In her April 8 blog post, Ally, who writes at The Spectacled Bean, posed some thought-provoking questions—including, “What’s your favourite mantra?” (link).
Without hesitation, I replied, “Use it or lose it.” This phrase has become more relevant to me with each passing year. If I was asked to name my all-time best wellness tip, it would be those five simple words strung together with quiet power.
Who first coined the phrase? I honestly have no idea. Google tells me it “doesn’t have a single, definitive origin, but is commonly attributed to the field of neurophysiology and brain plasticity.” ChatGPT suggests, “The phrase likely gained traction in the mid-20th century in the context of physical fitness and rehabilitation.”
However it entered our vocabulary, this small phrase contains a wealth of practical wisdom. So much so that it’s become a touchstone for how I think about my overall well-being. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on different facets of health through this lens.
Physical Fitness
“If you don’t make time for exercise, you’ll probably have to make time for illness.” — Robin Sharma, Canadian author.
I start each morning with a 30-minute (or longer) mat workout, and I try to walk at least 5 km each day. This past weekend, two of our sons, my husband, and I joined 40,000 others in the Vancouver Sun Run. Our youngest son ran it in 35:24.
Our eldest son completed it in 1 hour and 7 minutes. Richard and I walked it at a steady pace and came in at 1 hour and 55 minutes. We were all pleased with our results. It was a wonderful activity to participate in as a family and cheer each other on. (Yup, our youngest son finished the race before Richard and I even got out of the gate!)
Social Wellness
Fourteen years at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) have been central to me building a global web of friendships. I’ve been delighted to be able to keep in touch with these friends even though most of us now live continents apart.
WAB just turned 30, and my family joined the Vancouver reunion to celebrate this milestone.
Facebook has been central to my staying in touch with faraway friends and a lifeline connecting me to beloved blogging friends. Still, I’ve been wrestling with the idea of quiting Facebook for quite a while now. Recently, reading ‘Careless People’ strengthened this resolve. Taking baby steps towards this potential leap, I began deleting several posts daily — and then had a huge epiphany. If you are on Facebook, have you had similar struggles? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Political Proactivity
“Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?” That was the first question I received from our youngest son, who just visited from Hong Kong.
He was referring to my political posts—something I had never (ever) published before. Canada recently completed its Federal Election, and the stakes were very high. I realized we all have town halls (both online and offline) and decided to openly advocate for the values I believe in. (Again: use them or risk losing them.)
Sleep Hygiene
When I worked, I was a chronic undersleeper, content with five or six hours a night. Now, ten years into retirement, if I don’t get at least eight hours (preferably nine or more), I’m very grumpy!
Part of this is retirement itself and the natural aging process. Still, another part is a conscious effort: keeping a sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening. I also put an audiobook on a 20-minute sleep timer—and I’m usually snoozing long before it stops.
Cognitive Agility
According to researchers and health professionals (like those at St. John’s Health), word games stimulate neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections.
In the process, memory and focus can both improve, and age-related decline may be slowed. My husband and I play Wordle each morning as a team. Good for our memories or not, we’re now hooked!
Nutritional Balance
Richard and I aim to eat a balanced diet, with veggies filling most of our plates. Four months ago, we cut out UPFs (ultra-processed foods), and to date, we’ve kept them out. Although we don’t overindulge, we haven’t completely cut out sugar. This Facebook image gave me a smile!
Emotional Health
I’ve just had a heap of family time, and relished every minute. My favourite moment? We were at Happy Hour at my mother’s retirement residence when she asked my son to dance—and he obliged.
My eyes were wet, and my heart was full!
Do you have a favourite wellness mantra? Please join my cohosts and me in sharing how you have been staying well this past month. We would love to hear from you.
Retirement Reflections 
I’m all for keeping mobile and eating well, Donna, but I do think there’s too much emphasis on ‘wellness’ these days. We each fight our own battles with food and what agrees with us, as individuals. I think that you can only be aware of what goes on in the industry to lure us in, but if you look back at our ancestors, some of them ate horrific diets… Bread and dripping, for instance. Keep mobile and use the calories that you consume would probably be my mantra.
