5 ways to develop a younger mindset
There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age - Sophia Loren
With life expectancy steadily rising in most countries around the world, the number of people aged sixty-five years or older will rise sharply over the next two decades. And you might already be one of them.
Certainly, were already seeing far more centenarians and near-centenarians than ever before. Just a few weeks ago, the world was collectively awed by nonagenarian William Shatners trip to space as the worlds foray into space. Not long after, there were numerous news stories about Dr. Manfred Steiner earning his third doctorate at the age of 89. But there are hardly outliers. More than ever, we are seeing other examples of seniors in their eighties and beyond continuing to enrich the world with their achievements instead of settling into the decrepit old age far too many people pessimistically see in their own future.
But what is it that makes these super seniors so vibrant and active? Though it is easy to attribute this ability to stay young to good genes alone, the opposite seems to be the case. A ground-breaking Danish study published in 1995 examined more than 2500 twin pairs born between 19870 and 1900 and concluded that genetics only played a modest role (at best) in human longevity. Instead, non-genetic factors, including lifestyle choices and environmental stress appear far more important in determining how long people can remain active and healthy over time.
Perhaps as importantly, the attitudes that people have towards growing older are often shaped by the kind of negative stereotypes too many of us have. These stereotypes often result from cultural expectations as well as the experiences people have dealing with their aging parents and grandparents. Along with affecting how people treat older adults, these stereotypes can also make us pessimistic about our own aging and what we will be capable of as we grow older. According to Stereotype Embodiment Theory,
people who internalize their own negative beliefs about aging are more prone to physical and mental health problems as well as becoming less productive as they age. A conclusion borne out by recent research.
This can include the belief that we are somehow doomed to become less creative and, presumably, less productive with time. Granted, this point remains controversial with many physicists, computer scientists, musicians, and even artists doing their most prominent work before they hit midlife (or younger). And yet, there are prominent exceptions: J.R. Tolkien was 62 when he wrote the first volume of the Lord of the Rings, prominent physicist Sir William Crookes was 68 when he began cutting-edge research into radioactivity, while Bertrand Russells work as a writer, academician, and peace activist continued until he was almost 100.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg when you consider that people over the age of 65 represent the fastest growing age group internationally, largely due to the major medical advances of the past few decades. As I have noted in prior articles, the biological limits of our own lifespans are being radically altered and new breakthroughs may push the upper limits of human longevity even further in decades to come.
But, there is more to aging than taking stock of your grey hairs and wrinkles. Along with physical aging, there is also psychological aging, something I have already covered previously on Forbes. Also known as subjective aging, our own research has demonstrated that a lower psychological age is linked to better mental and physical health. While true physical rejuvenation isnt available (at least so far), it is also possible to make yourself feel younger, something that is an important feature of successful aging. Here are just a few suggestions you can try, and you are welcome to come up with your own suggestions:
Set ambitious longevity goals for yourself, along with fosterity the optimism you will need to achieve these goals. Our research into using deep learning techniques to predict human psychological and subjective age shows that people who are more optimistic about the future of their health and longevity, expect to live to the age that is substantially longer than average in their country, and of their health and expect to stay in good health or even improve in the next 10 years and beyond. But, what might happen if you imagined yourself living to 120 years or longer and spending those extra years being healthy and productive? Even if medical technology fails to give you those added years, the positive mindset this optimism will produce can have valuable benefits in its own right.
Science is not standing still. Huge progress was made in science and technology in the past decade alone and you should expect to live much longer and healthier. Learn as much as you can about the recent progress in aging research and tart making your own plans for an extended future. Some books you can start with include popular non-fiction books like David Sinclair's Lifespan: Why We Ageand Why We Don't Have To,
Peter Diamandis's books, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, and Bold. You can also take a look at Sergey Young's book The Science and Technology of Growing Young. These are just a few of the books already available on what is already a hot topic in science and many more will become available soon enough.
Take a psychological aging test and try to develop a longevity mindset. Go to young.ai and register for the app which can also be downloaded onto your Android or iPhone. By answering a few simple questions about your medical history and syncing information from your medical tests or your FitBit or Apple Watch, you can receive age estimates based on your different measures. This includes estimates of lifestyle age based on your response to health survey questions, mind age based on your psychological survey responses, or blood and heart age based on biomedical data. There is even a photo age feature estimating age based on face appearance alone! Use the data the app provides to develop an action plan for staying younger.
Develop friendships with younger people and avoid the retirement peer pressure that might motivate you to act your age and just settle for a comfortable retirement. As I noted in previous articles, humans are very good at adapting to radical changes, whether positive or negative. This hedonic treadmill can also cause many older adults to become complacent about their lives and correspondingly less flexible in terms of handling changes and the stress that comes with it. This means that the best way to stay younger and more creative is to avoid this age trap and take yourself out of your comfort zone. At least once in a while.
Consider taking a few courses or even going for an entire degree at a university that requires group work and constant interaction with the younger people.
Join or start a new business, preferably in health or longevity. New business opportunities are springing up daily and this is a trend that can only go upwards in the years to come. Instead of focusing on retirement, you can think of new business opportunities for yourself. Many of these opportunities will stem from the growing number of over-65s living longer and more active lives. Start exercising your own creativity and plan out a business model that will revitalize your own life.
These are just a few suggestions to consider and you can likely come up with more with the right determination and a little creativity. Remember the words of Mark Strand who said that the future is always beginning now and start planning out your own future. It will be here faster than you think.
More:
5 Ways To Stay Younger And More Creative As You Get Older - Forbes
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