the street, but if you have to park on-street, make sure you park in well-lit areas.”
Police said it was not uncommon for Christmas presents to be stolen.
“The key is to remove any opportunity. This includes taking valuables or documents out of vehicles wherever possible,” a spokesperson said.
Rees said he wished he had followed that advice.
“I feel a bit stupid, to be absolutely honest. I read all of the things from police saying ‘don’t do this, don’t pack your car, don’t just leave it on the street’, and I did exactly the opposite and I paid the price.”
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Auckland Harbour Bridge summer works
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is carrying out essential maintenance on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this December and January. The southbound clip-on lanes will be closed (24/7) from 26 December to 5 January for road resurfacing. Night-time lane restrictions will be in place throughout the summer for recoating work on the bridge. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions at all times.
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