Positive Thinking: The Secret to Slowing Down Aging and Living Healthier

Time swiftly passes, and we become more depressed as we age. However, thinking “I am old” accelerates our aging process and negatively impacts our health. On the contrary, thinking “I am still young” slows down aging and positively affects our bodies.

Robert Stawski, a Ph.D. in Social and Behavioral Health Sciences at Oregon State University in the US, has presented research suggesting that the more often we think “I am old,” the faster we age.

The research team surveyed 105 people aged 52 to 88 about their attitudes towards aging and asked them to report on various physical symptoms, such as stress levels, fatigue, and pain, for 100 days. As a result, those who often thought they were old and had a negative view of aging experienced more stressful days and more severe pain.

Similar research results have been found in Korea. A team led by Professor Oh Young Sam of the Department of Public Administration at Pukyong National University asked 9,653 people aged 65 to 84 whether they thought they were old and then checked their health status. It turned out that those who thought they were old had worse health conditions.

This is because perceived excessive stress hurts the body, and thinking of oneself as elderly can lead to a more dependent and passive mindset.

On the contrary, focusing on what you have rather than what you’ve lost due to your age can slow down aging. As we age, we gain more experiences, our thoughts deepen, and our tension decreases, among other positive changes.

Additionally, those who think they are younger than their actual age have been shown to recover from illnesses faster.

A research team at Bar-Ilan University in Israel conducted a study on 194 patients aged 73 to 84 who were recovering from osteoporotic fractures or strokes at a rehabilitation facility. Those who thought they were younger than their actual age had better rehabilitation outcomes than those who did not.

The research team speculated that patients who think their bodies are younger than they are tend to put more effort into recovery. The team stated, “Thinking you are younger than your actual age helps you recover from illness successfully.”

Moreover, thinking “I am younger than my age” also aids in getting a good night’s sleep. A neurology research team from Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital surveyed 2,349 adults about their subjective age, sleep indices, and patterns over four weeks. The results showed that those who felt older than their actual age had poorer sleep quality compared to the other two groups.

Particularly, if you feel your subjective age is 9% or older than your actual age, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (higher scores indicate lower sleep quality) increases by more than 1.7 times, indicating a decrease in sleep quality.

From now on, instead of feeling sad about getting older, why not maintain the mindset “I am still young” and live a positive and challenging life?