Can having your mind in the right place improve your health? It can’t hurt.
We’re living longer, but we aren’t always prepared for what lies ahead. It’s easy to become disillusioned as new aches and pains crop up or our body doesn’t work like it used to. But just as we exercise and eat right to keep our body in shape and maintain mobility and vigor, the same goes for our mind. There are ways we can prepare for a happy and high-quality retirement.1
For some, the key is to set a goal. Even if you don’t reach it, getting up every morning and looking forward to working on that objective is incentive to stay healthy and positive. For example, centenarian Orville Rogers still competes in track meets all over the country. His secret: “Some people think I run because I can, but that’s backward. I can because I do.”2
Of course, a longer life means planning for a longer retirement. Don’t let concerns about retirement income planning add stress to your life. If you’d like some assistance in assessing your retirement income strategy and how insurance products may fit into that strategy, we’re here to help.
While sleep, nutrition and exercise all contribute to good health as we age, scientific research has found that intimate, loving relationships are also key to a fulfilling life. Alan Mulally, former president and CEO of Ford Motor Co., lives by the edict his mother taught him as a child: “The purpose of life is to love and be loved.”3
We each may have a different purpose in life. On the island of Okinawa, Japan, a community of long-living residents calls this “ikigai.” The philosophy is based on the idea that a person’s passions in life are unique, not universal. There is no one “secret formula” for living a long and happy life. The residents believe that if you do what you love, you will live longer. Even as you grow older and your body changes, your ikigai drives happiness and quality of life.4
While it’s sometimes easy to dwell on the negative, it’s important to focus on the positives that come with aging – self-knowledge, contentment, wisdom about the ways of the world. By focusing on what we have gained, rather than what we have lost, it’s possible to develop a more positive view of ourselves at any age.5
Plus, a positive outlook may do more than just give us a higher quality of life. A recent study found that focusing on a purposeful goal – one that requires cognitive skills such as creative thinking, analysis, decision-making and problem-solving – may even be protective against declines in memory and comprehension.6
Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.
1 Mick Ukleja. Success.com. April 6, 2018. “5 Attitudes For Aging Gracefully.” https://www.success.com/5-attitudes-for-aging-gracefully/. Accessed Nov. 27, 2018.
2 Chris Chavez. MSN.com. Oct. 22, 2018. “100-year-old Track Star Orville Rogers Featured on Cover of Money.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/100-year-old-track-star-orville-rogers-featured-on-cover-of-money/ar-BBOJ819. Accessed Dec. 6, 2018.
3 Melanie Curtin. Inc. Sept. 18, 2018. “In Just 10 Words, This Former CEO of a Billion-Dollar Company Explains the Purpose of Life.” https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/in-just-10-words-this-former-ceo-of-a-billion-dollar-company-explains-purpose-of-life.html?cid=sf01001. Accessed Nov. 27, 2018.
4 David G. Allan. CNN. Nov. 12, 2018. “Do what you love and live longer, the Japanese ikigai philosophy says.” https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/12/health/ikigai-longevity-happiness-living-to-100-wisdom-project/index.html. Accessed Nov. 27, 2018.
5 Lawrence R. Samuel. Psychology Today. March 3, 2017. “The Joy of Aging.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/boomers-30/201703/the-joy-aging. Accessed Nov. 27, 2018.
6 Susan McQuillan. Psychology Today. Feb. 7, 2018. “Research Shows Promise for Aging Brains.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cravings/201802/research-shows-promise-aging-brains. Accessed Nov. 27, 2018.
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