Can Optimism Lead to Better Aging?

Aging is something that every person has to deal with. As we get older, we start formulating thoughts about slowing down or taking it easy. It is pretty easy to get a bad attitude towards aging. However, positive thoughts and optimism can go a long way in helping the transition.

How many times have you seen an elderly individual that has a bad attitude or is negative about everything? I am sure we can all recall someone of that character. Did you ever wonder why some older folks are fun to be around and yet others are not?

I remember Mr. Potter from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life." Mr. Potter is a cantankerous old man in the movie that never appears to be happy except when someone is down on their luck. He sort of gives elderly people a bad reputation.

Dr. Weil wrote a book called "Healthy Aging." To help lessen your risk towards age-related illnesses and disease, he believes you should try to steer away from negative ideas about aging. You should be more optimistic and substitute positive ideas for negative ideas.

The University of California at San Deigo School of Medicine did a survey of 500 Senior Citizens aged 60 to 98. They simply asked if they felt they were aging successfully. How they were adapting to the aging process? And whether they had control over their lives. They asked the individuals to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how they were aging successfully. When the researchers compared the survey, they found that optimism and coping styles were more important to the aging process than physical health. They also found that those with a more positive attitude were not only healthier but more active.

Dr. Weil suggests a few techniques to help substitute positive ideas for negative thoughts. First, learn to identify habitual thoughts and images that make you feel sad or anxious, particularly those related to aging. Second, Practice substituting positive thoughts for negative images or thoughts. Third, spend more time with people that have a positive attitude towards aging.