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Hi. Jo – I love your mantra of “keep mobile and use the calories that you consume.” That makes great sense. I wholeheartedly agree that we each have our own individuals needs, and what works for one person, may not work for another. Our ancestors often had good common sense practice with foods (whole foods, meals prepared from scratch at home, eaten at the table as a family, etc.). But then again, there were things like fat drippings and other horrific things included in their diets. I think we can take the wisdom of our ancestors combined with modern knowledge to try to create the best of both worlds. In 1950, average life expectancy in Canada was 68 years while today it is 82 years. This 15 year increase within 70 years is attributed to multiple reasons including improved standards of living. ❤
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Just yesterday, Paul and I attended our local community’s Garden Tour. We had a long conversation with the owner of one of the featured properties. He must have been in his mid- to late-70s and was in great shape. As he described what he did – and does – to create the slice of paradise in his backyard, and how he helps his neighbors with their home improvement projects, our conversation turned to “use it or lose it.” The three of us agreed that we’d rather have a few aches and pains from activity, then pain from inactivity.
I envy you for being able to get that much sleep. Although I usually fall asleep easily, staying asleep – or getting back to sleep after a bio break – is more troublesome.
I struggle with Facebook too. Although I don’t post much, I do enjoy keeping in contact with friends. Now that my feed seems to be mostly ads, though, maybe it will be easier to pull the plug.
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Hi, Janis – Was that Richard you were talking to at the Garden Tour? 😀
I agree with you all that a few inconveniences and even aches and pains from activity is so much better for us than pain (and inmobility) from inactivity.
I am grateful to be a good sleeper in my retirement (despite needing at least one or two bio breaks each night). Whenever I can’t get back to sleep right away, I try not to sweat it, and just relax and think happy thoughts. I seldom have to get up early on any given morning, so that is a big help.
I look forward to catching up with you soon! ❤
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Loved seeing your 94 yr old mom teaching Creighton (?) some dance moves, testimony to your adage – move it or lose it. Certainly genetics plays a role, then it’s a matter of playing the cards you’re dealt. My mom was famous for saying the hardest part of going for a walk is putting your shoes on & stepping out the door. I still have this posted on my fridge – Walking isn’t just good for your heart, it’s good for your soul. (I think it was an old Nike ad.) So many times in a moment of angst I think, if I could just go for a walk, I’d feel better. Thus another poster I have – I believe you can walk away from your problems… (at least walk them off). Many exercise regimes are prefaced with a cautionary “check with your doctor first”. How many people checked with their doctors when they quit exercising?!
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Hi, Mona – I always love reading your wise words. My yoga teacher frequently says something very similar to what your mom has said (e.g. the hardest part of yoga is getting out the door and showing up). ❤ I love your sentence about ‘checking with your doctor first before quitting exercise’. That’s a motivational poster that I would love to have. Wishing you a wonderful May ahead!
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When I read a book about memory, one point that was heavily stressed was 8 hours of sleep is essential for a healthy memory!
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Hi, Carol – I think that was the Lisa Genova book, “Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting.” I read that book on your recommendation, and absolutely loved it. It reinforced for me the importance of 8 hours sleep nightly, especially for the prevention of memory related illnesses. Since my mom suffers from dementia (and happened to be a poor sleeper most of her life), Lisa’s words scared me, and my sleep cycle, into obedience! ❤
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😴😴😴
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My husband is not a vegetable eater except for a few and it’s a challenge to sneak them in. I’m not a fan of lettuce but I’d rather eat peppers and tomatoes than what presents itself as fruit these days. I grew up with 26 fruit trees and trust me, nothing beats fruit you pick yourself from the tree. Keeping active both physically and mentally is important too. I’ve been walking less as I’ve had some falls but I’m thinking of getting walking sticks. They may help me stay upright! 🙂 As always, I enjoy your posts. As for Facebook, I’m committed to it as a way to keep in touch with my nieces and nephews. I try to scroll quickly past the bad.
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Hi, Kate – If you’ve had some falls, I think walking sticks are a great idea. I always use them on our Caminos — at bare minimum they give me confidence that I need to keep on going. And they are great for stability on uneven terrain. Quickly scrolling past the bad on social media is always an excellent idea.
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You are always entertaining!
