Are you a local senior or a prospective resident of Fort Smith, AR? This location is home to a growing senior population, making up 15% of the area, according to the City of Fort Smith. It's particularly conducive to those interested in independent senior living.
One of the healthiest goals of your golden years is to renew your sense of purpose. Embracing a purpose-driven mindset will enhance your personal growth and independence.
As you transition into this phase, you may find yourself with more time to devote to volunteering, creative hobbies, and outdoor projects. These three activities can help create a solid foundation of purpose, leading to even more pursuits.
Explore a variety of options that can help you discover new passions and community with like-minded seniors.
Volunteering is one of the most powerful ways to find purpose. They're also accessible senior social activities that champion teamwork and leadership.
Volunteering gives you a chance to:
A popular senior-friendly volunteering avenue is mentoring and tutoring. Your life experience is a valuable resource. Reach out to programs offered through local schools or colleges to offer guidance or to simply help out with homework.
Get involved with local food banks and pantries for low-income families. Hunger is a challenge in every community, and your support is crucial. Food banks always need volunteers to help with the following tasks:
Volunteer your time at a local animal shelter or animal rescue. This is a popular volunteering avenue, especially if you have a soft spot for cats and dogs. Local animal shelters and rescues are always in need of fosters, as well.
As a volunteer, you can assist with:
Take a volunteering position at your local parks and recreation department. This is an excellent way to fit more physical fitness into your routine. If you love the outdoors, you can help with the following tasks:
You can always get involved with the local arts and culture world in Fort Smith. For example, if you love art history, you could volunteer to be a docent at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum.
Do you want to write letters and meet new people? Consider joining a pen pal program to provide and receive emotional support for seniors.
Engaging in creative projects is one of the best healthy aging strategies. Not only can you find a sense of purpose, but you also improve the following areas:
Creative projects can also be adapted to varying mobility levels, as well.
Consider the relaxing benefits of crocheting and knitting. These senior hobbies help maintain (and improve) finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Start with simple projects like scarves or coasters. To enrich your projects with even more purpose, consider crafting blankets, hats, or mittens for donation to local charities or shelters.
The possibilities of beading and jewelry making are endless. Stringing beads is a great way to improve hand control and precision. You can even create "memory beads" to represent special moments, stringing them into unique necklaces or bracelets.
If you have limited mobility, use larger beads and an elastic string for a more accessible project.
Working with clay is also therapeutic.Polymer clay is the easiest to use. This clay is:
Simply bake your pieces in the oven until they harden. You can create everything from decorative magnets to seasonal ornaments. Make clay beads for your jewelry projects!
Art journaling is an accessible way to combine drawing, painting, and writing to express emotions and ideas. Adult coloring books offer a meditative, relaxing activity that can improve focus, as well.
Give your art journal a natural twist by adding the following items to your pages:
Immerse yourself even more into nature-inspired art by creating a painted rock collection. You can use these rocks as garden decor or paperweights indoors. Turn smooth rocks into eggs for springtime decor or paint them to complement your favorite garden perennials.
Painted stones are great for such cognitive-boosting projects as memory jars. You can also add the following items to a mason jar:
Scrapbooks also help with cognitive challenges, renewing a sense of purpose through memory collection and recollection.
Mosaic art blends both nature and traditional art, resulting in art you can display indoors and outdoors. You can make mosaics with cement or plaster of Paris. Create a design out of interesting items like:
Mosaic art is also a meditative activity!
Gardening allows you to connect with nature while offering the satisfaction of watching something grow. It's also a good way to integrate more physical movement into your hobbies. Plus, with a few adaptations, it can be a joyful pursuit for seniors of all abilities.
Start with raised garden beds or container gardening.
Raised beds allow you to elevate your garden to a comfortable height, while containers can help you create a garden on your porch or windowsill. These methods help prevent too much bending and kneeling.
Trellises and arbors allow you to grow climbing plants more effectively, also known as vertical gardening. This method is much easier on the back.
Jot down these ideas to create an action plan for the season. This is also a great time to consider the independent living benefits of communities like Morada Fort Smith. Meet like-minded seniors who are also renewing their sense of purpose through creativity, nature, and good company.
We offer several amenities that speak to a range of needs and goals. Discover an inspiring arts and crafts studio, private courtyard, fireside seating, and so much more!
Schedule a tour to see our beautiful community in person.