A study shows that negative attitudes towards aging increase symptoms such as dementia, heart disease, hot flashes and insomnia.
Research from Seoul National University in South Korea found that people who feel younger than their chronological age show fewer signs of brain aging than those who feel their actual age or older.
According to the news in the Daily Mail, research showed that having a positive attitude towards aging means you are more likely to “age well”.
People with an optimistic view of aging live, on average, seven and a half years longer than those who have negative feelings towards their later years.
From Yale University in the USA, Dr. Becca Levy also offers several tips to help you strengthen your positive attitude towards aging…
1. KEEP AN AGE DIARY TO DETERMINE PREJUDICE
Be alert to negative age discrimination around you. This may take the form of frail or suffering images of older people, or there may be age limits on job applications.
2. YES, YOU CAN LEARN NEW THINGS
Stop using age-discriminatory phrases like “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” and if you stumble, admit that you “stumble” and are not the type to “fall”.
3. OLD, TARGET IS SMART
Aim to be positive about aging at every opportunity. In Japan, older people are treated like rock stars and there is a national holiday called “Respect for the Elderly Day” every year to celebrate their achievements.
4. SELECT FOUR POSITIVE ROLE MODELS
Positive role models don’t just make us feel good; they actually help change our behavior by inspiring and motivating us with examples of people who continue to grow and achieve goals. These may be elderly relatives, neighbors, movie stars, public figures now or throughout history.
5. DON’T blame advanced age
Don’t blame your age. If you lose your car keys, miss an appointment, or forget a name, tell yourself you’ve just had a “moment of forgetfulness”, which can be blamed on focusing elsewhere, which can happen at any age.
6. MEET WITH DIFFERENT GENERATIONS
It’s extremely helpful to keep looking for ways to make connections between age ranges. It helps different generations develop positive opinions about each other.
7. PAY ATTENTION TO AGE DISCRIMINATION
Be very careful in situations where you may suffer from age discrimination instead of getting old. To an 85-year-old man who went to see his doctor for pain, the doctor said, “Your knee is 85 years old. What are you waiting for?” says. The man said, “Yes, doctor, but my other knee is 85 years old. It doesn’t hurt.”
8. ALWAYS GAVE A BIRTHDAY PARTY
Celebrate your birthdays. Don’t hide your age, it just sends negative messages about aging.
By embracing your true age, you own it and continue to challenge other people’s expectations of what someone your age can think and do.
