By Alexa Faria
Staff Writer

As we progress through our time at Simmons College, we may think about the future and we begin to realize our hopes and dreams, as well as learning things for the fields that we will one day be the leaders of.

But as we think about the futures we idealize and envision in our heads we may not often see clearly past our twenties, and our middle ages become a blur.

While it is important to live in the present and to focus on short-term goals, there are also several long-term goals that should be acknowledged.

After all, don’t we create these short-term goals in order to fulfill our long-term ones?

After college we will all go on to do things that will hopefully increase our independence, all while learning new things, getting jobs, and beginning life away from home.

When we are growing up we are gaining this independence but we never really acknowledge this idea of losing that independence as we age.

Growing up is often an anxious period that can also be extremely exciting, but it is also important that we are preparing for future 40 years from now when we have to handle things we never even considered, like illness and financial stability.

Aging is accompanied by many stigmas and myths, which include declining health, inferiority, and disability.

It is important to make sure that we are knowledgeable about making decisions to keep us financially stable and as healthy as possible in case something does happen.

It is also important to realize that just because an individual is elderly does not make them any less of a person than someone younger.

In fact, depression in elder people is very common, because elderly individuals are coping with constant change, such as the loss of a loved one, moving from their home, retirement, loss of purpose, general regrets about life, and many other things.

In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to keep several things in mind as we age. Focus on things you are grateful for, try something new that you may enjoy, revisit old hobbies, look for the silver lining, accept things you cannot change, acknowledge and express your feelings, stay active if you can, and eat healthily.

Although we may not be able to physically do the things we can right now, it is important to find enjoyment in other things. Aging does not mean that we stop living; it means we just learn to appreciate different things.

As you continue your time at Simmons and think about all of the opportunities that you will encounter, just remember to think about your financial stability, and both physical and mental health from time to time.