Attitude and Aging

By Robin Bush, ISR Communications

The familiar question, “Do you see the glass as half empty or half full?” measures whether we see the world and our life through a negative or positive lens.  You may face enormous challenges as you age, but your health and well-being are impacted by how you react.

If you see everything wrong with the world, your life, your relationships, your health, etc., you are focusing on the negative.  Numerous studies have demonstrated that a negative outlook is associated with a detrimental impact on physical health and longevity. 

Is there anything you can do to shift your perspective?  Yes.  Start by listing three positive things that occurred during the day, and do this for at least a month.  The positive things can be in any arena, find three to focus on, and vary the type of things you pay attention to each day.  As you do this, you are retraining your brain to scan across the whole scope of life to see the good around you.  This does not mean dismissing the often-great challenges we each encounter as we age, including loss of physical or cognitive function, loss of friends, disease, financial difficulties, and so on.  Those demand attention, but again, our power remains in how we choose to react. If we reframe challenges as opportunities to make changes in our lives and find solutions, those challenges will become more manageable.

Here are some other techniques to shift attitude. 

• Smiling helps cope with sadness by elevating mood and helps build optimism
• Try gratitude meditations (there are many found online)
• Have a sense of purpose and contribution. Try volunteering
• Exercise regularly. We’ve all heard that repeatedly and maybe ignored it, but it’s time to do it (with physician approval). It does help to lower cardiovascular disease, regulate blood pressure, reduce Type 2 diabetes, improve sleep, and reduce the risk of falls.  Island Senior Resources offers online and in-person fitness classes through the certified S.A.I.L. program (Stay Active and Independent for Life).  We also provide group outdoor walks that not only offer physical health benefits, but are an excellent opportunity to socialize as well.
• Visualize positive aging. Picture yourself in your mind socializing, being more flexible, more resilient, and more active.
• Try something new. It’s never too late.  If mobility is an issue as you age, shift that energy into crafting, writing, or teaching. Learning something new is shown to improve memory and boost self-esteem, and it is an integral part of re-inventing yourself for a better future.

So, it is time to ask yourself, “How do I want to age?  How well do you want to age? One study published in JAMA found that those with higher satisfaction with aging had a 43% lower risk of dying from any cause than those with a negative attitude on aging.  Those with a positive attitude tend toward more positive healthful behaviors, which increases longevity.  Negative attitudes toward aging tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies. That is why shifting our mindset is so critical.

For more articles on healthy aging, see our Healthy Aging series on our website at senior-resources.org/resources