Turning Back the Clock on Ageing

Aging and all the ailments that comes with it may not solely depend on physiological factor as many may have believed; it is found to be a complex function of physiology and state of mind.

According to a report published in Newsweek by Wray Herbert in April 14, 2009, Harvard psychologist, Ellen Langer did a study where she took a group of elderly men to an isolated old New England hotel, retrofitted so that every conspicuous sign was made to appear as it was two decades earlier. From their outfit to the news they watched and music they listened to, were all fixed to appear as if they were 20 years earlier.

The men, all in their late 70s and early 80s, were told not to reminisce about the past, but to in fact act as if they had traveled back in time. The object was to see if changing the men's mindset about their actual age might lead to a corresponding change in their health and fitness status.

  

Langer's findings were dramatic: At the end of seven days, the men in the experimental group (compared with control group of the same age) had increased dexterity, more joint flexibility and less arthritis in their hands. They had improved gait and posture; and their mental acuity had risen measurably. Moreover, the outside observers who were shown the photographs of the men, judged them to be significantly younger than those in the control group. In other words, the aging process had in some degree, been reversed.

 

In her new book, Counterclockwise, Dr. Langer argues that people in general are all victims of society’s stereotypes about aging and health; that one mindlessly accepts negative cultural prompts about disease and old age, and these cues shape one’s self-concepts and behavior. The psychologist goes on to say that If one can unburden themselves from the negative clichés that dominate how society thinks about health and aging, one can "mindfully" open themselves to possibilities for more dynamic lives, even into old age.

Although there are obvious activities one can do to feel, look younger, and live longer, a number of studies by gerontologists and health workers have shown that one’s state of mind is one of the major factors to watch. They say that people who live long and productive lives do not feel old because they consider life worth living.

   

Positive Aspects of Growing Older

 

 One way for one to maintain a dynamic state of mind is to focus on the positive aspects of growing old; and there are many of these aspects. The following are a few among them:

  

• Every passing year brings with it added maturity to look at things in a more rational way, using
the experiences of life one has accumulated over the years.

  

• Intellectually, one is never been more capable, according to research. Indeed, problem-solving ability is said to peak during the forties and fifties, unlike when one was in their teens, twenties or thirties. So even though physiologically, the brain cells are said to be in decline, common sense and experience more than makes up the difference.

  

• One is likely to be either, more financially stable as one may be at the prime of one’s career and earning potential; or more emotionally stable or both.

In conclusion, aging has more positive aspects than negative ones, and focusing on what one has gained as one matures in age, instead of on what one has lost; seeing one’s future through optimistic eyes will minimize one’s chances of feeling old. It may even help one live longer. On the contrary, focusing on one’s physical aches and pains; regrets about the past and worries about the future, may actually shorten one’s life, and at worst, turn one’s golden age into a nightmare.

 

 References:

Wray Herbert, Newsweek “Just Say No to Aging?”, April 14, 2009

Ellen J. Langer, Ph.D. Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility, Ballantine Books, 2009