Do you ‘feel’ younger than you actually are?
If you answer yes then, according to a University College London study published at the end of last year, you will live longer than people who are your age but ‘feel’ older.
Good news I expect? It was for me at least.
The study says we control this ability to live longer because it is all in our heads; and this is backed up by numerous other studies.
These UK researchers used data from a long term study on ageing which included 6,489 individuals. They asked them if they felt their actual age, or older, or three to four years younger. [Interestingly, the average chronological age of the group was 65.8 years while the average self-perceived age was 56.8 years.]
After 99 months (just over 8 years), the researchers went back and checked how these people were going. They found that those who said they felt older than their actual age were 41 per cent more likely to have died than those who said they felt younger.
One of the authors – Professor Andrew Steptoe, who is director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London – said they investigated a whole lot of factors that could have influenced or contributed to the result – things like illness, mobility problems, lifestyle, smoking and depression – that might make a person feel older than they are. But none of these fully explained the relationship they found.
The researchers admit they don’t understand all the mechanisms involved but they have concluded that if you feel younger, you feel in control and you live longer. They call it a sense of ‘mastery’ – which gives you a sense of greater resilience and a greater will to live. Sounds logical – and good.
The real lesson is don’t stop doing stuff, especially if it is looking after ourselves and others.
Flattery will get you everywhere
Strengthening the point, a French study published in The Journals of Gerontology in 2013 shows that receiving a compliment about your age can make you stronger.
In this study, 49 people aged between 52 and 91 were asked to do a hand strength test.
Half were told that they were stronger than 80 per cent of people in their age group. Then they were tested again – and guess what? The ones who received the compliment did better. Their strength actually increased. The other 50 per cent of people who were not told their strength was better than 80 per cent of people in their age group had no change in their strength.
The only explanation? It’s all in our head.
So what is the message in all this?
The real lesson is don’t stop doing stuff, especially if it is looking after ourselves and others. It’s a close relative of the ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy.
Many of the researchers in this area use the term, ‘mastery’ – meaning our sense of feeling that we are in control of our lives and our own world. Masters of our own destiny.
As soon as we let someone else do things for us, we lose some of that control. It’s a concept that is behind much of the new thinking around government supported care services and ‘consumer directed care’ where the emphasis is shifting from the premise of how can we ‘do something for’ someone who is experiencing difficulties to how can we ‘assist someone to gain or regain skills and abilities or otherwise retain control of their world’.
For example, after some surgery or a fall, you don’t give just up on your housework or walking the dog and get someone else to take it over. Aim to get back to it. Get the rehab or other help you need to get you active again, so you can get back at least some of that control and remain as independent as you are able to, for as long as you are able to.
The research buzz word is ‘reablement’ but the concept isn’t rocket science.
Perhaps Government should offer more incentives to us to regain our mastery and even make it harder for us to stop doing stuff for ourselves.
And here’s a question: should limits be placed on the things that Home Care packages cover under Consumer Directed Care? They could be doing us a favour.
What do you think?
Main photo: The Glen Goldies – “a group of entertainers who live in a fairly small town called Ferntree Gully nestled at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, approx 30 kms from Melbourne’s CBD. The group members reside at Glengollan Village, a not for profit, stand-alone facility founded in the 1950’s. The members either reside in the aged care facility or in the retirement village. The group have been together for only 3 years and their ages range from 73 – 90 years old and meet weekly to rehearse with their volunteer coordinator, Vicki. The Glen Goldies have only performed publicly a couple of times at local community events.” Eight members of the group opened Day 3 of the ACSA (Aged and Community Services Australia) 2013 National Conference. Click here to watch the Glen Goldies’ performance. Photo by Richard O’Leary of Event Photography.
