In part 4 of this mini-series of blog posts about my age reversal adventures and how you too can experience the benefits, I want to dive into something that’s absolutely crucial when it comes to reversing aging: your mindset.
Tons of research backs this up: the way you think has a direct impact on whether or not you hit your goals. Let me hit you with a couple of studies that really drive this home.
The Power of Perception
One study 1 I loved looked at a group of hotel cleaners. They split them into two groups: one group was told that their work was excellent exercise, while the other group (the control group) wasn’t told anything. After four weeks, the group that was told their work was a workout had actually lost weight and improved some of their health markers, just from changing how they thought about what they were already doing!
The control group? No changes at all.
That little shift in mindset made all the difference.
Turning Back Time: The Counterclockwise Study
Another fascinating study2 from the late ’70s was the Counterclockwise Experiment by Ellen Langer. A group of people in their 80s were taken to a hotel designed to look like 1959, and for the duration of the experiment, they were told to act, speak, and live as if they were in their 40s and 50s.
By the end, these participants didn’t just feel younger… they were younger, physically. They showed dramatic improvements in their hearing, vision, memory, dexterity, appetite, weight loss, and general well-being. Not only that, they looked and felt more youthful.
The only things that changed were their mindset and their environment, showing that the magic of rejuvenation and the preservation of good health lies in becoming aware of how we mindlessly react to social and cultural cues. She also demonstrated how the narrative about our own state of health and how old we feel is how we self-sabotage ourselves and give in to aging.
But when we make subtle shifts to how we see ourselves, maintaining good health and vitality as we get older becomes a reality. Hello placebo effect!
You can read another brilliant follow up study based on the Counter Clockwise experiment here3.
The Keys For Age Reversal: Mental Health and Stress Control
So, what’s the takeaway here? When you’re embarking on a journey like age reversal, your mindset is everything.
The first thing you need to tackle is your mental health, especially controlling your stress levels. Stress becomes trickier to manage as you age, especially when your sex hormones start to drop and the menopause sets in.
The thing is, the stressors in your life are likely the same as they ever were: annoying colleagues at work, unrealistic deadlines, family, commuting, finances, and so on. However, what changes as you go through “the changes” is your body’s ability to mitigate the effects of stress. Suddenly, traffic slowing down for a brief period of time feels like a major disaster. Accidentally dropping your favourite mug can result in floods of tears.
If and when this happens, you’re not losing your mind – you’re losing estrogen and progesterone.
A lot of stress might not even register, like a low-grade infection that just makes you feel run down. But it’s still affecting your body.
When stress goes unchecked, it can fuel anxiety, which sneaks up on you as you age. Suddenly, things that never bothered you before – like a solo walk in the park – can feel terrifying. Recognizing that is step one. Once you do, you can develop strategies to manage it.
Stress Management: Tuning In and Taking Charge
The trick to managing stress is learning how to read your body’s signals. Just like you’d do with weight loss, you need to tune in to what your body’s telling you. With age reversal, keeping stress in check is even more important than when you’re trying to lose weight.
Ask yourself these questions: Are you sleeping well? Is your energy consistent throughout the day? If the answer’s “no,” then stress is lurking around somewhere.
One of the best ways to counter stress is by practicing mindfulness. It’s all about being present, rather than worrying about what happened in the past or stressing about the future. A simple trick is to touch something, a physical object like your desk or a chair, just to bring yourself back to the present moment. Then bring attention to your breathing: inhale to a count of 4 and exhale to a count of 6. Or do some box breathing: inhale for 3, hold for 3, exhale for 3, hold for 3. The number isn’t that important, do what feels comfortable for you. The point is that by focusing on your breath you stop ruminating your thoughts and catastrophising about the future.
Another strategy I love is the brain dump. Grab a piece of paper and write down everything swirling around in your mind. You can either focus on a specific issue or just let everything spill out. Once it’s all on paper, you can physically see your worries, and either work through them or burn the paper in a cathartic ritual to let them go. It makes space for more positive thoughts.
The Power of Gratitude
A game-changer for shifting your mindset is practicing gratitude. When you start making a list of even the tiniest things you’re grateful for, you’ll naturally start to feel happier. Suddenly, the dark cloud lifts, and you can start to see the good things in your life. It’s a quick way to pull yourself out of a funk and into a more positive space.
Even better… make a list of all the things that you’re unhappy about in your life. Then flip the script and rewrite those stories “as if” they’ve already corrected themselves. For example, say you’re unhappy about not being strong, turn that around by writing down something like “I’m grateful for a strong and healthy body”. Then read it out loud daily and feel the positive energy. Over time, you’ll find yourself “becoming” the person who works on improving her strength.
Relationships Matter: Cut Out the Energy Vampires
Finally, let’s talk about the quality of your relationships. Even if you’re antisocial (like me), you still have to interact with people sometimes. 🙄
It’s time to get ruthless about who stays in your life and who you distance yourself from. We all have those energy vampires who drain us with their negativity. At this stage in life, you just don’t have the time or space for that.
You’re already fighting your inner critic, you don’t need someone else adding fuel to that fire. Cut out the toxic people, and trust me, you’ll be better off with a smaller circle of positive connections than a crowd of people smiling to your face while they get ready to stab you in the back or pull you down to their low levels any chance they get.
So, there you have it.
When starting your age-reversal journey, remember the power of your mind. Manage stress, practice gratitude, and stay around positive people. A strong mindset is key to achieving your goals. Stay positive, stick with it, and remove negativity to see faster results.
And if you’re ready to start on YOUR journey to reclaim your youthful body, reach out and let’s talk.
References
- Crum, A. J., & Langer, E. J. (2007). Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect. Psychological Science, 18(2), 165-171. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01867.x
- Langer, E. J. (2009). Counter Clockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility. United States: Ballantine Books.
- Pagnini F, Cavalera C, Volpato E, Comazzi B, Vailati Riboni F, Valota C, Bercovitz K, Molinari E, Banfi P, Phillips D, Langer E. Ageing as a mindset: a study protocol to rejuvenate older adults with a counterclockwise psychological intervention. BMJ Open. 2019 Jul 9;9(7):e030411. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030411. PMID: 31289097; PMCID: PMC6615788.