Pop quiz: What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of old age?
Hmmm…. it’s fascinating when we look at what comes up for us because our thoughts shape our life experience in dramatic ways.
Stereotype Embodiment Theory proposes that negative age beliefs bring about detrimental health effects, misleadingly characterized as inevitable consequences of aging. Common negative tropes include: incompetent, senile, decrepit, slow, and out of touch. Here’s the powerful shocking news: Positive age beliefs add 7.5 years of life – a finding based on groundbreaking scientific research from Professor Becca Levy at Yale University. Soaringwords’ SOARING Into Positive Wellbeing workshops ignite group discussions among residents in long-term care facilities to foster strengths-based recognition, agency, resilience, and social interaction.
Ageism is all around us. During the Superbowl, Ultra Beer showed Catherine O’Hara and Wilem Defoe competing against young athletes in tennis, volleyball, and other extreme sports. The “joke” was that the older team trounced the youngsters. To be sure, this ad was tongue in cheek, while at the same time reinforcing ageist stereotypes.
When you reframe negative limiting beliefs with a more generous, empathetic interpretation it can breathe new life into your life and the life of others, regardless of their chronological age.
