We were so young, I felt, and why should we waste that youth focused on what was already behind us? After all, right at that moment we were the youngest we would ever be. My 20s were miles better than my teens — more expansive, less cloistered — and my 30s better than my 20s. I became more confident in my 30s, I got into therapy and dealt with years of childhood trauma, I learned to communicate my needs and be more mindful of the needs of others.

But at a certain point, the notion of what life will be like in a couple of decades starts to feel more real, and then I start to reflect more on what my current choices mean for that future me.

I look back and wonder what my work-hard-play-hard 20s mean for me now. Could I have had a healthier body today if I had been kinder to it when I was younger?

And could being gentler now give me more joy and freedom in the future? The only way to age and be deemed acceptable is to have lucky genes or to conceal your battles against time underneath a practiced smile.

Marketers stoke our desire for youthfulness as the ticket to remaining relevant, then shame us when our efforts to preserve that youth go awry.

What if instead of seeing aging as something to defeat and conquer, we were to embrace what gets better with age, and work to amplify these joys while mitigating the losses of youth? But can we view these challenges without judgment or shame and instead look for joyful ways to navigate them?

These walks were only 15 minutes long, once a week, and are low impact, so this is an easy way to create more joy in daily life as we age. Practiced joyspotters well know the power of attending to joyful stimuli in the environment to boost mood.

This study suggests that tuning our attention specifically to things that invoke wonder and awe can have measurable benefits, especially for older adults. A study of more than 12, people Sweden found that attending cultural events correlated with increased survival, while people who rarely attended cultural events had a higher risk of mortality.

Since then, a raft of studies a good summary of them here has affirmed that people who participate in social activities such as attending church, going to the movies, playing cards or bingo, or going to restaurants or sporting events is linked with decreased mortality among older adults.

One reason may be that these activities increase social connection, deepen relationships, and reinforce feelings of belonging, which are positively associated with well-being.

Cultural activities also help keep the mind sharp. While the pandemic has made this one challenging, as things start to open up again, getting a culture fix can be an easy way to age joyfully.

Enriching your environment with color, art, plants and other sensorially stimulating elements may be a worthwhile investment not just for protecting your mind as you age, but also your joy.

One of the most talked-about parts of my TED Talk is when I describe my experience spending a night at the wildly colorful Reversible Destiny Lofts , an apartment building designed by the artist Arakawa and the poet Madeline Gins, who believed it could reverse aging. The idea that an apartment could reverse aging sounds farfetched, but it becomes more grounded when we look at the theory behind it.

They looked at our beige, dull interiors and imagined that these spaces would make our minds wither. And as it turns out, some early research in animals see also suggests there might be something to this. While there is some evidence to suggest that this might apply to humans as well, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not yet well understood.

That said, we do know that the acuity of our senses declines with age. The lenses of our eyes thicken and tinge more yellow, allowing less light into the eye.

Our sense of smell, taste and hearing also become less sharp. As if you needed an excuse for this one, but just in case, here you go. Why would flowers have this effect?

One reason may link to research on the attention restoration effect, which shows that the passive stimulation we find in looking at greenery helps to restore our ability to concentrate.

Perhaps improved attention also results in improved memory. Another possibility, which is pure speculation at this point, relates to the evolutionary rationale for our interest in flowers.

Because flowers eventually become fruit, it would have made sense for our ancestors to take an interest in them and remember their location.

Monitoring the locations of flowers would allow them to save time and energy when it came to finding fruiting plants later, and potentially reach the fruit before other hungry animals.

Taking it a step further, research has also shown that gardening can have mental and physical health benefits for older adults.

There were vintage radios and black-and-white TVs instead of cassette players and VHS. The books that lined the shelves were ones that were popular at the time. The magazines, TV shows, clothes and music were all throwbacks to that exact period.

They also had to participate. They were treated like they were in their 50s, rather than their 70s. They had to carry their own bags. They discussed the news and sports of 22 years earlier in the present tense.

And to preserve the illusion, there were no mirrors and no photos, except of their younger selves. Recent research shows it can also elevate your mood, help stave off chronic illnesses such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease, and add years to your life. The study also found that spending more time sitting increases your risk of death.

Shadyab, who studies aging and longevity at the University of California, San Diego. Smart advice: Aim for 30 minutes of activity about five days a week, but keep in mind that even a few minutes of physical activity can make a difference.

Try to incorporate weight-bearing exercise such as strength training, as well as walking, hiking, climbing stairs, tennis, pickleball and dancing to help keep your bones strong. To increase accountability and make an activity more fun, Powers suggests scheduling it with a friend.

Privacy Policy. A slew of research shows that the Mediterranean diet is the gold standard when it comes to eating for health and longevity, says neuropsychologist Karen Miller, senior director of the Brain Wellness and Lifestyle Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, Calif.

A study published in PLOS Medicine found that switching to a Mediterranean diet from the typical Western diet can add years to your life — and the earlier you adopt it, the more benefit you gain. If you start eating the Mediterranean way at age 60, you can expect to live about eight years longer, the study found.

If you adopt the diet at age 80, the study found it still increases life expectancy on average by 3. Target Optical. Other studies show the Mediterranean diet protects your heart, lowers your risk of cancer and diabetes and slows cognitive decline. Smart advice: Focus on eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and legumes.

Use healthy fats like olive oil instead of butter or vegetable oil, and swap out beef for fish. For the biggest benefit, Miller suggests trying to get at least five servings of vegetables per day, in addition to two to three servings of fruit. Mix some spinach into scrambled eggs, stuff some beans and tomatoes into a breakfast burrito or stack some asparagus spears on avocado toast.

For example, a JAMA Network Open study of nearly 7, adults found that those who scored highest on a scale that measured "life purpose" were less likely to die over a four-year period compared with those who scored lower. Researchers believe engaging in activities that matter to you may lower your stress level, reducing body inflammation that is linked to cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

To practice what she preaches, Allison, who is in her 50s, said she recently started playing the flute again and then joined a flute choir in San Francisco. So it pulls everything together. It can be an individual activity such as gardening, a social activity like joining your neighbor for a walk every day, volunteering or taking care of the people you love, she says.

Many meaningful activities offer an opportunity to build social connections, learn a new skill or serve the community — all of which are also linked to aging well.

It also raises your risk for chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. Sleep gives your body time to remove toxins from your brain and repair damaged neural connections.

Surveys show that as many as 50 percent of older adults struggle with sleep problems. Smart advice: If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evenings, and limit screen time right before bed. Keep your bedroom dark and cool.

And try to wake up and go to bed at roughly the same time every night. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Studies show people who are optimistic tend to live longer, happier and healthier lives than those who have a negative outlook.

Batsis, associate professor in the division of geriatric medicine at the UNC School of Medicine. I have others in late 80s who feel young. Having a positive outlook, having things to look forward to, really promotes wellbeing and quality of life. Having a positive attitude about aging has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia and increase your lifespan by about seven and a half years, Selig says.

Smart advice: You can cultivate optimism by challenging negative self-talk and making gratitude a daily practice, perhaps by keeping a gratitude journal. Volunteering in the community can also help, by making you feel connected and useful, giving you a sense of fulfillment and a more positive outlook.

To change your views on aging, take note of the older people in your life you admire, and pay attention to positive portrayals of older adults in the media, Selig suggests. Also, identify and challenge ageist stereotypes when you see them.

One study of 1, people found that those who were more conscientious were 22 percent less likely to experience cognitive impairment.

Another showed a 35 percent reduced risk of early death. Smart advice: While some people are naturally more conscientious than others, you can cultivate the trait by being diligent about putting events on your calendar, setting reminders, breaking big goals into mini goals, and planning to arrive 10 minutes early for appointments.

Losing brainpower is not an inevitable part of aging. Find that hard to believe? Consider this May study that was published in The Journals of Gerontology : Adults ages 58 to 86 were each assigned to take three to five classes in subjects including Spanish, drawing and music composition for three months.

By the midpoint of the study, they had boosted their cognitive abilities to the level of adults who were 20 to 30 years younger. People who age well constantly learn new things and challenge their brains in order to stave off cognitive decline, experts say.

That can mean taking a class at the community college, learning a new game such as chess or mah-jongg, or playing sudoku. They also take steps to reduce stress, which can create inflammation that causes cellular damage to the body and brain.

Smart advice: The Global Council on Brain Health has compiled evidence-based strategies to help prevent or delay cognitive decline. Called the six pillars of brain health , the recommendations mirror many of the habits mentioned above, such as being social, engaging in regular physical activity, getting enough sleep and eating right.

In fact, it turns out that many healthy behaviors that indicate someone is aging well are interconnected, Batsis says. You can say the same about exercise, eating right and many of the other recommendations. Discover AARP Members Only Access. Already a Member? Why Friends Are Good for Your Health and Well-Being.

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