Think Positive as You Age
Getting older means inevitable physical declines and losses that may transform your life. But—as my article on page 4 of this month’s issue notes—you can still turn this stage of your life into a time of growth, meaning, and happiness. To achieve this, you need to be proactive, creative, and resilient in response to the new situations you will face. You also need to avoid buying into stereotypes of aging.
We develop stereotypes of aging when we are children. Some stereotypes are positive, and some are negative. Negative stereotypes—even subconscious ones—activate negative self-perceptions that often are reinforced throughout our lifetimes. These negative self-perceptions can become self-fulfilling prophecies that affect our health and well-being in old age. For example, studies led by Becca Levy, PhD, professor of public health and psychology at Yale School of Public Health, have shown that older adults with negative perceptions of aging perform worse on memory tasks and standardized hearing tests, and that their hearing declines more rapidly, than those with positive perceptions of aging. Older adults with negative perceptions also are less likely to seek preventive medical care.
The good news is that these self-perceptions are not immutable. In other studies led by Dr. Levy, participants were divided into two groups, each of which had stereotypes of aging subliminally flashed on their screens while they performed a task on a computer. The subjects were unaware that stereotypes were flashing on their screens. Stereotypes were negative for one group and positive for the other. Those exposed to positive stereotypes showed improved memory, handwriting legibility, and, in an exercise study, better strength, gait, and balance. They also had fewer negative self-perceptions of aging. In another study with an an 18-year follow up, older adults with positive perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer and maintained more independence—including the ability to do heavy work and climb stairs—than those with negative perceptions of aging.
Your job, and that of those who love you, is to recognize that negative stereotypes are not reality, to improve your own perceptions of aging by speaking up when you hear or see negative stereotypes, and to surround yourself with positive images of aging and empowered older people. One way you can do this is to participate in professionally run arts workshops. Often called creative aging programs, these engage older adults in opportunities for meaningful creative expression. They have been found to improve participants’ health, wellness, and connectedness. A program I like—Ruth’s Table—offers free weekly online arts workshops (find out more at https://tinyurl.com/RTDropIn).
You won’t welcome all the changes that accompany aging—few of us do. But facing challenges and seeing past stereotypes of aging can allow you to have a positive outlook about the future and appreciate the possibilities, humor, and joy that still can be a part of your life.
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