How a Positive Attitude Helps You Age Well

Aging well means more than just eating right and exercising. Adopting a positive outlook on life can also help. Research shows the power of positive thinking can play a role in everything from how you feel about growing older to how well you age.

6 Ways to Adopt a More Positive Outlook on Life

The start of a new year provides you with an ideal opportunity to adopt a more positive outlook on life and aging. Here are a few ways you can do so.

1. Morning inspiration: Start the day off right by taking a few minutes to read or do something that inspires you. Read a morning devotional or a few funny stories from a joke book. You could also consider meditation or yoga. The goal is to begin your day in a positive, productive manner.
2. Monitor your self-talk: Allowing negative self-talk can play a role in how well you age, too. When you feel your thoughts becoming self-critical or negative, try to focus on something more positive. It might help to have a word or phrase you use to stay positive when you are feeling stressed or down. Phrases like “this too shall pass” or “count your blessings” can help you refocus negative energy.
3. Mind-body exercise: Some types of exercise offer more than physical fitness benefits. Yoga, swimming, Pilates, and tai chi have positive mental health benefits, too. Working one or more of these into your weekly schedule can help you maintain a more positive outlook on life.
4. Volunteer for a charitable organization: Volunteering your time to an organization you believe in can help you find meaning and purpose during retirement years. Research shows that older volunteers reap many health benefits—including better cognitive health and lower rates of depression—from charitable work.
5. Laugh every day: The adage that “laughter is the best medicine” is actually backed by scientific evidence. Making time to laugh every day can help lift the spirits. A lunch out with friends, an evening enjoying your favorite sitcom, or even funny cat videos on the internet can make you feel happier.
6. Evening journaling: End your day by making a list of things that you are grateful for. No matter how big or small, documenting it will help reinforce how much you have to be grateful for every day.

One final suggestion is to consider adopting a pet. Pets offer seniors a variety of health benefits ranging from lower stress to better heart health. 

Source: SunriseSeniorLiving.com