A new study from researchers at Yale University in the U.S. found that attitudes toward aging can substantially alter the course of aging. Psychology professor Becca Levy and Dr. Martin Slade reported the finding. Using data from more than 11,000 people aged 50 to 99, the researchers examined how attitudes toward aging affected age-related physical and cognitive changes.
The team found that people with more positive attitudes toward aging performed better on physical and cognitive tests. What’s more, over the study’s 12-year span, participants with positive views showed significant improvements in their scores.
Professor Levy, who has spent years studying how attitudes toward aging influence health, said she was surprised by the size of the benefits from a positive mindset. Participants who started out with positive views were more likely to improve their walking speed and cognitive abilities.
How your surroundings help shape a positive view of aging
Meanwhile, psychiatry professor Julia Lappin at the University of New South Wales in Australia said evidence is building that a positive outlook benefits health at every stage of life.
Environment plays a big role in shaping a positive mindset. Lappin often points to communities where many older adults stay active. That kind of neighborly example creates a ‘keep up with the Joneses’ effect. ‘You see the person next door, who’s 93, still going to the beach every day, and you think: I’m 92 — I can do that too,’ the researcher says.
With a more positive view of aging, people approach age-related health problems very differently, says psychology professor Kaarin Anstey, director of the University of New South Wales’ Ageing Research Institute.
For example, Anstey says, if your hip hurts you can say, ‘Oh, it’s just part of getting older; I’m just aging.’ Or you can say, ‘I’m going to do something about it.’
Ageism is a modern scourge
Society often equates aging with illness. ‘Age is not a disease, age is just time. People often assume aging means developing dementia — that’s wrong. Aging is not the same as having dementia,’ says Velandai Srikant, director of the National Centre for Healthy Aging. He is over 60 and, according to The Guardian, is at the peak of his career.
But there’s a difference between maintaining a positive view of your own age and actively fighting a widespread, false phenomenon like ageism.
Populations are aging worldwide. ‘People are retiring later, but age discrimination in employment doesn’t seem to have changed,’ psychiatrist Rod McKay of the University of Notre Dame in the U.S. said.
He says that by discriminating against older adults, employers are effectively losing candidates who are not only at the peak of their abilities but who also have potential for further growth.
Getting older is better than you think
Psychiatry professor Brian Draper at the University of New South Wales says, ‘The happiest period of life is aging. And retirement is associated with improvements in most aspects of life.’ He adds that Australia has the lowest depression rates in the world among people aged 65 to 85.
It may seem surprising, but a positive view of aging correlates with changes such as:
- Lower biological age: viewing age-related changes positively helps slow biological aging.
- Cognitive revival: noticing early signs of decline gives people more opportunity and time to restore cognitive abilities.
- Stronger immunity: positive thoughts help slow the development of various health conditions.
- Emotional balance: people find it easier to balance different emotions.
- New growth and a desire to learn: later life inspires many people to make plans and learn new skills.
Although Professor Draper acknowledges that the body wears down over time, that decline can occur much later than most people imagine.
Draper emphasizes: ‘You can continue to function, enjoy life, and remain in good mental and physical health for quite a long time.’
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