How can sitting still make me age well?

Why mindfulness can help us make the most out of growing older

Jul 28, 2022

We are getting older, and the demographic of the world is changing like never before. How are we as individuals going to live those extra 30 years we have been given and how is the world going to cope with all us senior people? Sitting still and do nothing! My answer is a bit unconventional and provocative – and it is certainly not the only thing we need to do. But please hear me out why it is a great start.

Mindfulness is the ability to be 100% in the moment and do nothing else but be present. When we do this on a regular basis, we start to get an awareness of ourselves, our patterns of behavior, the things we tell ourselves and how we interact with the world around us. From this awareness arises a new freedom to act and respond to the challenges of life and age in more appropriate ways.

I write this from my own experience as a mindfulness teacher and personal mindfulness practitioner, but I am backed up by science. In the last 20 years mindfulness has received an increasing level of interest due to a wide range of observed benefits. Previous studies indicate that mindfulness amongst other things can help reduce stress and worry[i], improve mental health,[ii] sleep,[iii], awareness, self-efficacy[iv] cognitive functioning, psychological well-being, reduce loneliness and systemic inflammation[v] and depressive feelings[vi]. Although most research into mindfulness has targeted young or middle-aged adults, the benefits, I just mentioned, are highly applicable to older individuals, who are dealing with a large range of potentially stressful financial, mental, social, emotional, and physical challenges[vii].

My own research supports this. I recently went back to university and pursued a Master of Vitality and Ageing at Leiden University. During my thesis I created, taught and researched an 8- week digital Mindfulness Based Vitality and Ageing (MBVA) pilot course. A group of international individuals aged 55-74 participated and reported afterwards that mindfulness gave them a new mental flexible, that allows them to set and achieve goals that are appropriate. Instead of growling over what they can no longer do, they are able to appreciate what they can do and find ways to adapt to the losses. They also found that the habit of pausing and become aware of thoughts, body sensations and emotions has given them a better way to meet the challenges they meet with acceptance and self-compassion. They consider this an ability that will allow them to continue living their lives to the fullest and to prepare for further anticipated age-related challenges to come. If you are interested, you can read more about the study and download the research report from my website

Taking the time to sit still on a regular basis will not only benefit our own wellbeing but also the greater good of the world we live in. Currently the world is suffering greatly from ageism. Stereotypical views of what it means to be over 50, limit the options for the people over 50. Furthermore, we are also internalizing this cultural narrative and thereby missing out of opportunities of making the best of our ageing lives. Mindfulness can help us become aware of the age-bias, and help us change the way we treat each other and what we tell ourselves. By stepping out of automatic pilot, we will allow ourselves to stay active and engaged for longer. We will be able to contribute more and for longer and we will probably also cost less in terms of health care.

The Standford Center of Longevity states on their website: “The 100-year-old life is here. We are not ready for it”[viii]. I agree, there is a long way to go for us to tacke this ”most profound transformations of the human experience”, as Standford Center of Longevity calls it. With this Newsletter – and upcoming book, I hope you will join me in exploring how we can contribute through an inner transformation.

Do you have any experience with mindfulness and how it has helped you cope with the challenges that comes with ageing? Please let me know.

AgeingUpwards

How can sitting still make me age well?

Why mindfulness can help us make the most out of growing older