In addition to helping protect the precious resources that our older Americans have earned over the years, we enjoy sharing tips that are good for our overall health.
Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee is using the month of July as a wonderful campaign to serve others. Taking time to serve others is a simple way to help a neighbor or a friend in need. There are so many healthy benefits attached when you take time to brighten someone's day.
Whether it is taking time to assist an elderly person, cutting the lawn of a disabled friend or helping a neighbor who is suffering from an illness, the good deed can provide so much joy in our lives. We wrote in a previous blog post about the many healthy benefits that older adults receive from volunteering. Studies show, adults over 50 who volunteer on a regular basis have better mental, physical and cardiovascular health. With these healthy statistics, whether it is volunteering or simply serving others, they are a win-win for both parties.
Even if it is only 1 hour per week, serving others can go a long way toward improving our overall health. We would like to see other states join in and follow First Lady Maria Lee's lead. The experts say that building connections and relationships in your community have a special way of building friendships and relationships These social connections improve help our mind and are proven to lower anxiety and depression.
If you are struggling trying to think of ideas to serve, First Lady Lee offers these 10 tips:
- Ask your church to provide a week's worth of meals to first responder station
- Deliver a meal to a local health care hero using a local restaurant or catering business
- Deliver a meal or baked goods to the police or fire station
- Tip your servers when picking up a to-go order
- Drop off care packages for truck drivers
- Write thank you cards or notes for delivery drivers and postal workers and leave them on your poach or in your mailbox
- Make cookies and leave them for your sanitation worker
- Offer to stock the break room for your local grocer
- Send power bars and energy drinks to local health care providers
- Surprise your child's teacher with a gift card from a local business
No matter if you are 18 or 80, taking time to serve others is such an important part of the aging process. There is no need to delay getting started. Let's all join First Lady Lee and find a way to serve others in July. Our country needs it now more than ever! Who knows, you may enjoy it so much that you might incorporate it all year long.