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Thanks, Jacqui. I try! ❤
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I love all these Donna – so much emphasis is placed on physical wellness (which is very important) but so many ignore the impact of not looking after our spiritual, social, mental, and emotional wellness and connections. As I get older I’m finding that it’s a different balance for each of us, but it’s still so important to keep all facets of our ‘selves’ well. I really liked how many areas you mentioned. As far as social media goes, I use it sparingly and I curate it ruthlessly – the algorithms love agitating us, and I refuse to play their game. I’ll unfollow anything or anyone who uses social media as a weapon or as a manipulation – give me friends, puppies, kittens, weddings and babies and I’ll follow you forever… x
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Hi, Leanne – I always appreciate your thoughtful comments. I agree that spiritual, social, cognitive, and emotional wellness are equally important to physical health. Ruthlessly currating our social media and not getting sucked into Big Tech’s game has become increasingly more important, especially in these crazy political times. Limiting social media to maintaining important family/social connections, and for viewing things that make us happy makes sense to me. ❤
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I must admit I thoroughly enjoy receiving your posts – there is always something interesting to compare and to contrast! Two matters this time around. I am fully medically trained from way back when (ended up in a different career but do remember!) and have studied nutrition on a tertiary level since 1994 – You know I DO admit to problems wiping out UPFs, however much they ‘scare’ me, from my diet! The moment you buy anything packaged or tinned you read of ingredients your body won’t know how to deal with and will regard as ‘foreign matter’. I have kind of ‘made peace’ – if I manage to cut half of such out and still be excited by my diet I have at least ‘improved’. 🙂 ! And, accidentally > being in an unfortunate financial position I use my ‘spare time’ doing surveys for a pittance. At ‘my age’ they oft ‘run out’ of such and ‘pay you’ for playing games such as you show > ‘neuroplasticity’? – perchance I should be paying them 🙂 ? Oh – love the photo of your Mom and son dancing . . . am not much younger but have no such issue . . . 🙂 !!!
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Hi, Eha – Thank you for your kind feedback. I love that you have been enjoying my posts. I always look forward to your comments.
I’m definitely an “All or Nothing” girl which has both advantages and (severe) disadvantages. In cutting out UPFs cold turkey, it definitely has been an advantage…at least so far. Foods that I used to eat (jarred salad dressings, packed foods, grab and go stuff, etc. etc) now does not appeal to me. But I do know, the moment that I give in, all bets are off for me. I’m like that with exercise too — all in or all out!
You have great health and nutritional knowledge and wisdom. The improvements that you have made are excellent and are definitely worth celebrating!
Thank you again for your kind words.
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What a great post. The whole package is as it compares to “use it or lose it.” Add Canuckle to your words games – it’s a fabulous Canadian version of wordle.
Good on you for the marathon but I hope you didn’t walk the whole thing with your phone in your hand! You know how I feel about Facebook. As to a mantra I kind of like
DONT
QUIT
With the NT and the QU striked out it becomes DO IT so its got a double meaning.
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Thanks, Bernie – I love your ‘Don’t Quit – Do It’ mantra.
And I did have my phone in my hand or pocket for the whole walk because I listened to an audiobook from the start of the race to the finish. Having it in my hand was easier, so I could easily stop it anytime that I needed. Richard was also listening to music. My book, his music, helped us to find and maintain our groove! ❤
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The FB image also made me smile and although we eat very little processed foods we either go without or I make it… my mantra is “count chemicals not calories” and if you count chemicals the calories naturally reduce…I walk daily 2-3 times a day with my longest walk being in the morning(early) when its cooler. Like you when I worked I slept less now I am in bed by 9.30 I read until 10 and then sleep my average being at least 8 hrs nightly…my brain I excercise by doing quizzes daily…a good informative post Donna and congrats on your family run/walk 🙂 as for social media I am increasingly thinking about removing myself as mainly the posts are political and it is beginning to bore me and I wonder why that man is given so much attention anyway I do not want to stress myself..Have al ovely day 🙂
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Hi, Carol – I learned the “count chemicals not calories” mantra from you. And it makes great sense. I agree that when we reduce our ultraprocessed foods, our weight reduces naturally as well. Taking a break (or regular breaks) from social media and not allowing it to keep us in a stress cycle is so important. These breaks will all look different for each of us – but that also makes great sense.
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All my fitness goals for 2025 have gone out of the window thanks to my foot, but hope to get on track eventually. I have certainly increased pulses and beans in my diet in the last year. I do love my puzzles at least! As for Facebook…necessary evil.
