Today I Choose to be Vital – How to be Vital

August 21, 2025

There was a point, especially after 60, when I noticed energy didn’t come “for free” the way it used to. Long workdays left me drained, and I could feel my body saying pay attention. That’s when I started to see vitality not as endless energy, but as choosing where and how to fuel myself.

Eating whole foods instead of convenience meals, taking walks with Curtis, making time to paint or write – these became little rituals of vitality. It wasn’t about doing more, it was about doing the right things that kept me glowing, not grinding.

That’s what vitality looks like now: not just a beating heart, but a beating spirit. Choosing the habits, relationships, and work that give life back to you instead of draining it away.

The Vitality Shift After 60

Vitality at this stage isn’t about pretending we’re 30 again. Trust me, I tried that approach and it left me more exhausted than energized. It’s about understanding that our energy is precious currency now, and we get to choose how we spend it.

I used to push through fatigue like it was a weakness. Now I recognize it as intelligence – my body telling me what needs attention. Some days vitality means a vigorous morning walk. Other days it means saying no to an evening event to protect tomorrow’s energy.

The Small Rituals That Create Big Energy

My vitality rituals don’t look like magazine covers. They look like:

Morning coffee in actual silence – not scrolling, not planning, just being present with that first warm sip
The 2 PM pause – when energy dips, I step outside for five minutes instead of pushing through
Bedtime boundaries – phone goes in the kitchen at 9 PM because sleep is vitality’s foundation
Weekly “no” practice – saying no to one thing that would drain me, without guilt

These aren’t dramatic changes. But collectively, they’ve transformed my energy from constantly depleted to sustainably renewed.

Vitality Thieves to Watch For

After years of tracking what actually drains versus fills me, here are the sneaky vitality thieves:

The comparison trap: Scrolling social media comparing my Chapter 20 to someone else’s Chapter 5. Nothing drains vitality faster than feeling “behind.”

Unfinished conversations: That thing I need to say but haven’t? It sits in my body like a weight, sapping energy until I address it.

The “yes” reflex: Automatically agreeing to things before checking if I actually have the energy to give.

Perfectionism disguised as standards: Spending two hours on something that needed 20 minutes because “good enough” feels like failure.

Finding Your Vitality Formula

Your vitality formula won’t look like mine. But here’s how to find it:

Track your energy for a week. Note when you feel most alive and when you feel drained. Look for patterns – time of day, activities, people, environments.

Identify your non-negotiables. What three things, when you skip them, always leave you feeling depleted? For me it’s morning movement, creative time, and actual vegetables.

Practice energy boundaries. Start small – protect one hour a day for something that refills you. Guard it like you would a doctor’s appointment.

Notice what you’re tolerating. That squeaky door, the cluttered corner, the friend who only calls to complain – these tiny tolerations add up to major energy drains.

Vitality Isn’t Selfish

Here’s what took me decades to learn: maintaining your vitality isn’t selfish, it’s generous. When I’m vital, I show up better for Curtis, for work, for friends. When I’m depleted, everyone gets the dregs.

That Dutch pour painting I do on Saturdays? It looks like a hobby, but it’s actually vitality maintenance. The walk I take instead of immediately answering that text? That’s me choosing to respond from fullness instead of depletion.

The Unexpected Sources of Vitality

Sometimes vitality comes from surprising places:

Finishing something – even just cleaning out one drawer gives me more energy than a nap
Honest conversations – the relief after saying what’s true is like dropping a 50-pound pack
Changing one small routine – taking a different route, trying a new coffee shop, breaking the pattern
Giving yourself permission – to rest, to play, to not be productive for one blessed hour

When Vitality Feels Far Away

Some days, vitality feels impossible. When Curtis was in the hospital, when work is crushing, when life is just heavy – those days, vitality isn’t about glowing. It’s about the next right tiny step.

Maybe it’s just drinking water instead of that fourth coffee. Maybe it’s stepping outside for thirty seconds. Maybe it’s choosing to go to bed instead of doom-scrolling.

On the hard days, vitality is simply choosing not to make things worse. That counts too.

Your Vitality Practice Starts Now

You don’t need a gym membership, a supplement routine, or a life overhaul to choose vitality. You need to start noticing what fills you and what drains you, then make tiny adjustments in favor of fullness.

Today, what’s one small thing you could do that would add rather than subtract energy? Not tomorrow’s grand plan – today’s tiny choice.

Because vitality isn’t about having endless energy. It’s about wisely stewarding the energy you have, choosing to spend it on what matters, and knowing that a vital spirit can thrive even when the body is tired.

That’s the vitality available to us now – not the boundless energy of youth, but the intentional energy of wisdom. And honestly? I’ll take the second over the first any day.

About Susie: At 61, I’m learning that vitality isn’t about pretending I’m younger – it’s about being fully alive at exactly this age. When I’m not protecting my energy boundaries or doing Dutch pour paintings, I write about the real journey of life after 50 at Enlightenzz.com.