Sure, you’ve embraced the ethos of mind over matter time and time again (after all, it’s 90 percent of being a woman). But mind over aging? According to a recent study in Psychoneuroendocrinology, women’s anxiety about getting older, particularly the prospect of fading health, can dial up inflammation and increase aging biomarkers that affect everything from memory to cardiovascular health. But the reverse is also true—separate research suggests that a positive outlook on aging may keep you healthier over time.
Fascinated by this concrete mind-body connection, we asked a top expert to explain just how aging anxiety affects us physically. Discover the simple, study-backed steps we can all take to increase our longevity and age with grace and grit.
What the science says about ‘aging anxiety’ and health
The study showed that worrying about getting older is a bit like pouring lighter fluid on the aging process, leaving its mark at the cellular level. “This result sounds very consistent with the research I do—how age beliefs that the culture holds can directly impact older people and their health and longevity,” says Becca R. Levy, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and professor of psychology at Yale University, who was not involved in the study and is the leading authority on how beliefs about aging influence health.
“We found that the age beliefs we take in from society can have a number of health impacts, including physical, cognitive and mental,” she explains. One of the most fascinating findings from her research is that this effect works both ways: “When people internalize more negative age stereotypes, it’s associated with worse health outcomes, while embracing more positive beliefs about aging is linked to benefits.”
You can change your outlook—and health
It’s not a scientific stretch, then, to say that our perspective on aging can influence how healthy we are with each passing birthday. Even better news? “These age attitudes can change—they’re not set in stone. We can have an impact on them and convert them from more negative views to more positive ones,” assures Levy. In short, we think therefore we thrive.
Levy studied a range of international cultures and American subcultures—including the Deaf community, which tends to have more positive views on aging, thanks in part to its intergenerational ethos that embraces older members. One of her biggest takeaways is that people in mainland China, who tend to hold especially positive views of aging, also demonstrated the strongest memory performance. Her work also suggests that positive attitudes toward aging may confer cardiovascular benefits.
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The ABCs of healthy aging
So how do we actually curb our fears about getting older to reap the benefits of better physical and mental health? To help us do just that, for her book Breaking the Age Code: How Your Age Beliefs Determine How Long and Well You Live, Levy created the ABC Method, an evidence-based technique for reinforcing positive attitudes about age and overcoming negative ones. “The acronym stands for awareness, blame (as in placing it where it’s due, not on aging itself) and challenge (negative beliefs),” she explains. Here’s how to practice the empowering ABC Method:
Awareness
“The first part, awareness, is about helping people recognize the age beliefs they hold and where they come from,” she explains. “Many of us absorb negative or positive messages from cultural sources like advertisements or social media without even realizing it. This strategy encourages you to identify those beliefs, reflect on them and begin reinforcing the positive ones.”
The simple ABC exercise: Just getting a little curious and asking yourself where a negative bias may be coming from, be it society at large or messages from your past, can help you tap awareness and begin to question negative stereotypes about getting older. (Need a little positive inspiration? Woman’s World is all about celebrating the joyful side of life, including aging. Check out our empowering healthy aging advice to help you feel your best for years to come.)
Blame
The second step, blame, is about shifting where you place responsibility for aging-related challenges. “It’s very easy for people to attribute challenges to aging itself rather than to the ageist messages or societal biases they’re facing,” says Levy.
The simple ABC exercise: “We encourage people to reflect on something that’s happened to them or someone they know [like being forced into retirement when they want to work] and ask: ‘Could the cause be ageism?’” she urges. “Could it be something in the environment that can be changed, rather than just assuming ‘this is old age’? Of course, some changes are due to biological or medical factors, but others stem from ageism and societal forces that can be addressed.”
Placing blame where it deserves helps us internalize more positive beliefs about aging, and by extension, chip away at societal biases, she adds.
Challenge
“We did a study where we found that when we promoted and reinforced positive age beliefs, people experienced improvements in strength and physical function,” notes Levy. That’s especially great news, as study after study finds that guarding against frailty is critical to ensuring a longer, healthier life.
The simple ABC exercise: A powerful way to reinforce positive perceptions about aging is to create a list of diverse role models—people you respect for qualities you’d like to strengthen in yourself. “This exercise is especially helpful because many people already have positive examples in mind, whether from their own lives or from culture, books or even someone like a childhood teacher,” she observes.
“The idea is to pause and really think about these individuals, identify the qualities you most admire—from compassion to wisdom—and consider how you might cultivate those same traits in yourself.”
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The bottom line on adopting a healthy aging mindset
While it’s no doubt still challenging to shift our views on aging away from anxiety and toward positivity, hope is on the horizon, assures Levy. “There’s a global campaign to combat ageism that the World Health Organization launched a few years ago, so there are efforts underway to address it on both national and global levels. It’s a slow process because negative views are deeply embedded in society, but positive change starts with awareness. Changing our own perspective on aging can boost our health, our longevity and our happiness.”
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More on healthy aging:
7 Simple Healthy Aging Tips Doctors Swear by To Help You Live Longer—Starting Now
Healthy Aging Made Easy: Reduce Your Risk of Stroke, Dementia and More
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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.