How to think yourself YOUNGER
Psychological fitness is just as important as physical fitness for attacking the ageing process. after all, just last month, decades of research showed that optimists live longer than pessimists. That’s because what you believe matters.
For too many people, the process of growing old seems to involve becoming slower, more cautious, less interested in the world around them, living more in the past and lamenting the passing of the good old days.
We all know people like this, but they have probably always been more negative and pessimistic in their attitude.
in addition, some of the changes that occur, and the depression that may come with them, are the result of being too influenced by the prevailing negative stereotypes of old age.
But our later years are not just a waiting game — decline is not inevitable. in fact, the older you get, the greater the need for a positive mental attitude and some positive action.
here are some of my top tips for how to improve your psychological fitness. . .
GET ENOUGH SLEEP
geTTing enough sleep helps to reduce stress and keep the mind working well. The amount of sleep that people need varies, but many of us need more sleep as we age.
This need is often increased by the side-effects of some of the medications that are commonly prescribed for blood pressure and heart disease, for example. To help you get a good night’s sleep, you should:
seT a target, for example, seven hours a night.
avoid naps in the daytime if sleeping at night is a problem.
increase exercise during the day.
learn the mindfulness technique (see box) to stop ideas racing round your mind as you try to fall asleep, or if you wake in the night.
drink less fluid after 6pm to avoid nightly trips to the loo.
have a regular ritual for going to bed at the same time, with no exciting films or distressing news images beforehand, and choose a peaceful book.
GET INVOLVED
a major research study of ageing in europe emphasised the importance of ‘continued involvement in physical and social activities’ for ageing well, and recommended that ‘far from retiring, engagement with life and society should be the norm for ageing populations’.
as well as the steps you can take on your own, there is increasingly strong evidence that getting involved with other people maintains and improves intellectual functioning.
The way it does this is not yet clear, but it may be the need to argue and defend a point of view as well as the need to use your mind. it may also be the interaction with other people that stimulates the mind, and that increased motivation and morale improves performance, in the same way that an athlete performs better in front of a crowd.
For example, you can work as a volunteer on an issue that you feel strongly about; the charity age Uk is a great organisation that offers a wide range of such opportunities.
or take up opportunities for helping people older than yourself, for example, The silver line (thesilverline.org.uk) is a free telephone helpline providing advice and friendship to older people 24 hours a day, every day.
much of the care for elderly people with frailty is provided by voluntary services run by people in their 60s and 70s.
now there is a new charity called the centre for ageing Better that emphasises the great contribution older workers bring.
it is right to be concerned about keeping young people out of employment, but there are many jobs that older people are well suited for, and which are unattractive to many younger people. The ‘age of no retirement’ is a campaign to encourage people to keep working while a new start-up company called seniors helping seniors (seniors
helpingseniors.com) specifically employs people who are older.
AND THERE’S GOOD NEWS…
mUch of the negative image of old age, which can affect your feeling of wellness if you believe it too strongly, derives from outdated research that compared people aged 70 to people aged 20, which just doesn’t make any sense. however, newer research has shown that older people cope better with emotions and stress, are more stable, and are better at making complex decisions.
it has also found that some cognitive skills, such as general knowledge and vocabulary, are unaffected by age, or even improve. so if you’re going to believe any research, believe the most up-to-date studies.