longevity
This surprising psychological factor determines how old we get
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Whether we live to be 75, 90 or 100 depends on our living conditions, genetics and many other things. But our psyche and our attitude to getting older also play an important role.
On average, people are living longer today than they were 100 or 200 years ago. This is due to many factors, such as advances in medicine, better prevention and treatment of diseases, and ever-increasing knowledge about healthy nutrition. But these physical aspects are not the only thing that influences how quickly and severely we age. Our psyche also plays a big role.
How our attitudes influence aging
“Does a person experience meaning in their life? Can they derive meaning from what happens to them in life? Older people with high life satisfaction often report that they were able to draw conclusions from negative experiences and learned from them,” explains Prof. Wurm in Interview with geo.de. “Others experience exactly the same events as a burden. People who see aging as personal development, who make plans, benefit: It’s not just about passing the hours of the day, but about experiencing the day richly as you get older.”
A negative mindset can increase mortality
Prof. Wurm describes that we used to see the course of life as a staircase: until midlife it goes uphill, then downhill. “Our current view is that development occurs at every age,” explains the psychologist. “People at every age need something that drives them, inspires them, and makes them curious.” So it’s not just about averting illness and losses, but also about continuing to plan for gains, things that make you happy or fulfilled – even in old age.
If we don’t succeed in this, a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy can arise: We expect the worst, that things will only go downhill as we get older – and that’s exactly what happens. “If a person tells themselves that they can’t do anything about the suffering anyway, that it’s normal for their age, they can easily become discouraged. They may accept things that they could change far too early and make no effort to implement a healthier lifestyle .” And this attitude even contributes to higher mortality.
Our date of birth and the number of years we have lived don’t mean as much as we think. “The longer people live, the less meaningful their chronological age is,” explains Prof. Wurm. “As individuals live longer, they experience more and more different factors, and their biographers differ even more. There are people who have never been in the hospital until they are 80.”
Daily Uplifts: Enjoying the little things
That’s why it’s all the more important that we don’t get caught up in outdated beliefs that make us believe that after a certain age we’re no longer of any use and that life is no longer worth living. Instead, we should consciously remind ourselves every day of what is beautiful in the world and what works well despite any physical problems and what we can be grateful for. Susanne Wurm recommends so-called “daily uplifts”, i.e. small joys in everyday life. These can be very different things: a meeting with loved ones, a walk, a film or social engagement. Everything that brings us joy and allows us to enjoy the beauty of life.
According to Prof. Wurm’s research, people who are optimistic about their later years live longer. “Those who have positive ideas about old age are more physically active and also take greater care of their health,” explains the scientist. For many, it’s about a task in life for which they want to be healthier, such as running around on the playground with their grandchild.
Of course, many people have to live with increasing limitations as they get older – especially of a physical nature. The eyes or ears become worse, walking may become more difficult, and muscle strength decreases. But according to research by Prof. Susanne Wurm, our attitude towards aging and life in general can influence when and how quickly these processes occur. With our lifestyle – and this also includes our mindset – we cannot stop aging, but we can slow it down. And so possibly live longer and, above all, happier.
Sources used: geo.de, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov