Longevity and Mood
Your mood has an astounding influence on your health. There are some people who can think themselves into physical illness and other than can think themselves from terrible diseases into health. The brain is the main control center of your entire body and what you think and how you treat yourself can become a reflection in the physical world and in your body. When it comes to aging, we have to pay attention to the beliefs we hold about getting older and what aging means to us. If we believe that once we reach 65 we will lose our eyesight and muscle mass, have to use a cane and be taken care of by nurses, then likely by 65 you will have all of these issues. However, if we believe that life gets better and we get stronger and smarter as we get older and we start acting in a way that supports this, we can halt the aging process. Of course, there are some parts of aging that we cannot escape, but cognitive functioning (including memory and happiness) is correlated with the outlook on life one has and how they see themselves in the world.
“Elders who have a “can-do” attitude and who remain engaged in activities as the years go along are far more likely to retain intact mental abilities. - John Robbins”
Do you ever notice that when older people lose their partner or retire without having another hobby they can deteriorate much quicker? The outlook on aging has caused many of the baby boomers to become sick in their older years and if we continue with this outlook we will continue to see sickness rise and rise as people age. Luckily, you have the power to change that right now. Just because you get older does not mean you have to become sick or weak or forgetful. There are still some seniors hitting the gym everyday and cracking jokes quicker than ever. Your health is in your hands and your perception of health as a huge impact on your body. Here are some tips to extend your life and extend your quality of life just by changing your attitude.
Make a list of goals you want to accomplish in life and what steps you need to take to get there. Once you have a plan and have a goal, it is much easier to act on and work towards
Hold a picture in your mind of your ideal healthy body. Refer to this image often as motivation to stay on your health path for the rest of your years
Write in a gratitude journal every morning or every night to remind yourself how lucky you are to be alive and around people (or animals) that love you. Be grateful for movement, for your coffee in the morning or for the sun in the afternoon
Practice sudoku, crosswords, jumble or other word games to keep your mind sharp and have a sense of accomplishment
Call a friend or family member to catch up
Exercise and move your body everyday
Join a weekly or monthly group to have something to look forward to and to make friends. Maybe a knitting group, walking club or pottery class - or try something new!
Volunteer at a local church, library or non-profit. Give back to those you helped you and give yourself the opportunity to share your knowledge with others
“the key to cognitive health is having goals and things to look forward to, and knowing that you are doing the work you were put on this earth to do”
Too often we let stress control our lives which can lead to health issues, fatigue and lack of love and appreciation for life. Especially in the Western world today, everyone is focusing on more and better and faster and we often forget to sit back and really take in life. It is those moments of reflection and appreciation, we can tap into our purpose and stop the chaos. In those moments when we learn to love who we are and live our purpose we are also extending our lifespan. The moments that you choose to connect with your neighbour instead of retreating inside are the moments that you choose to extend your life and protect your genes. Epigenetics (modifications in gene expression) applies not only to external stimuli like chemicals and immobility but also internal stimuli like low serotonin. Your genes can literally be turned on and off with love, connection and happiness and shut off with negativity and depression. It has been shown that longevity is increased in those with depression when they are given anti-depressants (1) which directly goes to show the connection of happiness on longevity.
This is an easy modification to add in to increase life span as oppose to other longevity methods like fasting and ice plunges. Stop and take a breath, take appreciation for your life and those around you and expect to live a long and joyous life.
(1) Rangaraju, S., Levey, D., Nho, K. et al. Mood, stress and longevity: convergence on ANK3. Mol Psychiatry 21, 1037–1049 (2016)