HEALTHY AGING AND AGING FACTORS

Not surprisingly, there are healthy and unhealthy aging factors. Unlike previous generations who really did not have a good idea about aging factors, today we are much more aware of both factors—the positive and the negative aging factors. We also know both the internal and the external factors. Externally, there are numerous negative aging factors, things that cause us to age more quickly—the lack of exercise, smoking, too much drinking, junk food, obesity, etc. For the external positive aging factors—regular exercise, moderate eating, managing blood pressure and weight, etc. These external factors are obviously important. In fact, they are critical.

Since I have already addressed some of these external factors, I want to here focus on the even more importance of the internal aging factors. And again, both the negative and positive factors. Negatively we know that any sustained negative emotional state will function to cause you to age more quickly and problematically. If you want a formula for growing old faster, then live in the negative emotions. If you live in stress and anxiety, if you live with a pessimism attitude, or in depression, loneliness, anger, fearfulness, regrets, self-criticism, despair about getting old, etc., you are giving yourself a strong negative dose of unhealthy aging. You will much more quickly grow old beyond your years.

Do you know this? I bet you do, at least intellectually. But the Neuro-Semantic question is: Do you “know” this in the way you live? Or do you allow yourself to bask in fear or worry or anger or any of the other negative emotions? Now if you claim, “I can’t help it; negative things have happened, what am I suppose to feel about that? Happy?” then obviously your emotions have you rather than you having them. What’s needed is the development of emotional intelligence so that you can take control.

Similarly, if you are getting inadequate sleep, you thereby are decreasing your resistance to illness, lowering the effectiveness of your immune system, and setting yourself up for more of the negative emotional states. If you give yourself to all sorts of worries, financial, health, relationships, etc., you again increase your negative stress which weakens your immune system. If you keep pushing yourself with things to do so that your stress level stays high, so will your blood pressure and your chance for strokes, heart attacks, etc.

All of that is the negative side of things. Those are the obvious negative aging factors and the truth is that you can do something about them. You are not helpless in addressing these things, but it does take a commitment to your well-being and a willingness to take action. It may take some coaching sessions to get a hold on how you are the meaning-maker who creates your emotions and who is tolerating negative emotions states.

Now for the positive aging factors. These are also well known and there’s really no secret about them. For example, the more you access and live from a calm, relaxed and optimistic state, the better your health and well-being. The more you live from the state of acceptance and appreciation, the more you can thrill in the simple pleasures of life and feel gratitude every day, the better your overall well-being and health.

All of that will make you more robustly resilient, flexible, and adaptable to life changes and challenges. All of these will help you to operate from a positive self-image so that you can keep your youthful enthusiasm and a strong will to live. These are all positive aging factors. So also is living in a way that you create loving relationships with family and friends. Living in the here- and-now so that you don’t miss today. Develop a daily routine to elicit within yourself a sense of being in control in your life. Additionally, you will want to creatively learn how to live within your means.

Does that seem like a lot of work? Personally I don’t think so. Instead of ‘work,’ I think of it as requiring a lot of mindfulness. But then again, living mindfully and intentionally is the key to living more healthily and aging healthily.