How can you age happily?
Getting old – a blessing or a curse? While our life expectancy keeps getting longer, not everyone seems to stay happy and healthy in old age. Pathologies such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease are becoming increasingly commonplace and the elderly often end up depressed not only because of their ailments, but also because of loneliness and sometimes the less-than-ideal living conditions in retirement homes. Luckily, in the Arab world, there’s still a culture of keeping ageing parents and grandparents nearby, but that might not be enough. The good news is there are many ways to continue to enjoy life and keep a certain autonomy in your later years.
Obviously, the sooner you start preparing for old age, the greater your chances of living life to the full until the end. We all have what we call a “cognitive reserve” that is there to help us compensate for the brain deterioration associated with ageing. While genetic factors account for a large part of our cognitive reserve, there are still many ways in our power to improve it. Daily life activities such as reading, playing games or a musical instrument and dancing can strengthen our cognitive capabilities. Some professions that require high levels of complexity can also have a protective effect on our brain. Furthermore, engaging in social activities such as participating in cultural events or travelling also increases our cognitive reserve.
All these activities must of course be complemented by a healthy and active lifestyle. Eating mindfully and moving your body are essential components of healthy ageing. However, research shows that intellectual activities have a stronger protective effect on brain health than physical activities. What’s most important is to keep on learning new things, as this creates new neuronal circuits and therefore positively impacts your cognitive reserve. One last factor to take into consideration is mental health. Depression should be avoided thanks to integration in a social group and enhanced self-esteem. Healthy old people can then experience the “positivity effect”, which consists in only researching situations that increase their wellbeing – such as spending time with loved ones – as they know that the time they have left is precious.
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