A growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and perseverance—can be a powerful tool for healthy aging. This mindset encourages a more resilient, adaptive, and positive approach to the challenges and changes that come with growing older.
Having a positive and growth mindset has been shown to lead to decreased illness including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke, better cognitive function, improved sleep, increased physical activity and reduced depression and loneliness.[i]
In this article, we explore strategies for developing an emotional hygiene routine, fostering a positive outlook, and connecting the body and the mind. These tips and strategies are designed to help you harness a positive mindset as your superpower for healthy aging.
Table of Contents:
- Develop and emotional hygiene routine
- Foster a positive mindset
- Connect mind to body
- Mindfulness training for healthy aging
- Conclusion
Develop an Emotional Hygiene Routine
Just as we take time to pay attention to our physical health, we also need to recognize the importance of our mental and emotional well being. Developing small daily habits can have a profound impact on our overall health. By starting these habits early on, we can identify and adhere to health promoting rituals into our early and older adulthood.
An emotional hygiene routine involves regularly taking care of your emotional well-being, just as you would care for your physical health. This practice can prevent emotional buildup, promote mental clarity, and help maintain a balanced state of mind.
Superpower Strategies:
- Take a few minutes each day to check in with yourself and reflect how you are feeling
- Learn to say no to people or situations that are in conflict to what you value
- Treat yourself like you would treat a close friend especially if they were struggling using positive self-talk
- Minimizing self-judgments by challenging the thoughts and beliefs that lead to it
- Take time for breaks if you need it
Foster a Positive Outlook
Coping with the physical and emotional changes of aging can be challenging. As well, western society and social media is often touting anti-aging regimes, promoting negative connotations to a natural process.
Often these messages stick with us as our brains are designed to remember negative experiences as a result of thousands of years of survival mechanisms. However, a positive outlook is especially important when it comes to aging, as it directly impacts physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life.
Superpower Strategies:
- Start a gratitude journal by writing down 3 things you are grateful for every day
- Limit exposure to negative news and social media
- DO something – instead of complaining about how things should be or about yourself, take small steps to make positive changes happen around you
Connect Mind to Body
Posture can worsen with age, and cause pain in our low back and neck. Our bodies often reflect how we feel emotionally. As important as it is to check in with yourself emotionally, checking on your posture and facial expression is key as our body’s age. A good and strong posture leads to healthy bones and muscles.
Superpower Strategies:
- Adopt an open and receptive posture (particularly in difficult interactions) – keep your shoulders back and relaxed, arms uncrossed,
- Have a good posture when walking – lead with your torso and pelvis, rather than your shoulders, imagine your spine long and upright
- Check in with your facial expression – notice any tension in your jaw or forehead
Mindfulness Training: Harness Your Healthy Aging Superpower
Mindfulness training has gained increased attention in recent years over its psychological and physical benefits across the lifespan. Mindfulness, the practice of staying fully present and engaged in the current moment, has significant benefits for healthy aging.
As people age, mindfulness can enhance both physical and mental well-being, helping to improve quality of life, resilience, and emotional stability. Studies have found that mindfulness has benefits for cognitive, physical and emotional health with an aging population.[ii]
In my personal and professional experience, mindfulness practice has been the most important influence on my mindset around life experiences of relationships, career and health changes. In particular around aging, having a daily practice of meditation has given me a perspective on:
- Acceptance – Realizing that battling against the inevitable only leads to more suffering and is more tiring. Accepting aging as a natural process has been key to coping with changes.
- Changing nature of everything – In mindfulness we realize that our thoughts and feelings are always changing. We also know that are bodies are always changing, so we focus less on how things were, or how we think things should be and accept things as they are.
- Connecting to what matters most – Time has an incredible way of speeding up as we get older. However, this offers us an incredible gift of realizing and connecting to the what we value most in our lives.
Conclusion
Embracing a positive mindset as a part of your healthy aging journey can truly be a superpower. By cultivating emotional hygiene, fostering a positive outlook, connecting your mind and body, and integrating mindfulness practices, you can empower yourself to face the natural changes of aging with resilience and grace.
Aging is an inevitable part of life, but how we approach it can make all the difference. When we view it as an opportunity for growth and self-awareness, we not only enhance our physical and mental well-being but also enrich the quality of our lives. Start small, be consistent, and let your mindset guide you toward a healthier, happier future.
References
[i] Positive attitude about aging could boost health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
[ii] Fountain-Zaragoza S, Prakash RS. Mindfulness Training for Healthy Aging: Impact on Attention, Well-Being, and Inflammation. Front Aging Neurosci. 2017 Feb 3;9:11. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00011. PMID: 28217093; PMCID: PMC5289973.
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