Flourishing in old age

06.3.2017

As the overall health in the working population improves and as the age of retirement for many of us moves further and further away, it’s important to think about how the effects of ageing will impact on general ability to work and our overall wellbeing.

 

The good news is that mindfulness training may help to slow down the cognitive decline that often comes with aging. This can leave those approaching old age with better psychological health and the ability to enjoy their work or retirement for longer.

 

The natural aging process

As a person experiences normal aging, changes occur. The brain begins to shrink in key areas such as the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. These are the centres of the brain responsible for forming new memories, making plans and learning new things. As this begins to happen, more complex mental activities become a little bit more difficult. Along with these changes, the way in which different areas of the brain communicate with each other are also affected. Neurons and neurotransmitters become slower at firing due to a reduction in white matter. There is generally more inflammation in the brain and some narrowing of arteries.

Improving cognitive abilities

Research suggests that just 10 minutes a day of mindfulness practice, 5 days a week can help older people with cognitive performance. In one study, participants aged 55 to 75 were separated into a control group and a group taking part in an 8-week mindfulness course.

 

During the training the mindfulness group learned how to meditate by focusing on their breathing and the effects of breathing on their body. They were taught to let all thoughts pass them by. After the course, the group practicing mindfulness improved in their responsiveness to tasks and their visual perception. This study suggests that it’s not too late to learn mindfulness and that mindfulness training can bring about rapid cognitive improvements.

Other benefits of mindfulness for older people

Growing older can be hard. For example, there’s the fear of life ending, which can cause a great deal of distress. One study found that mindfulness training can actually prolong life. From 8 different nursing homes, 73 residents of a mean age of 81 were assigned either training one or another form of meditation training or no training. After three years, the meditation trained cohorts had significantly greater rates of survival. Clearly more research needs to be done in this area, but these are promising signs.

 

Mindfulness training may also help with the loneliness that often comes with old age.

 

As the brain ages, it is more at risk to Alzheimer’s. Mindfulness training may help to prevent the disease or slow it down. Other research shows that mindfulness can cause a decrease in anxiety and stress and this helps slow the accelerated cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s.

 

As our other blog pieces show, mindfulness training can give rise to better abilities to connect with others – at work or in the community. And it can improve your overall happiness – all of which has great repercussions for health and wellbeing.

 

There’s no better time to take up mindfulness training, whatever stage of life you’re at.

 

To find out more about mindfulness training, contact rachel@mindfulnessworks.com or call (+44) 01223 75066