by Brittany Wright: According to data from the World Bank, people are living longer than ever…

Awaken

Average life expectancy worldwide increased from 52 years in 1960, to 72 years in 2016 (for males and females). While the added time seems innately like a blessing, some may find it a curse. With age and experience comes the various trials of life: changing jobs, retiring, losing loved ones, and declining body functions. Furthermore, age often leads to the development of cognitive impairments, one of the most well-known being dementia.

Alzheimer’s Disease International reports that somebody in the world is diagnosed with dementia every three seconds. Per their statistics, from 2015 to 2017 dementia incidence has increased by nearly 3.2 million people worldwide. This number is expected to climb to include another 81.5 million individuals by 2050.

Depression rates also may increase with age. A study published in the Journal of Social Health and Behavior found that while depression rates are lowest in middle-aged individuals, rates climb and peak around 80 years of age and beyond. The study’s authors attribute the cause of this rise in depression to feelings of loss of control and physical dysfunction as people age.

How can you live longer, while maintaining both your joy and acuity? Here are six suggestions, pieced together from my observations working in long-term care as well as from research data, which I offer as keys to maintaining a youthful, vibrant mind throughout the life stages.

1. Practice Optimism

We’re all familiar with the old adage, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Well, like it or not, life hands you aging. It is entirely up to you how you perceive that reality, and the perception alone can make a huge difference.

It’s true that you often do not control the things that happen to you, especially in aging. However, you can always regain some degree of control by choosing your own story, or way of describing, the things happening to you and around you. This concept is known as reframing.

For example, Steve Jobs famously described getting fired from Apple as “the best thing that could have ever happened to me.” In this way, he reclaimed power over the event of getting fired—an event over which he had no control—by telling the story in a way that created a “for the greater good” type of reality. You will face obstacles with aging. Loved ones pass away, finances may become tight, or maybe your muscles start to weaken. Your challenge is to frame changes in a way that enables you to regain your power, carrying with you an overall lightness and optimism.

2. Foster Humor

Perhaps you’re familiar with the adage, “If you want to tell somebody the truth, you’d better make it funny.”

Humor has a way of creating lightness and connection around difficult and otherwise potentially isolating matters. Aging brings life experiences that can feel embarrassing, isolating, or sad. You can maintain your connection with others and with yourself by finding solace in the fact that everyone will experience various aspects of aging at one point or another. Furthermore, absolutely everyone has experienced shame and embarrassment. By reframing and retelling some of these experiences with a new light of humor, you will be able to shed your own shame and also connect with others who have felt the same.

One of my favorite examples comes from a gentleman I worked with who I’ll call “Tom.” Tom used a motorized wheelchair to travel to the grocery store weekly. At times, his chair would stall in the middle of an intersection, resulting in angry drivers. Tom asked me to print him a sign that read, “The Speed Demon,” and hung it on his chair. Now instead of being ashamed when others were frustrated with his limitations, he would good-naturedly point to his sign, laugh, and wave in understanding. The angry drivers started to laugh with him. They were diverted from their frustration, and instead connected with this man who was doing the best he could. By choosing to make light of his limitation, Tom chose to live in joy rather than shame, and he gave others permission to connect with him over their own limitations.

Source: Chopra