{"id":269,"date":"2025-12-12T20:43:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/?p=269"},"modified":"2025-12-12T20:49:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:49:51","slug":"age-art-for-better-living-a-creative-approach-to-aging-well","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-art-for-better-living-a-creative-approach-to-aging-well\/","title":{"rendered":"AGE | Art for Better Living: A Creative Approach to Aging Well"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"269\" class=\"elementor elementor-269\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba9b5f3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ba9b5f3\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5cfdbb8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5cfdbb8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">AGE | Art for Better Living: A Creative Approach to Aging Well<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f4467a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f4467a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_7.png\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536 wp-image-273\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_7.png 1200w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_7-300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_7-1024x307.png 1024w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_7-768x230.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-524da5f e-grid e-con-full e-con e-child\" data-id=\"524da5f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40ec55c elementor-widget elementor-widget-author-box\" data-id=\"40ec55c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"author-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/age-meet-our-authors-bernard-steinman\/\" class=\"elementor-author-box__avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025_AGE-Blog_authors-450x-6-Melissa-Cooke-300x300.png\" alt=\"Picture of Melissa Cook\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/uwyoextension.org\/uwnutrition\/age-meet-our-authors-bernard-steinman\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-author-box__name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMelissa Cook\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-755f44c elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"755f44c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-a3a363a elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/2025\/12\/12\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-calendar\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M12 192h424c6.6 0 12 5.4 12 12v260c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V204c0-6.6 5.4-12 12-12zm436-44v-36c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48h-48V12c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v52H160V12c0-6.6-5.4-12-12-12h-40c-6.6 0-12 5.4-12 12v52H48C21.5 64 0 85.5 0 112v36c0 6.6 5.4 12 12 12h424c6.6 0 12-5.4 12-12z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time>December 12, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b34f65 elementor-share-buttons--shape-rounded elementor-share-buttons--view-icon-text 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38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_facebook\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fab-facebook\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.78 90.69 226.38 209.25 245V327.69h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.31 482.38 504 379.78 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_email\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on email\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-envelope\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M502.3 190.8c3.9-3.1 9.7-.2 9.7 4.7V400c0 26.5-21.5 48-48 48H48c-26.5 0-48-21.5-48-48V195.6c0-5 5.7-7.8 9.7-4.7 22.4 17.4 52.1 39.5 154.1 113.6 21.1 15.4 56.7 47.8 92.2 47.6 35.7.3 72-32.8 92.3-47.6 102-74.1 131.6-96.3 154-113.7zM256 320c23.2.4 56.6-29.2 73.4-41.4 132.7-96.3 142.8-104.7 173.4-128.7 5.8-4.5 9.2-11.5 9.2-18.9v-19c0-26.5-21.5-48-48-48H48C21.5 64 0 85.5 0 112v19c0 7.4 3.4 14.3 9.2 18.9 30.6 23.9 40.7 32.4 173.4 128.7 16.8 12.2 50.2 41.8 73.4 41.4z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmail\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_print\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Share on print\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-print\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M448 192V77.25c0-8.49-3.37-16.62-9.37-22.63L393.37 9.37c-6-6-14.14-9.37-22.63-9.37H96C78.33 0 64 14.33 64 32v160c-35.35 0-64 28.65-64 64v112c0 8.84 7.16 16 16 16h48v96c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h320c17.67 0 32-14.33 32-32v-96h48c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16V256c0-35.35-28.65-64-64-64zm-64 256H128v-96h256v96zm0-224H128V64h192v48c0 8.84 7.16 16 16 16h48v96zm48 72c-13.25 0-24-10.75-24-24 0-13.26 10.75-24 24-24s24 10.74 24 24c0 13.25-10.75 24-24 24z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrint\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f293733 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f293733\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Staying healthy as we age goes beyond physical checkups. Mental and emotional well-being are critical to quality of life, especially for older adults who may face challenges like isolation, chronic illness, or grief. The idea of using art to improve quality of life is not new; research has consistently documented the benefits of creative expression. Stress management, emotional resilience, and strengthened social connections are just a few of the many benefits of taking an art class or sharing one&#8217;s creations.<\/p><p><strong>Why Art?<\/strong><\/p><p>Decades of research studies have demonstrated that creating art has measurable benefits for mental well-being. Painting, drawing, and other hands-on activities can help reduce anxiety, lower stress hormones, and boost feelings of joy and calm. For older adults, this form of creative engagement may also support cognitive function and lift mood.<\/p><p>Art offers a safe and gentle way to express emotions that can sometimes be difficult to put into words. Participants can explore their inner worlds through color, movement, and texture, gaining perspective and often experiencing emotional release. Even more powerful is the group experience\u2014when individuals create alongside others, they can build friendships, share stories, and realize they are not alone in their struggles.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ea59f60 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ea59f60\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_3.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-272\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_3.png 1200w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_3-300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_3-1024x307.png 1024w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Age_Quarter-2_3-768x230.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79965ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79965ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Why Take a Painting Class?