“Curiouser and curiouser!” Alice cried, as the iconic character watched her body suddenly grow taller and stretch out in the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
Alice's quirky adventures in Wonderland might not be what you envision for your retirement years, but there are very good reasons for being, or becoming, “curiouser and curiouser” in older adulthood. To celebrate Healthy Aging Month this September, we're focusing on all the ways curiosity is good for an older adult's wellbeing. After all, curiosity has no age limit!
How Is Being Curious Good for Older Adult Wellbeing?
Curiosity isn't something anyone outgrows. However, our adult lives require us to fall into routines with work and family, and as we do, curiosity tends to slip by the wayside. When retirement rolls around, there's more free time to fill – and that void can be a bit unsettling. Cultivating a curious mindset can allow you to rekindle interests and hobbies or discover new ones. As you allow curiosity to lead you in new directions, you are simultaneously taking care of your emotional, physical, and brain health.
When you establish new routines to sustain new activities and interests, you are engaging in much more than just something to pass the time. For older adults, curiosity can be a healthy practice through which you do things that:
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Enhance cognition, memory, and emotional processing
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Support brain health and cognitive resilience
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Boost physical health through activities that encourage movement and enhance mobility
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Enhance emotional wellbeing by reducing loneliness as you engage with others
How Do I Cultivate Curiosity in Older Adulthood?
To cultivate curiosity in older adulthood, especially if you haven't flexed these neurons in a while, you'll want to adopt a “beginner's mind” or “child's mind” – a concept from Zen Buddhist philosophy known as Shoshin.
Think about how a young child approaches the world: eager, open-minded, without assumptions, preconceived notions, or inner criticism. This is beginner's mind … a mind that is open to experience – in other words, curious!
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.
– Shunryu Suzuki, Japanese Zen master and author of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Here are some ways to cultivate curiosity in older adulthood:
Follow the White Rabbit to Try Something New!
If Alice wasn't curious about that White Rabbit running late … well, there'd be no adventure in Wonderland at all, would there now? Find a few white rabbits of your own and see where they lead:
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You can be curious simply by taking a different walking or biking trail or route, or going to the gym at a different time of day. This allows you to see and hear new things … maybe even meet a new friend! Do what you can to shake up your daily routine.
Try New Foods or Drinks
Driven by an eager desire to see what might happen, Alice tried quite a few elixirs and cakes during her visit to Wonderland. With care and attention to our own health needs, older adults can be adventurous with food and drink by trying a new recipe, a new restaurant, or a new entrée or dessert at a favorite restaurant. You get the idea!
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You can be curious through the senses of touch and taste by changing one meal or beverage in your routine or simply swapping an ingredient in a favorite recipe. Do it just to see what happens next!
Read and Ask Questions – Differently
Alice got bored listening to her sister read. Likely, it was a familiar book or genre. The White Rabbit distracted her and broke the routine with her sister. What might happen if you were to break your reading routine … what wonderlands might you vicariously fall into?!
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We all have our favorite book and movie genres, be it a cozy mystery, historical fiction, true crime, or a steamy romance. Break your reading (or film) routine by being curious about other genres. An easy way to do this is to join a book or movie group. This way, you get exposed to stories you might never have come across – that is, if you weren't curious.
Alice met many curious characters in Wonderland – and she asked questions of all of them, sometimes irritatingly so!
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Older adults who ask questions and participate actively in conversation and discussion may feel less lonely and develop a more positive outlook, both of which support wellbeing.
There are so many ways older adults can spark their curiosity, we couldn't list them all here! But you can read more research-backed ways to build a more curious life from The Humane Space.
Create a “Curiouser Life” at Everbrook Senior Living
Everbrook Senior Living communities provide abundant opportunities and programs to support curiosity in older adulthood. Our Wellness 4 Later Life program keeps residents active and inspired to experience new things. We offer resources that support a holistic approach to physical, social, emotional, financial, and spiritual wellbeing.
From personalized fitness programs to hobby and social clubs and travel opportunities, you'll find so much to help you build a curiouser life – learning, playing, and laughing through the golden years.
Bring your curiosity to one of our open events or schedule a private tour to see for yourself all that Everbrook has to offer.