Believing Myths About Aging Makes Growing Old Worse

In this study, a positive mindset toward aging—meaning, “I’m excited about the possibilities in the second half of my life, and I believe my best days are ahead of me”—translated into an extra eight years of healthy longevity. Nor is this just a one-off result. This finding shows up again and again, and is now one of the most well-established facts in the field. The implications? Changing your mindset toward aging has as much impact on longevity as quitting smoking, and more impact than losing weight, even if you’re obese. And this matters—a lot. If you treat people in their later years—including yourself—as if they’re old, slow and decrepit, this has a direct negative impact on their mental and physical well-being. Yale University psychologist Becca Levy discovered that people subjected to negative stereotypes around aging in their twenties, thirties and forties—by the time they reach their sixties—exhibited a thirty percent greater decline in memory than controls. All of this is to say, believing in these myths about aging? Turns out, that actually ages us faster.
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized freelance Source Type: news