<\/strong><\/p><p>Painting classes offer more than just a chance to dabble in color; they also create meaningful opportunities to express ourselves, reduce stress, and, for those of us growing older, maintain mental sharpness. Painting classes may also offer the opportunity to make new friends.<\/p><p><strong>A Creative Future for Aging<\/strong><\/p><p>It&#8217;s never too late to begin creating. Whether you&#8217;re picking up a paintbrush for the first time or returning to a long-lost hobby, creativity can play a vital role in aging well.<\/p><p>What if painting isn\u2019t for you? Don\u2019t worry\u2014creativity doesn&#8217;t stop at the end of a paintbrush. It can be found in many hobbies, such as:<\/p><ul><li>Drawing or sketching<\/li><li>Adult coloring books<\/li><li>Creative writing, poetry, or journaling<\/li><li>Fiber arts such as knitting, quilting, or weaving<\/li><li>Dancing, yoga, or tai chi<\/li><li>Music &#8211; singing, listening, playing an instrument, or songwriting<\/li><li>Clay or sculptures<\/li><li>Collages or visual boards<\/li><li>Photography or digital creations, such as photo editing or videos<\/li><li>Scrapbooking or photo journaling<\/li><li>Glass or rock painting<\/li><li>Stained glass crafts<\/li><li>Card-making or stamping<\/li><li>Beading or jewelry-making<\/li><li>Woodworking or whittling<\/li><li>Model building (cars, planes, or miniature villages)<\/li><li>Flower arrangement<\/li><li>Nature journaling<\/li><li>Puzzle art (gluing and framing puzzles)<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c0575f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c0575f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Creativity is not just a pastime\u2014for some, it&#8217;s a lifeline. It helps us stay curious and alive inside. Whether you enjoy painting, writing poetry, or playing a new song on the guitar, engaging in the arts allows you to grow, connect with others, and thrive.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2eaf56d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2eaf56d\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-befe5ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"befe5ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Related Posts<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-092f413 elementor-posts__hover-none elementor-grid-2 elementor-grid-tablet-2 elementor-grid-mobile-1 elementor-posts--thumbnail-top elementor-widget elementor-widget-posts\" data-id=\"092f413\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;cards_row_gap&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:80,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;cards_row_gap_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:71,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;cards_row_gap_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:30,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;cards_columns&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;cards_columns_tablet&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;cards_columns_mobile&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"posts.cards\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-posts-container elementor-posts elementor-posts--skin-cards elementor-grid\" role=\"list\">\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-731 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-age-blog category-mental-health tag-melissa-cook\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-letting-go-without-losing-you\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Letting-go.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-790\" alt=\"Older Adult Couple on a swing looking at each other talking\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Letting-go.png 1200w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Letting-go-300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Letting-go-1024x307.png 1024w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Letting-go-768x230.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-letting-go-without-losing-you\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tAGE | Letting Go Without Losing You\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>As we age, we watch our hair turn gray and the wrinkles appear, as if our mirrors have quietly switched to \u201chigh-definition honesty mode.\u201d It\u2019s a process we observe over decades, one strand, one line, one mysterious ache at a time. <\/p>\n<p>Aging has a way of quietly rearranging our lives.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-letting-go-without-losing-you\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about AGE | Letting Go Without Losing You\" tabindex=\"-1\" >\n\t\t\tRespectful terms for aging\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<article class=\"elementor-post elementor-grid-item post-572 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-age-blog category-mental-health tag-melissa-cook\" role=\"listitem\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__card\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail__link\" href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-surviving-cabin-fever-with-resiliency\/\" tabindex=\"-1\" ><div class=\"elementor-post__thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Flitners-.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-573\" alt=\"Wyoming Couple with Horses\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Flitners-.png 1200w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Flitners--300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Flitners--1024x307.png 1024w, https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Flitners--768x230.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/div><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__text\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-post__title\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-surviving-cabin-fever-with-resiliency\/\" >\n\t\t\t\tAGE | Surviving Cabin Fever with Resiliency\u202f\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-post__excerpt\">\n\t\t\t<p>I returned home from work tonight, and before making dinner, I opened the freezer, slipped out a half-gallon of my favorite ice cream, and dished out a small bowl. I stood in front of the heater, savoring every spoonful of peanut butter and chocolate chips while feeling the warmth from the fire on my backside and toes.\u202f<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<a class=\"elementor-post__read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/age-surviving-cabin-fever-with-resiliency\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about AGE | Surviving Cabin Fever with Resiliency\u202f\" tabindex=\"-1\" >\n\t\t\tRespectful terms for aging\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Staying healthy as we age goes beyond physical checkups. Mental and emotional well-being are critical to quality of life, especially for older adults who may face challenges like isolation, chronic illness, or grief.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,9],"tags":[14],"class_list":["post-269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-age-blog","category-mental-health","tag-melissa-cook"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":276,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions\/276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wyoextension.org\/age\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}