Happy holidays?

    Negative energy can dispirit and dismay almost any person from time to time. That it does even has a name: situational depression. “... life changes may also cause bouts of depression such as retirement, death of the spouse, unresolved family disputes or extreme isolation and loneliness,” according to the ehow.com's platform regarding senior citizen health. At the holidays, the changes that have occurred over time can seem overwhelming. “For many seniors, the holiday season can trigger melancholy as they think about lost loved ones, struggle with health issues or worry about money problems, according to the American Geriatrics Society,” reports wellsphere.com.

    Marian Eure in her about.com article, Holiday Blues and Seniors, discusses strategies that seniors can use to lighten their mood and be more forward thinking around the holidays. She advises to avoid isolation, go out and interact with people. And if getting out is hard, invite people in. If there is no close family or friend circle near, try volunteering at holiday events to meet new people. Use moderation when celebrating with spirits or rich foods, particularly with medications or medical nutrition issues, when spending for holiday gifts or other obligations and in feeling the need to be constantly joyful and festive. Relax and take a break from good cheer anytime it begins to feel forced or too intense.

    Included here are links to the full text of these informative and timely articles. Retooling Retirements wishes you all the holiday season you want and deserve. Best wishes!

http://www.ehow.com/about_5086866_causes-depression-senior-citizens.html

http://www.wellsphere.com/women-s-health-article/some-senior-citizens-have-holiday-depression-and-might-need-help/897801 

http://seniorhealth.about.com/od/mentalemotionalhealth/a/holiday_blues.htm 

The 2012 Purpose Prize

"Encore.org, a nonprofit that promotes second acts for the greater good, selected five Americans 60 and older to each win a $100,000 Purpose Prize for changing lives in new and creative ways. Wow. Encore.org  has made it a mission to encourage those whose work gives them a sense of meaning and a feeling of accomplishment. This financial bonanza is the holy grail,”according to Forbes magazine in its article, Changing Lives: How Five Americans Won $100,000 Purpose Prize, written by Kerry Hannon on 12/06/2012.

Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Encore.org, when he announced the winners, said, “Each of them identified a significant, seemingly intractable social problem. Guided by experience, drawing on creativity and anchored in pragmatism, they set out to find solutions. In their 60s, they are changing the world – and with it perceptions of what is possible for millions of others flooding into the second half of life.” All five recipients have used their life experience as much as their academic preparation or specific job skills to make an impact on an ill that they dedicated themselves to help heal. A woman who reaches out of addiction to help others in prison, an attorney who takes on predatory lenders and a founder of a foster grandparents program all offer personal journeys of self discovery and public service that worked toward the greatest good and brought them the accolade of the Purpose Prize.

Its worth the read to learn more at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryhannon/2012/12/06/changing-lives-how-five-americans-won-100000-purpose-prize/