People worry about all kinds of things, and as they get older, many begin to worry about how quickly their youth is slipping away. They find it difficult to accept the fact that they are no longer young and do not feel as energetic and full of life as they used to. In fact, they look in the mirror and see gray hair, wrinkles and a drooping double chin and wonder where it went all the time.
But for many, things are not as bad as they seem. Some people are actually much younger than their chronological age (the number of years they have lived). And I’m sure you’ve noticed this. They look and act years younger than they are. What this tells us is that people actually have two ages: their chronological age and their true age. And you may be one of the lucky ones with an actual age much younger than your chronological age.
How do you determine your real age? It turns out that it is affected by two numbers: what we call your biological age and your psychological age. Let’s look at each of them.
Your biological age
Your biological age is the true physical age of your body, and it is not necessarily the same as your chronological age. It is the age of the various systems that make up your body, of which two of the most important are your cardiovascular system and your respiratory system. In addition, however, it also depends on your endocrine systems (systems that produce hormones), and such things as your blood glucose level, blood pressure, and even your cholesterol levels. And perhaps most importantly, it depends on your overall strength, which in turn depends on the shape and size of your muscles.
It is well known that for the average person, their body’s major systems decrease in efficiency by about 1% per year after age 40. So at the age of 60, they are 20% less efficient. But again, this doesn’t happen to everyone. Exercise makes a big difference; It has been shown that it can reduce the rate by 50%. And of course, a proper diet, stress management, and adequate sleep also help.
Psychological age
Your psychological age is associated with your mind, and it is the part of aging that people often associate with dementia. For this we have to take into account three things:
- I forget
- Ability to learn and retain new material.
- emotional functioning
I forget
Everyone forgets things from time to time, and there is no doubt that it becomes more frequent as we get older. One of the most common things we forget is people’s names. Someone tells us his name and half an hour later we have forgotten. And if we go to another room for something, sometimes we forget what we are looking for when we get there. It’s embarrassing and sometimes we shake our heads and say to ourselves, “Ugh … another important moment.”
Everyone has these problems as they age and, in most cases, they are not serious. In fact, a recent study has shown that the “fear of memory loss” is actually worse than the loss itself. In fact, it can make you even more forgetful. So it’s best not to get upset if you forget from time to time. There are, in fact, several reasons for forgetting (apart from deterioration of the brain); among them are: stress, distraction, anxiety and worry.
Ability to learn quickly
Also important in relation to psychological aging is your ability to learn, understand and retain. Is it as good as it was before? Probably not. But that is not necessarily a problem, and it is easy to overcome to some extent. To function at its best, your brain needs a good supply of oxygen, and this may be your problem. As I mentioned earlier, the efficiency of your respiratory system (and your aerobic capacity) decreases as you age, and as a result, less oxygen reaches your brain. But there is a remedy for this. Studies have shown that exercise can significantly increase it.
You must also keep your mind active. Some of the things that help are:
- Read
- Working puzzles and crosswords
- Games that stimulate the mind
For the most part, television is not good, but there are programs that are useful.
Emotional age
Your emotional age is also part of your psychological age. It is related to things like:
- Controlling negative thoughts
- Controlling your temper
- Managing stress
- get along with people
Strangely, this is a place where older people often do better than their younger counterparts. A galloping survey of 340,000 people conducted a few years ago shows the following interesting results:
- Age of greatest stress: 25 – 35
- Stress levels generally drop after 50
- Happiness is generally highest in the late 60s and early 70s (relatively high in young people too)
- Age less prone to negative thoughts: 70’s and 80’s
What are older people worried about?
Let’s look at some of the things:
- Loss of attractiveness (hair loss, wrinkles, weight gain)
- Fear of disease (heart disease, cancer, etc.)
- Loneliness
- Loss of freedom
- Death
Do they look familiar? Yes, any of these things are possible as you age, but they are not. inevitable, and they do not happen only to the elderly; they can happen to anyone. There is no question that diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s are more common in older people. But there are steps you can take to lower your chances of getting them. You should do what you can to lessen your chances of getting any of the above and leaving it at that. Don’t worry about them … but how do you stop worrying?
How to stop worrying
So what do we do? Start by remembering the old saying, “age is just a number.” Take it to heart. The only thing that really matters is how old you are feel. In fact, a 23-year study at the universities of Miami and Yale showed that people who had a positive perception of aging (and accepted who they were) lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those who did not.
How you feel about your age makes a huge difference to your health, happiness, and even your longevity. Aging is part of life, and as such it is something you have to learn to accept. Worry will only make it worse. Instead, focus on the things you enjoy. Look for new adventures; Stay busy with the things you like to do. Focus on them, not your lack of youth. Try not to even think about it. A positive attitude is critical and this means that whenever negative thoughts enter your mind, you must get rid of them immediately. Substitute a positive thought for them.
Acting young also helps (but don’t overdo it). In fact, acting and feeling young actually makes you look younger. And it is important to remember that you will feel younger if you practice the four main things that will extend your life:
- Exercise (30 to 40 minutes a day)
- Reduce stress
- Food and adequate nutrition (eat less and better)
- Get enough sleep.
Other things that also help are:
- Get out there and socialize
- Music (singing, playing a musical instrument, or just listening)