Our longevity is a journey – the rest of our
life. Despite the ups and downs of the past
year, there has been great progress in
understanding longevity and what we can
each do about it.
In that spirit we offer some suggestions to
make 2021 a year to remember for good
reasons!
Positive mindset
During the year we have seen the value of a
positive mindset in taking advantage of
increasing longevity. Many readers are
already living longer than expected when
born and enjoying their longevity bonus. The
typical stages of longevity (as per your SHAPE
Analyser results) suggest that most of our
remaining life will be independent – which
can be a good start for making the best of
2021.
People contacts
A feature of recent longevity research over
recent years has been that regular,
meaningful people contact is a basic
requirement of healthy living as we age.
The pandemic experience has shown how
important this is for people both in and
outside aged care facilities. It also showed up
in Subscriber responses to their regular
SHAPE Analyser results.
Prevention
For most people, taking informed action
through prevention is a much better strategy
than relying on cure.
This is increasingly so for dementia and many
other afflictions that tend to appear in later
life but have their roots much earlier.
It is also rewarding to realise that the basics –
exercise, diet, ongoing cognitive engagement
and regular social contacts – underpin a
positive approach to many aspects of a
happier and healthier life.
Pets
Pets and people are good for each other.
They can counter feelings of loss of control,
loss of confidence and for some, an
increasing sense of isolation. It’s why pet
ownership has risen during the pandemic.
Depending on the type of pet, there’s some
evidence of an association between pet
ownership and coping better with the
activities of daily life.
Planning
If you are a new member you can find more
information on some of these ideas in our
recent articles at the foot of the home page.
More information is in the Knowledge library
available to Longevity Plan subscribers.
Happiness can be an unexpected pleasure.
We can plan for it too. That way we get the
satisfaction of achieving something we set
out do as well as the pleasure of the actual
occasion. We can also identify when things
are not going to plan and change direction.
Planning supports a happier longevity. Best
wishes for a happier year in 2021.
