Remember the cliché “You’re only as old as you feel”? A significant body of scientific evidence shows that it may be more accurate to say, “You’re only as old as you think.“
Much of what we call aging is shaped by mental and cultural cues. Our bodies obviously undergo changes, but many of the “typical” characteristics of age, such as achy joints or memory lapses, are often triggered more by self-perception than by physical changes.
Key lessons in using your thoughts to optimize your health…
LESSON #1: Change your vocabulary. Our medical system promotes the use of labels. If you have diabetes, for example, you are a “diabetic.” If you are ill, you are a “patient.” Such labels encourage us to see ourselves as always being sick.
People who are diagnosed with “chronic” pain are also affected by labeling. Some expect to always be in pain, so they don’t notice the times when the pain is absent or less severe. If they did, they might try to figure out why and find a way to control their pain. The chronic pain label can become a detrimental self-fulfilling prophecy, leading those in pain to act as if their lives are only about pain.
Take away: Focus on the healthy parts of your life. Someone with asthma, for example, can enjoy walks when his/her lungs are feeling strong. Someone with arthritis can play nine holes of golf instead of 18, or one hole instead of nine. If you have chronic pain — or any other condition with symptoms that come and go — use the times of day when you are basically pain-free to feel good and do the things that you want.
LESSON #2: Remember what’s important. Our world is filled with negative stereotypes about aging. Most of us assume, for example, that older adults are forgetful. (Young people forget things all the time, but this doesn’t get noticed.) However, the reason we may not remember certain things is that we didn’t care to learn the information in the first place.
Scientific evidence: In a three-week study, we gave one group of nursing-home residents incentives to remember information — chips that could be exchanged for prizes whenever they recalled certain information, such as nurses’ names and when certain activities were scheduled. Comparison groups were not awarded prizes for this task.
In tests of cognitive ability at the end of the study, the “prize group” outperformed the other groups. And in a follow-up study, the death rate was more than four times higher in the comparison groups than in the prize group.
Take away: Get involved so that you care about things. When something has meaning to you, you are more likely to remember it than to recall information that is not relevant to your daily life.
LESSON #3: Live mindfully. Being “mindful” simply means noticing new things. It doesn’t matter what they are, as long as they are novel. This entails being engaged in life… cultivating a sense of personal responsibility and control… and staying alert to new experiences and information.
Take away: Stay engaged. People who pursue new interests, make their own decisions and live life on their terms are the ones who live best — and, in many cases, longest.
LESSON #4: Expect good health. Nearly everyone can live longer and feel better by being active. Yet about 250,000 deaths annually in the US can be attributed to a sedentary lifestyle. How you think about exercise makes a difference.
Important research: In a study of hotel maids, it was explained to one group that the work they did met the standard recommendations for an “active” lifestyle, while the second group was not given this information.
Result: After four weeks, maids who recognized that their work was good exercise lost an average of two pounds, had a significant reduction in body fat and an average drop in blood pressure of 10 points systolic (top number) and five points diastolic (bottom number). Women in the other group did not get these benefits.
Take away: When striving for a physiological result, engage your mind. People who expect to feel good are more likely to feel good.
Whatever the goal, take the smallest step necessary to get you started. If you’ve failed to lose 20 pounds, try to lose two pounds… or one pound… or an ounce. You’ll feel a greater sense of control once you realize that small changes make a big difference over time.
