When it comes to aging, have confidence in your future. If you
have a negative attitude about aging, odds are your attitude will have a
profound impact on your later years, even on how long you’ll live.
A 2014
University College London (UCL) study interviewed over 9,000 people with an
average age of 65. Those who had an overall sense of well-being--defined as having
control, doing something worthwhile and having a purpose in life - were 30
percent less likely do die over the following a 8 years than their least
wellbeing counterparts. UCL Professor Andrew Steptoe, who led the study noted, “The
findings raise the intriguing possibility that increasing well-being could help
to improve physical health. There are several biological mechanisms that may
link well-being to improved health, for example through hormonal changes or
reduced blood pressure.”
What do
you value about getting older? If you say "Nothing!" you’re in trouble. If what you see before you as you advance through your 70s, 80s, 90s
and beyond is deterioration, ill-health and decrepitude, well then, you’re in
for a very unhappy time, and probably won’t live that long.
Another
UCL
study, this time in 2015, found even further proof: after suffering a heart attack or angina, the
most pessimistic patients were twice as likely to suffer from additional
serious health conditions over the next four years than were optimistic
patients.
If all
you see before you is a depressing future, it’s not too late to change that
perception. Take on an appreciative and optimistic attitude.
Seek out what makes you happy and fulfilled. If you do, you’ll find plenty of
reasons to live a long and purposeful life. Be appreciative every day for who
you are. Train yourself to talk differently, positively, to yourself. You’ll be
amazed at just how quickly your mind responds, and how your experience of your
life shifts into a much happier place, the precursor to gratifying long-life.
This shifting
perception is critical. From birth, we are changing every second
of every day. What society calls aging, is nothing more than
another change in our life’s journey. Whatever your chronological age, maintain
and practice appreciation. As is true of any good habit and practice, the more
diligently and sincerely you embrace appreciation, the more you will enjoy its
physical and psychological benefits.
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