Putting this site together, building and managing it with my colleagues, I have spent so much time reading about all things health, especially in relation to ageing.
When I get asked, what is the most important thing anyone should know about improving their prospects for wellness and longevity as they age, I’m stuck between two points.
I don’t whether to say “diet, diet, diet” or “mind, mind, mind”. I guess the two are linked in many ways, because to get your diet just as it needs to be, you probably have to change your mind somewhat.
Having a positive mindset is proven to contribute to long living, to the avoidance of il-health, and if you are unlucky and get ill, dealing with that and recovering from it.
But I often wonder what it actually means? Is there some form of defined way of thinking positively or having a positive mindset?
I think the mind feeds off the body to a large extent. I know there are plenty of fit people, including highly trained athletes, who suffer with depression, so the relationship is obviously complex.
Pushing yourself to have a great body, to be strong and to get the heart working regularly, will help your mind, for sure, but it’s not a panacea.
So, what are we left with? Positive thoughts? I guess that is it, to learn how to think positively, but I wonder if this is just as straightforward as disciplining yourself to do so? Isn’t there something more? Research into long living people so commonly identifies lifestyle, especially family orientated, simple outdoor living as a key plank.
I think it is like most things I have discovered in recent times, on this subject, it isn’t a straightforward “do this, and everything takes care of itself” position – it requires more, a commitment of sorts, to an overall overhaul, that embraces smiling, walking, generosity of spirit, a resistance to worry and anxiety. It’s a much longer list than that in reality, but you get the picture? We need to use our minds to take ourselves to a better place, and that isn’t just one thing, it’s not ‘be happy” or “be positive”, it’s more a constant effort to be moving our minds in a certain direction. It’s a journey rather than a destination.