Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Regrets. No One Wants them.


There have been several articles published recently from healthcare professionals regarding end of life regrets. They interviewed individuals in hospice care and asked them what regrets they had?  It's a heavy question asked of people at this life stage. What would they have done differently? While many of their responses are predictable, the responses are poignant in that many people say the same thing and that bears repeating.

Among the first thing they mention is that they wish they hadn't focused so much on work. No one ever says they wish they had worked harder or longer. They said that they wish they had spent more time with family and friends.  Valued time with loved ones is clearly more important than anything else, especially work. Importantly spending time with people who love you is on the list. Ask yourself, who would be on your list?

They said they wish they had taken better care of themselves. Self-care is often ignored. Smoking less, drinking less, not doing illegal drugs, exercising, and focusing on eating properly are definite life extenders. Moderation in life can be a good thing. 

They also said they wish they had appreciated the little things in life. Smelling the roses, enjoying a sunrise or a sunset, watching the leaves change, going to a child's dance recital would have been time well spent rather than watching the news or surfing social media. 

They added make sure you live in the moment. The goal is to cut down worrying about things that perhaps may never happen or won't be as bad as you project. Stop worrying about next week or next month. Time isn't guaranteed. Make the best of the time you have.

The list is short, but profound. In a 24/7 world, it's hard to keep focused on what's important. But if you don't, you may have regrets like these and no one wants that!