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Enhance Your Vintage Years

Creativity and mindful living to thrive at any age.

Mindfulness
How Time Perspective Affects Travel

Francine Toder Ph.D. on April 15, 2024

Understanding your own time perspective can enhance your life experience. Children are generally present-oriented, while adults favor the future. Seniors tend to preserve the past.

Understanding your own time perspective can enhance your life experience. Children are generally present-oriented, while adults favor the future. Seniors tend to preserve the past.

Aging
Let Your Inner Artist Become Your Second Act

Francine Toder Ph.D. on November 5, 2023

A Personal Perspective: Taking up a creative hobby—like playing an instrument, writing a memoir, or drawing with charcoals—helps your brain stay strong as you age.

A Personal Perspective: Taking up a creative hobby—like playing an instrument, writing a memoir, or drawing with charcoals—helps your brain stay strong as you age.

Capturing a scene
Attention
What Do Your Eyes Miss?

Francine Toder Ph.D. on February 5, 2023

What we choose to focus on is what we see and remember. The rest escapes our attention. Our brains cannot take everything in, but cameras can.

What we choose to focus on is what we see and remember. The rest escapes our attention. Our brains cannot take everything in, but cameras can.

Health
Adventuresome Travel at Any Age

Francine Toder Ph.D. on October 30, 2022

A Personal Perspective: The far-flung Faroe Islands, located halfway between Iceland and Norway, provide an ideal venue for older adults to navigate.

A Personal Perspective: The far-flung Faroe Islands, located halfway between Iceland and Norway, provide an ideal venue for older adults to navigate.

Relationships
Opening Up to Someone Whose Style Is Very Different

Francine Toder Ph.D. on January 16, 2022

A Personal Perspective: When building relationships we often choose those with whom we are most comfortable but a special synergy might come from someone who is different.

A Personal Perspective: When building relationships we often choose those with whom we are most comfortable but a special synergy might come from someone who is different.

Health
A Psychologist Revisits the Tragedy and Humanity of 9/11

Francine Toder Ph.D. on September 11, 2021

As a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer I witnessed the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. It's a less-told perspective.

As a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer I witnessed the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. It's a less-told perspective.

Attention
Capture the Moment With Intentional Noticing

Francine Toder Ph.D. on August 20, 2021

We miss a lot of cues in daily life when we aren’t paying attention. Intentional noticing is a behavior that can be learned and has big payoffs.

We miss a lot of cues in daily life when we aren’t paying attention. Intentional noticing is a behavior that can be learned and has big payoffs.

Play
The Sounds of Resilience

Francine Toder Ph.D. on July 15, 2021

As the fog of COVID-induced isolation begins to lift, what do you want to do? Twelve amateur cello players formed a three-day community to play music and celebrate.

As the fog of COVID-induced isolation begins to lift, what do you want to do? Twelve amateur cello players formed a three-day community to play music and celebrate.

Aging
How to Age Well

Francine Toder Ph.D. on February 1, 2021

Do something good for yourself to age well in this unreasonably long stretch of COVID-induced quarantine.

Do something good for yourself to age well in this unreasonably long stretch of COVID-induced quarantine.