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Hi, Barbara – When life throws us curve balls (as it is wont to do), we simply have to adjust our plans and goals. You have done this beautifully. You’ve remained active with and without your boot. And you steadily prepare and eat super delicious and health food (that always leaves me drooling). Adding in puzzles increases the wellness balance! ❤
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Thanks Donna – sometimes I do feel a bit fed up with the whole thing but your words have cheered me up!
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I enjoyed this post and seeing your momma dance w/ grandson was special – also – she looked at the camera and that added a connection.
I like the “use it or lose it” phrase and you explored it here in good ways. My husband and I did puzzles during the winter (it all started because my mother and I did house sitting together for 10 days and my niece cam by each day (we were in Ontario Canada and she had that year of maternity leave – such a cool policy you have in Canada). Anyhow, we slowly worked on this puzzle of asian fans and it turned out to be so much fun. So then after that, we had various puzzles going almost all winter – perfect for winter mode. Oh but the reason I mentioned the puzzles is because of what it did for my brain health. I cannot recall which number of puzzle we were on – but I actually noticed this huge brain shift – of deep alertness as I was able to scan for colors, shapes, patterns, etc. I was surprised how easy it was to chat while we were doing puzzles (or other times in silence – or we would find pieces solo)
So after reading your tidbits here, I used AI to see what puzzles do for the brain and here is what one search provided:
“Engaging in mentally stimulating activities like jigsaw puzzling contributes to neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life. Regularly solving puzzles can increase cognitive reserve, which is the brain’s ability to improvise and cope with challenges, potentially delaying the onset of symptoms associated with cognitive decline.”
Anyhow, I am collecting a few puzzles to do next winter….
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Hi, Yvette – Thank you for this detailed and very wise and insightful comment. My mom and son dancing together was my favourite moment of our recent trip (especially since Creighton is not typically a dancer).
Creighton does love doing jigsaws, and he’s excellent at it. I’ve sadly never been good at jigsaw puzzles, so I usually only work on them with Creighton when he is home. (Sadly, we didn’t have time to fit one in on his recent trip here, and we were always on the road together, never at our home).
Your own experience and the information that you provided about puzzles has encouraged me to get out one of our puzzles and give it a try on my own. Thank you for this nudge!
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That puzzle comment was from Y at Priorhouse
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Thank, Yvette. Somehow I knew it was you, but I appreciated the confirmation!
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wonderful 🙂
and we do get to know a blogger – sometimes there is that signature in their voice –
and one of the blogs I follow – I learned his wife started helping him with posts and I had a few thoughts about that – but one of them was “Oh, that makes sense” because he seemed to change a bit – hmmmm
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Oh and one more thing, I could NEVER find a groove with facebook and I have tried numerous times – and I have a few reasons as to why – but for some reason, blogging has worked well for me – I like the set up
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That is very lucky!
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🙂
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Hi Donna, I try to find time to exercise. It’s not easy during the winter when you work full time. I often pace my house for 30 minutes. It is the old farmhouse for this area so quite big. I also do stretching. I’m not worried about my brain. That gets lots of work outs 😆
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Hi, Robbie- Pacing your house and doing stretching sound like great forms of movement, especially while yoyu are working full time. And I definitely would not be worried about extra exercise for your brain. All of your creative outlets definitely take care of that!
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I always try to make a plan. I used to measure my steps and I get in 2000 in the mornings just getting my family going in the mornings. I just sit too much at work and that’s hard to resolve.
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That is totally understandable, Robbie. Making a plan when you can is a great strategy.
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There’s so much to love here donna. I feel like I could write an entire blog post in reply. My mantra is: Live your life with joy and passion and love what you do. It really makes me focus on what’s important. Well done on the fun run. Looks like you had a great day. I was interested to read that you are sleeping more since retiring. for me, it’s absolutely the opposite, even though I’ve done all the sleep hygiene things.
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“Live your life with joy and passion and love what you do.” What better mantra could there be? This one is absolutely perfect!
I’m sorry to hear that you have not slept as well in your retirement. For months after retirement, my mind and body still woke up promptly at 5 am every day of the week, even when I had absolutely nothing on my calendar that day. Then I had a gradual slide into more and more sleep. Sleep is a tricky thing, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. For me, the earlier I go to bed, the longer and better I sleep. The later I go to bed, the earlier my body wakes up and stays up. Strange, but true!
