Age is all in your mind

People who ‘feel’ young have younger brains than their biological age

Feel young at heart? Then keep on doing what you’re doing! It turns out that age really is just a number and staying young could be as simple as adjusting your mindset, according to science. In a new study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, researchers found people who felt younger than their chronological age not only showed fewer signs of brain ageing and age-related deterioration, but scored higher in memory tests, felt less depressed and showed increased grey matter, compared with those who felt their age or older. While more research is needed as to why those who live by a ‘subjective age’ rather than ‘biological age’ have younger brains, researchers do predict that feeling younger may lead to a more active life, which, in turn, boosts brain health. A rather compelling reason to dance like no-one is watching and savour that next birthday cake.