Not Felt the Age: The Mind-Blowing Shift in "Feeling Old"
- Author: Frank Ochmann
- Read Time: Approx. 8 Minutes
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My MAMA hit 80 when she shared an anecdote that left me chuckling, yet uneasy. She was catching up with her elderly friend, who, following the demise of their husbands, became close confidantes. Under the sun on a beautiful Sunday, they sat chatting over coffee and sweets, when the friend blurted out, "This can't last much longer."
I found this amusing, but also a bit eerie. My mother laughed, yet her eyes conveyed a hint of worry. “She’s right," she confessed. What could I say? I attempted to lighten the mood with, “Well, nobody's ever died from a number." But it seemed the number had just dawned upon her, and my mother sheepishly admitted, "Imagine, I'm approaching 90, but I don't feel that old at all."
The Phantom Years
Clichés like, "You're only as old as you feel," or "Age is merely a number," have graced every milestone birthday. Of course, it's nonsense, yet there's a hint of truth to it. A decade has passed since my mother's parting, and I've entered the twilight of my 60s. And yet, when I silence the noise within, seeking my "felt age," it continues to evade me. Unlike my mother, no number floats before my mental screen, no aging calendar spins within my thoughts. What duly resonates is a sentiment, much like the final words of my physician after a check-up: "Everything's fine. Until the next time!"
- Aging
- Aging Process
- Old Age
- David Rubin
Demystifying the Illusion
We confront the term "felt age" often within the aging process due to a plethora of factors. Here's the why-and-how of this disconnect between actual age and perceived age:
Navigating the Waters of Felt Age
- Felt Age vs. Chronological Age: Terms such as “felt age” or “cognitive age” refer to how people perceive their age, which can be impacted by psychological, social, and physical factors. On the other hand, chronological age—the tally of years since birth—presents a stark contrast.
The Movers and Shakers behind the Disconnect
- Life's Choices: Our decisions on diet, exercise, stress management, and overall wellbeing have profound effects on how we perceive ourselves. Opting for healthier lifestyles can lead to a lower felt age.
- Outlook and Mindset: The manner in which we perceive aging significantly impacts our felt age. A positive outlook, combined with resilience and personal involvement, often lowers the perceived age.
- Social and Environmental Factors: Connections with others, collaborative purposes, and lifelong learning foster a sense of fulfillment and contribute to a more youthful felt age.
- Biological Milestones: Our biological age, defined by the condition of our cells and impacted by lifestyle, stress, and medical interventions, play a role in how we feel. Lower biological age usually correlates with enhanced health and a reduced felt age.
- Intellectual Fire: Our mental abilities, such as memory, attentiveness, and processing speed, contribute to our perceived age. Mentally stimulating activities assist in maintaining cognitive health and a more youthful felt age.
By understanding these factors that shape our felt age, it's possible to feel younger than our chronological age.
I'm not going to be able to do this, declaring a personal struggle with the tangible number of advancing years despite a youthful felt age, as indicated in the article 'Not Felt the Age: The Mind-Blowing Shift in "Feeling Old"' by Frank Ochmann. This disconnect between actual and perceived age is explained by psychologist David Rubin in his work, where he discusses the impact of life's choices, outlook and mindset, social and environmental factors, biological milestones, and intellectual fire on felt age.
