health
‘The happiest time of life is as you get older’: can positive thinking help you age better?
More trips around the sun does not mean inevitable decline, new research suggests – and having a optimistic outlook can even bring improvements
TL;DR
- Positive attitudes towards aging can lead to better physical and cognitive health outcomes, including actual improvements over time.
- A US study found that people with more positive views on aging performed better on tests of walking speed, memory, and cognition.
- These positive attitudes encourage behaviors that contribute to better physical health, such as staying cognitively, physically, and socially active.
- Societal ageism, the prejudice against older people, can lead to discrimination in employment and overlooks the capabilities of older individuals.
- Embracing aging with optimism can lead to higher expectations for managing health issues and a proactive approach to well-being.
- The happiest time of life, with lowest rates of depression, is generally between ages 65 and 85.
- Aging is not synonymous with decline or disease; individuals can continue to function well and enjoy life for a long time.