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You live a balanced life with time taken for family, fitness, friends, and frolic. 😁 congrats on the family fun run! I’ve adopted the use it or lose it mantra over the years, but added “kindness” to it when I don’t achieve a goal.
Remember when I was writing my fitness book? I gave up during covid and changed my attitude about fitness. Once I turned 65 last fall, I joined the gym (free with Medicare). I get up early to attend the classes three days a week. So worth it. I also get to sleep by 10:30 most nights. I’m in a 5 yr + daily streak using Duolingo to learn German and Spanish. I could eat healthier but rarely drink alcohol.
Thank you for a glimpse into your life! I’m sticking with FB for now. I belong to a local photography group on FB and enjoy the camaraderie there.
Have a wonderful week. Enjoy this beautiful spring.
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Hi, Terri – Thank you for your kind words. I love that you’ve added ‘kindness’ and ‘flexibility’ to this mantra. Too often many of us feel that we need to stick to an original plan, even when it is no longer working for us. I love that you changed your plan about fitness and your fitness book to better suit your current needs. Flexibiliity really is key!
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Lots of sound thoughts here. You are running much more sensibly than I did. I couldn’t underdo any of the strenuous stuff I ever did – that included 25,000 miles of road running including 18 marathons all in my 5th decade. My daily game is Lexulous – a variation on Scrabble. And, of course the blog – responding to others’ posts and comments occupies the early hours of the morning from about 6 a.m.
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Hi, Derrick – You’ve lived, and continue to live, a very rich and full life. I have never been a runner, but I am a good endurance walker, with long Caminos still being my favourite form of holiday. 25,00 miles of road running and 18 marathons is very, very impressive! ❤
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Thank you very much, Donna X
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“Use it or lose it!” What a great mantra! I love the different perspectives you shared and I’m going to remember and “use” this quote… I think it will inspire me in various area of life so I don’t “lose it”! Thanks so much! Happy May!
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Hi, Laura – I’m glad that this post was inspirational for you. So many of us (especially me) default to thinking that what we have now will continue to last. Even when life continues to teach us this sentiment is not true, it tends to be a default position. At least it is for me. Thus ‘Use it or Lose It’ is an important mantra for me. ❤
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I rarely go to my FB page any longer and will probably delete it at some point. I find the entire platform dangerous to our society and world; my only reason I have kept the page is that sadly our society has used this as a vehicle to announce all manner of things such as obituaries. Many of the newspapers charge obscene amounts to run an obituary, so folks have been posting there. I found out a friend of mine had died two months earlier and the only mention of it was on FB.
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Hi, Dorothy – I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your friend. FB has wormed its way into being a ‘necessary evil’ for many of us in many ways. I am inspired by those who do not use it and haven’t missed a beat. ❤
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I’ll join you in your mantra, my friend – and I’ll add “motion is lotion”. Inspiring post as always! After what I’m calling my “winter of sluggitude”, I’ve begun challenging my brain and body with various activities such as gardening (and other home improvements), sock and sweater knitting – and soon to resume kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming – on top of my usual hikes with Bowser. It feels great to be more active both mentally and physically again!
Deb
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“Motion definitely is lotion.” That’s a great mantra too. Spring is perfect time to increase our activities and our time outdoors. Gardening, Kayaking, Snorkeling, Swimming, Hiking with Bowser…and Hiking with a good friend are excellent spring and summer plans! ❤ ❤ ❤
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Hi Donna, My favourite wellness mantra is “health is wealth”. I also think of “use it or lose it” to keep me motivated. Like you, I take a holistic approach to wellness e.g. Physical fitness: Cycling, walking, seasonal sports, strength exercises, core exercises and yoga. Emotional resilience: Meditation and daily gratitude practice. Social wellness: time with family and friends, participation in local community and blogging. Cognitive agility: Language lessons, photography, reading and writing. I also think travel involves and enhances several aspects of wellness. In general I sleep well and try to eat well. I haven’t used Facebook or other social media tools. I stay in touch with faraway family and friends by iphone Facetime if they use iphone, Viber (free), text, phone calls (inexpensive phone plan for Canada and USA), email, and occasionally mail. Altogether they work for me and my faraway social network.
