How to nurture the right mindset for living to 100

“I am 87 years old. I don’t feel 87, I don’t think I’m 87,” said Elaine Neuwirth on Tiktok. “The most important thing is to get involved … interact with other people … have a goal. Raise yourself and move … are part of the world. “

His words, now seen by 3.6 million people and count, capture the growing scientific consensus that it is not enough to eat well and exercise regularly: to live a long life, you must also feed your psychological well-being. And although you cannot go beyond a life of poor food choices and a sedentary lifestyle, there is evidence suggesting that it is never too late to take advantage of the advantages of making psychological adjustments.

Let’s start with your relationships. To understand their importance, turn to the longest in-depth study of human life never carried out, Harvard’s study of adult development. Since 1938, he has followed 724 boys and young men, and more than 1,300 of their descendants, to identify what is flourishing, both physically and mentally.

Mark Schultz, associate director of the study, says that a thing stands out: high quality relationships. It turns out that social ties are powerful predictors of late health and well-being. For example, an analysis of the study data has shown that men who have more positive social relationships and are more involved in their community during the quarantine have a lower risk of depression and better cognition at the end of life.

“The people we are close to helping us find solutions to problems; They help us to regulate difficult emotions, ”explains Schultz. “The simple fact of being near people calms the body importantly.” Indeed, close relationships positively affect our hormones, our immune systems and even the way our genes are expressed.

Impact of the immune system

When people are in good relationships, their injuries literally heal more quickly. Several studies published in the past year indicate why. They show, for example, that having closer friends is associated with a stronger immune system in general and a greater proportion of cells that delay immune aging – suggesting that sociability can help make the immune system more powerful and younger.

Having narrow friendships also seems to modify the activity of genes responsible for cellular aging and several of the systems that help our body to face stress. And as chronic stress is a known engine of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and many other conditions, these effects can be significant in the long term. For example, an analysis of 148 different studies on the links between social connectivity and longevity revealed that an increase in increased survival of 50% for participants with stronger social relationships.

But how many relationships are sufficient? “If you have no one who has your back, then go from scratch to a bringing huge gains,” explains Schultz, “but the literature is quite consistent that larger networks are associated with better health.”

The social network

A useful test, he says, is to ask you who would call if you wake up sick or frightened at night. If no one comes to my mind, you may risk loneliness, an engine of depression, heart disease and cognitive decline. Loneliness is so bad for our health that its influence on early death is greater than that of obesity.

“The emotional pain resulting from loneliness can produce the same response to stress as chronic medical condition and thus cause chronic inflammation and reduced immunity,” explains Ashwini Nadkarni at the Harvard Medical School. “This is why improving a sense of community can be so important during aging.”

The good news is that the fight against loneliness does not require professional help. Clinical psychologist Katherine Schafer at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee recommends two steps: finding a way to contribute to someone else’s life and let others contribute to Vôtre. “Start super small. Have you seen a new parent drop a shoe for toddlers? Take the shoe and give it back to the parent. You have a positive impact on someone, ”she says. “Letting people do the same for you, and taking into account the way they cared, can have a big impact and lead to links – the antidote to loneliness.”

In addition to keeping your social relationships, you may also want to consider your objective of the objective. Yes, it can make a non -scientific Woo, but there is an increasing consensus that is – something that gives your direction or makes it significant – can keep you alive longer.

The goal is associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease and overall mortality. The mechanisms have not yet been elucidated, but it is supposed that the goal reduces stress levels and motivates people to present healthier behavior. If this does not naturally come, however, find a goal later in life can a difference?

In 2022, Eric Kim at the University of British Columbia in Canada and his colleagues decided to respond to this by analyzing data of nearly 13,000 American adults over 50. Participants had their sense of objective and health measured over eight years. Those who found more purposes in life during this period had higher physical activity, fewer sleep problems and a reduced risk of stroke and overall mortality.

Good attitude

He can also help try to fight against any negative attitude that you have about aging itself. A study in 2022 of nearly 14,000 American adults over the age of 50 revealed that those who felt the most positive about aging had a risk of 43% death of any cause over four years compared to those who felt the least positive.

Other studies have shown the influence of state of mind on health: moving away from negative thoughts can reduce chronic stress, while becoming optimistic can decrease your risk of heart disease.

Stacking the chances in favor of a long and healthy life would always require efforts. Thus, alongside the diet and the exercise, do not forget to feed your psychological well-being. Call a friend, kiss aging and think about what is really precious. As Neuwirth says, get up and are part of the world. It could well help you stay there longer.