My next-door neighbor passed away last year just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Until the day she died, she had an incredibly sharp mind—able to rattle off the names and stories of her grandchildren like a woman half her age.
One time I asked her what her secret to good health was, and I was surprised when she told me she had never intentionally exercised a day in her life. On top of that, she shared that she was never a good cook and had always been fond of snack foods. She gave out a great big chuckle when I asked if she tried to eat healthy and said: “Oh, no, I never did that.”
Not everyone is so fortunate. The reality is that, on average, most people age about as well as you’d expect them to, given the choices they make with their lives and how they take care of themselves. I’m not an expert on aging, but I’ve always had a keen interest in longevity and figured I could learn a lot from simply observing both the older people around me and those in the public eye.
5 Habits of People Who Stay Sharp as They Age
In my observations, these are five habits that seem to correlate with those who stay sharp well into the golden years of their lives:
1. Live With a Sense of Purpose
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I’ve come to believe that the stronger your purpose, the longer you keep going. I’m sure the science is complicated, but the correlation seems that simple. Those who have a strong reason to live approach their lives differently than those who float along aimlessly. Finding a purpose and pursuing it with your whole heart is my strongest advice on this list.
2. Try New Things You Know You Might Fail at
It’s not enough to chase novelty for its own sake. The people who maintain a vigorous mind into their later years do hard things they nonetheless enjoy. They allow themselves to be stretched out of their comfort zones and challenged by new activities. I see my kids try and fail at new things all the time, but as you get older, you naturally stick with what you already know. Maybe the trick to staying young is to act more childlike.
3. Stay Socially Involved
My neighbor was very involved with her family members, who came to visit regularly. She invested herself in knowing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and staying as connected to their lives as her physical limitations allowed. Even my young kids loved to go over to her house to visit because she would bring out snacks and toys to make her house welcoming. This instinct to surround yourself with people is a common pattern I see in those who age gracefully.
4. Engage in Stimulating Hobbies
A sharp brain needs constant activity to remain in good shape. Until retirement, many people’s careers give their brains the daily workout they need. However, when they retire, they don’t realize how much less their brains are challenged on a regular basis. Those who bend the aging curve tend to take one of two paths—they either never fully retire from their jobs or take up mentally stimulating hobbies that provide nearly the same engagement for their minds. Either way, the adage that you either “use it or lose it” remains as true as ever.
5. Remain Physically Active
It almost goes without saying that your mind can’t age well without a healthy body. While my neighbor claimed she never exercised in her life, she lived a very active life, spending time outside in her flower beds well into her mid-90s. She barely slowed down and was puttering around with her walker until nearly the very end. Physical stamina seems to be closely tied to mental stamina, and I would guess there’s some causal relationship as well—the stronger the body, the stronger the brain.
Not everyone desires to live until 100. Even my neighbor, who was a happy person, admitted that she was growing tired and was ready to move on from this world, as her faith gave her assurance that the best was yet to come. Regardless, I think we’d all like to make the best of the years we get, and would prefer to keep our wits about us until the very end. There are no guarantees of good health, but like any investment, you can stack the odds in your favor with better choices. As far as I can see, the habits on this list seem to be a great place to start.