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Hi, Natalie – Your commitment to health and wellness, and all of the great things that you fit into each day continue to be VERY inspirational to me. I am also impressed with how you keep in touch with friends and family without Facebook. I am off to check out Viber right now! ❤
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You are an example to us all, Donna! I wish I wasn’t so lazy or our circumstances would be less challenging ti add more exercise into it. Yes, we do go for walks with Maya, but this is tricky regarding loose dogs in the neighborhood.
When I think about “Use it or loose it,” purging comes to mind. I like to get rid of things I never use to keep my life simple, organized, and practical. I love getting rid of things, whether it is stuff we don’t need or putting food into my belly. 🙂
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Hi, Liesbet – Lazy is not remotely a word that I would ever apply to you. “Adventurous”, “Risk Taker”, “Brave”, “Traveller”, “Minimalist” are more like it. I like your idea of using the ‘Use it or Lose it” mantra to establishing and maintaining a more minimalist lifestyle, and setting free what we know longer need or use. This is a great reminder to me as I plan my summer purging!
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You covered them all, Donna! My husband and I go to the gym twice a week. I stretch at home everyday. I volunteer at my granddaughter’s school once a week. I am also a volunteer on the website team for Willamette Writers. I’m not active on FB though. We’re semi vegetarian, and eat very little meat. We try to have a good balance for all elements of our being, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social. ☺️
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Hi, Miriam – Balance really is key and you’ve found a great balance of all of the various aspects of wellness. I like that you and your husband go to the gym together. Richard and I attend weekly yoga together. I’ve tried to do yoga with him at home but have learned that routine away from home works better for him.
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I find that doing a routine away from home needs more commitments, Donna! For a while, we went for a walk in the nearby trails. The rain broke our route. Then we took day trips up to 60 miles from home. We stopped during the winter and will resume after we come back from our Italy trip in June.
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Hi, Miriam – LIke you, I’m good once I’m in the middle of routine. But no matter how hard I try to keep up my routine while travelling, at those times all bets are off! ❤
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Donna,
Although I attend an exercise class three times a week, I spend a lot of time at my desk and computer doing things like blogging, photo editing, or (dare I say) scrolling Facebook. The mantra I turn to is “you can’t add exercise to your life, it has to take the place of something else.” The mantra next in line is “sitting is the new smoking.” Both tend to get me up and moving away from the monitor. I admire your food discipline, and you always appear very fit in your pictures, so your food choices are working. At 6’4″, I can hide a lot of sins, but my slowing metabolism is catching up with me, and I need to do better about my diet. I’ll use your post as some food for thought. (See what I did there?) Have a fabulous week. Joe
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Hi, Joe – That is a very thought provoking mantra (“you can’t add exercise to your life, it has to take the place of something else”.) Why can’t we add it? For example, we could watch a little bit less tv, and still sneak in a workout, having both. Or we could scroll a bit less, sneak in that workout, still have both — and likely never miss anything. For me, I love to do my main workout first thing each morning as soon as I wake up. That accomplishes four things. 1) I don’t have time to talk myself out of it. 2) I dont’ get busy with other things first. 3) It’s a routine and my body instantly heads to the mat as soon as I walk up. 4) It’s over with and I can enjoy the rest of my day.
I hope all is well for you, Helen and Mortimer. ❤
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Thanks for mentioning my blog. I like your mantra and find it fascinating that we all know it… but cannot say from where or when. It inspires in so many different areas of life.
Happy to see that you have a sensible approach to sugar. I cannot digest chemical sweeteners like aspartame or saccharine so when I want something sweet it has to be sugar or molasses or honey— which seems a heck of a lot healthier than ingesting artificial sweeteners.
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Thanks, Ally – It was my pleasure to link to your blog. That was a thought-provoking set of questions that you posed there. It’s funny about sugar, butter, milk, and other long-time foods of that nature. Most of us (me included) thought we were “being healthy” when we switched to artificial sweeteners, margarine, nut milks, low-sugar, low-fat, nondairy, etc. etc, not realizing the big chemical and artificial non-food substances we were consuming instead. We each need to be our own health and nutrition advocates. Big food companies are not interested in our health, nor in telling the whole truth. Sigh!
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I’m not sure if your mother is very tiny or your son is very tall – possibly both! They do look adorable dancing together though. I absolutely agree with all your reasoning in this post, but admit to a tinge of envy about your sleep patterns. I really thought mine would improve when I retired but they stubbornly remain the same. I’m like Janis who commented that she can get to sleep no bother but wakes up too soon. It’s annoying!
