If you were Joanna Lumley, how would you celebrate your 80th journey round the sun? Down a bottle of bubbly, Patsy-style? Sign up to a ‘very exclusive dating app’ à la Felicity in Amandaland?
In fact, Joanna spent her birthday this year working. Underwhelming? Maybe. But wise? Absolutely. ‘Here’s the uncomfortable truth I’ve discovered through years of research, data and real conversations with people in their 50s, 60s and beyond: stopping work too early, without a plan for what comes next, can quietly work against us. Not just financially – but emotionally, socially and even physically,’ says Lyndsey Simpson, author of new book, The Age Rebellion.
‘It’s human nature,’ she continues. ‘We are wired for purpose. For usefulness. For contribution. Take that away too early, and the consequences show up in our mental health, our physical resilience and our overall wellbeing.’
A study from the Yale School of Public Health looked at more than 11,000 people aged between 50 and 99 and found that those with more positive attitudes performed better in walking speed, memory and maths tests. Some even build better scores over the study’s 12-year timeframe – improving as they got older.
Research consistently shows that remaining positive about ageing and purposefully engaged as you get older is associated with better cognitive health and lower rates of depression. In fact, it’s also correlated with living up to 7.5 years longer than those who don’t.
Why? ‘It’s not because it keeps us busy, but because it keeps us connected,’ says Simpson. ‘To people. To ideas. To a reason to get up in the morning that’s bigger than filling time.’
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Lumley has long known the power of a positive, proactive attitude – throwing yourself into things, in other words. ‘I do stuff with vigour, such as housework, gardening and going up the stairs two at a time,’ she told the Guardian back in 2013. This year, she spoke to Stylist about the power of starting ‘every day determined to be adorable to everyone you meet, loving everything you see – you’re allowed to hate it later… If you’re feeling sad, pretend you’re happy. Be nice to people, even if you don’t know them, be friendly. Arrive at things and say, ‘Isn’t this lovely?’. Say, ‘I love it!’ Start off by loving things, love things and that light will shine out of you and at once, you’ll look lovelier.
Look lovelier, but also live longer? Perhaps. Research from the University of Kansas study found that smiling – even fake smiling – reduces heart rate and blood pressure during stressful situations. Meanwhile, a study from John Hopkins University found that people with a family history of heart disease were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years if they had a positive outlook (compared to those with a more negative one). Now, don’t you just love that?
