Most can agree that a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine both have a positive impact as we age. However, research has shown that something as simple as your attitudes and beliefs about aging play a role as well. Exposure to aging stereotypes have a correlation to the development cognitive decline and other health issues. Therefore, the beliefs you internalize matter. Because how you think about your aging process can effect your mental and physical well-being.
Yale professor Becca Levy discusses the findings from research done on aging attitudes in this Next Avenue article. There have been significant advances in age related stereotypes in the recent years. But many seniors still have adopted negative attitudes on aging. Due to this, Levy has identified some areas in which these stereotypes are most common.
Health is the first one. There have been so many advances within the last 100 years to improve the well-being and health of seniors. However, some of this stems from the multi billion dollar “anti-aging industry”. Products and fads that claim they will cure your wrinkles, improve you brain function, and help you live longer are all readily available. Unfortunately, these lead to people thinking that a normally aging body is somehow wrong.
Next comes inter-generational contact. In the past, multiple generations lived together in the same home. Yet these days, a lot of seniors live either alone or in retirement communities. This is not a bad thing. But loneliness and feelings of exclusion can be a result. Negative attitudes about aging are more common when generations have little or no contact.
On the bright side, there are definitely ways to combat negative attitudes and beliefs about aging. Adopt a more flexible view on aging rather than a fixed one. Try to focus on the fact that age is just a number. A healthy and active lifestyle will not stop you from experiencing age related issues. However, don’t downplay the positive results that a healthy lifestyle can bring. Buying into the idea that becoming older is a bad thing never ends well. Success, joy, and meaning as we age can be found by anyone. After all, they don’t call it the “golden years” for nothing!