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Hi, Anabel – You have a good eye. Creighton is 6’5″, my mom once was 5’6″ but has been shrinking. Thank you for your kind words. I am sorry about your sleep. Not being able to get back to sleep is painful. Sleep experts suggest getting out of bed and doing something relaxing until you feel ready to fall asleep again. Sadly, that has seldom worked for me.
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It sounds like you have made many great steps to maintain wellness (literally and figuratively!)
I was never a big Facebook user, but I don’t regret canceling my account, and also LinkedIn. They have their uses, but the downside convinced me to do without. Don’t miss it a bit. I have a ways to go to knit some unhealthy foods, but I mostly cook from scratch, with fresh veggies. That feels good.
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Hi, Eilene- Congratulations on cancelling FB and LinkedIn. I cancelled my Instagram last week. I had already cancelled my Amazon and Audible accounts a couple of months back. Next on the chopping block for me are LinkedIn and Pinterest. I never use them anyway but the Big Tech companies make it so difficult to cancel these accounts that I always need a break inbetween. ❤
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‘Lose it or lose it’ so true! I received a stern lecture from a knee specialist after my failed op (I was asking for a second opinion). Although he was Portuguese who used this very quote. Make the most of the mobility I had and gradually build on it.
The VAncouver Sun Run sounds fun.
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Hi, Carole – Your knee specialist sounds very switched on. I agree that we have to wisely make the most of the mobility (and abilities) that we have, or risk losing them — especially as we age. I hope that your knee is doing well.
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We have recently started a daily crossword puzzle. It certinly does help to stretch the brain! While I’ve heard of Wordle I’ve never played it. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll take a look.
Family time is important. WE’ve just spent time with our family in France. I just wish the grandkids were not plugged into there mobile phones ALL the time.
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YES to puzzles and YES to family time! I know all about grandchildren and mobile phones…but sadly, I don’t know the solution!
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Hi Donna, your go-to mantra Use It Or Lose It is very similar to one that I’ve more recently adopted: No Time Like the Present. It all started a few years ago. I had been talking about buying a digital piano for about 4 years, but I couldn’t decide. And then one day one of my sons asked me what I was waiting for. We went to a music store that day and bought one!
I like all your healthy habits. I try to do some kind of exercise every day and stay engaged in a variety of activities (including the NYT word games every morning!) I think I would have a hard time giving up caffeine – I always need a boost in the afternoons!
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Hi, Barb – Congratulations on buying your digital piano when your son asked you what you were waiting for. If you can drink coffee later in the day and still sleep – go for it. I would if I could! ❤
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I’ve never really liked coffee, so tea is my choice. If I don’t have something in the afternoon, I’m asleep by 7:30!
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I totally agree with your mantra, Donna and in all areas that you have mentioned. Physically, socially and mentally we need to stay active and involved in life. The alternative is fading away with a body that won’t support you. We need to keep our brain active and stay connected. Use it or lose it – covers it all, doesn’t it? As always an inspirational post from and inspirational co-host of #WellnessReimagined. Sue L x
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Thanks, Sue – You are a fabulous role model for staying strong and active in all areas. You are my inspiration!
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Another fabulous post Donna! I love the video of Creighton dancing with your mum, how sweet! You’ve been active in so many ways lately – physically, politically and thoughtfully. You really are an inspiration to us all.
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Thank you for your kind words, Debbie. I love that video of my mom and Creighton too. A definite keeper! ♡
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I agree, we need to keep our minds and bodies active and stay away from negativity!
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Donna, my mantra has always been, “everything in moderation.” I think that sums up my attitude about life in general. I rarely venture to extremes and feel comfortable focusing on maintaining balance. We have indulged a lot these past six weeks, but we have also exerted a lot of energy. Not exactly balanced, but close.
I saw a meme the other day about working out – not to maintain a dress size, but to lift a grandchild when you’re 80. I substituted ‘lift a suitcase’ as there aren’t grandchildren. Motivation, in any form works!
I love posts like this from you. Always inspiring and insightful. Take care.
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Hi, Suzanne – ‘Everything in moderation’ is also a great mantra. I 100% agree about working out to maintain all of the things that we enjoy (like lifting a grandchild or a suitcase). And that leads me back to ‘Use it or Lose It’. I hope that all is going well for you!
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