had ever done research on the chronically stressed, and especially on caregivers such as moms who had very ill or disabled children. The research, not surprisingly indicated a strong correlation between stress and aging. Blackburn and Epel discovered more: they found that some moms were more resilient to the chronic stress of caregiving. It seems that these parents had framed their reactions in a “challenge response,” rather than a stress response. In a stress response, one feels hopeless. In a challenge response, the existing situation or condition is seen as a temporary setback. These mothers reacted with what is known as a challenge response and showed that people have the power to impact our telomeres even when under stress.
Another study looked at caregivers of relatives with dementia. Those caregivers that meditated for twelve minutes a day for two months, compared to a control group who did not meditate had a 43 percent boost in telomerase. “I have the power to impact my telomeres and I also have the power to impact yours,” said the Nobel Prize-winning Blackburn. The power of the mind and our interconnectedness is part of the aging process. Learning how we can skillfully harness our thoughts and perceptions on stress affects our health and how we age.
Many studies have shown that negative age stereotypes also have an adverse effect on health. Subliminal exposure to negative age stereotypes affect memory, handwriting skills, and gait. A 2016 study showed that older adults with “negative age stereotypes had greater loss in hippocampal volume and other higher predictive biomarkers for Alzheimer’s.” Another study showed that intervening and shifting negative age-related stereotypes to more positive stereotypes initiated a cascade of positive effects including improved physical function.
Dancing the Cha Cha
If it was that easy to be positive everyone would be doing it. If life is a dance, it is like the Cha Cha. Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. You can focus on the back steps, or any missteps, or stay intent on the dance itself. Sometimes in life things get “worse”: you may miss a step, have a setback or illness, or lose someone you love. As in a dance, you could fall or accidentally trip our partners. Positivity is not about pretending that none of these things happened or not feeling the feelings around what happened. Positivity is about continuing to dance and looking for the good in each moment. It will be harder in life than in a dance, yet research and common sense suggest a resilient outlook will help you age well. I call it “seeing the world through mindful rose-colored glasses.”
Rare Bird
American businesswoman, designer, and fashion icon Iris Apfel, ninety-six, also worked as a textile designer who specialized in historical restoration design projects including working at the White House under nine Presidents from Truman to Clinton. Age never, ever stopped her terrific sense of style and in 2005, the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art did a show about her, titled, “Rare Bird: The Irreverent Iris Apfel.” A great success, the show made Iris a fashion icon at age eighty-four. When she turned ninety, MAC launched the Iris Apfel collection, “I am the oldest broad with a makeup line,” she quipped. She has over 828,000 followers on Instagram, and she fights to proclaim a new paradigm of aging. “When they show ads about retiring, they always show these feeble people paddling canoes, playing golf, and jumping up and down on tennis courts. It’s so ridiculous. There’s lots of other things to do. You have to keep your mind active and get with it. And stay in the company of young people because they know what’s going on, at least they think they do.”
Science of Gratitude
Many studies on gratitude have shown both the positive psychological and the physical benefits as well. Robert A. Emmons, from the University of California at Davis conducted a study on gratitude in which the participants were given the task of keeping a journal. They were divided into three groups: one that had to write five positive things that happened to them in the past week, another that had to write negative experiences and hassles that occurred to them, and a third which was told to journal any event that had a significant impact on them, without being told to focus on positive or negative circumstances. The group that journaled positive things that happened during the study was reportedly 25 percent happier than the other two groups, and reported fewer health problems. Another really important finding by Philip Watkins, a clinical psychologist at Eastern Washington University, found a correlation between depression and low gratitude levels. According to this study, clinically depressed patients showed 50 percent lower levels of gratitude than a control group. In his book, Aging Well, George Vaillant states that “those who have aged most successfully are those who worry less about cholesterol and waistlines, and more about gratitude and forgiveness.”
Gratitude has been shown to balance heart rhythms and calm the nervous system. In a study with the HeartMath Institute and the US Postgraduate Naval School in California, gratitude was shown to increase levels of the anti-aging compound DHEA, a steroid produced by the adrenal glands.
Practice Tip
If you want to start practicing gratitude, begin by writing three things you are grateful for each day.
Helpful Humor
A sense of humor can help. When facing challenges, Super Agers tap into their amusement. Jean Calment, verified as the oldest living person, used to say, “I’ve only got one wrinkle, and I’m sitting on it.” Humor can be a great go-to, when you are feeling low. One teenager from Ogimi, Okinawa, told the authors of Ikigai that she loved spending time with her great-grandmother, who was 103. When her great-grandma farted, she told her great-granddaughter that a loud train was passing by the house. The granddaughter said she liked to spend time with her great-grandma because she was fun and had a good sense of humor.
As we age, the brain begins to downsize, and if positivity has not been valued in the “save” part of the brain, the brain discards positivity. You can stop or slow down cognitive decline: see Chapter 11. Authors Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles interviewed centenarians in the village where people live the longest and wrote down a few of the following quotes, which explain the long-lived villagers’ mindset: “Don’t worry,” said one centenarian. “Live an unhurried life,” prescribed another and simply, “Be Optimistic.” Having a slow, simple, and positive attitude towards life seems to be one of the secret ingredients to aging well.
Turning 100 is Cause for Celebration Around the Globe
Becoming a centenarian is an achievement recognized around the world. Find out how centenarians receive recognition around the world:
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, every centenarian receives a birthday card signed by the Queen herself, courtesy of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Japan
The Japanese government has a long-lasting tradition of gifting a sakazuki or silver cup to centenarians. Because the Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the world, the numbers of centenarians continue to rise dramatically, leaving government officials to look for a cheaper alternative. In 2009, the diameter of the sterling silver cup went from 4 inches to 3.5 inches. In 2016, the cups presented were no longer sterling silver, and instead were silver plate. Japan also holds a national public holiday, Respect for the Aged Day, on September 15. When you turn 100, you will receive a certificate from the Prime Minister on the first Respect for the Aged Day following your 100th birthday.
Barbados
In December of 2016, the country of Barbados issued a collection of stamps titled, Centenarians of Barbados. Twenty-seven centenarians were honored in this special tribute that coincided with fifty years of independence for Barbados. The stamps recognized the country’s history of both triumph and suffering and tied it to the lives of centenarians who had directly experienced fifty years under British colonial rule and then fifty years of independence.
Philippines
A law passed in 2016 insured that Filipino centenarians receive 100,000 Filipino pesos (about $2,000) and are awarded a plaque. All Filipino centenarian citizens that live in the Philippines or abroad also receive a letter from the current President of the Philippines when turning 100. The first Sunday in October is National Day of Respect for Centenarians Day.
India
India