Let’s talk about travel…time travel!
We all are capable of travel at almost any age. But what you may not know is that we all can travel back in time at almost any age…and we will become younger if we take that trip. All of us know someone who just exudes a younger self than the rest of their acquaintances of the same or even a younger age. Let me explain.
You may have heard of a Harvard study among graduates that began back in 1979 under the watch of Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist. Granted, her original research was never peer-reviewed and published, but it has been at the center of a lot of subsequent research, most of which supports her mind/body connection. Some say it was just a “placebo effect,” but even if so, it was a substantial placebo effect.
Dr. Langer’s team invited a group of Harvard grads from the 1950s for a weeklong retreat. The retreat venue had been set up to remind these older men of their younger years in the 1950s, so the art, the music, the games, the décor and even the food were all mid-twentieth century. There was a baseline test establishing everyone’s memory, posture, physical facility and overall sense of well-being. They were tested again at the end of the retreat before returning back to the “real world,” and significant gains were documented. The average man on this retreat seemed to have become younger? Some have called it a simple placebo effect…mind over matter.
In her new book, The Mindful Body, Dr. Langer makes the case that the mind and the body have real connections that can be exploited to create a better mental and physical state of being. Wouldn’t you take a “placebo effect” that put a spring in your step, offered the right answers in a trivia game or improved your dance moves? Dr. Langer refers to these cascading placebo effects as the outcomes of a mind-body unity. Clinical trials of anti-depressants, digestive aids or pain medications routinely deliver substantial placebo effects. Mind-body unity cannot cap a chipped tooth or set a broken arm, but mind-body can improve your jogging time, support a better night’s sleep or lift your mood.
Dr. Langer says, “When we open our minds to this idea of mind-body unity. New possibilities for controlling our health become real.” For instance:
- Always ask your provider how a “new medication” actually improves your health over your existing regimen.
- Caregiving for an older family member can be onerous, but if we look at the good we are doing and the love we are sharing, there is a real upside.
- Don’t accept every physician’s recommendation at face value; ask for research that supports the choice or seek a second opinion.
You already know that you are what you eat. You also are what you think!
Charlotte Bishop is an Aging Life Care Advisor, Geriatric Care Manager and founder of, certified professionals who are geriatric advocates, resources, counselors and friends to older adults and their families in metropolitan Chicago. She also is the co-author of How Do I Know You? A Caregiver’s Lifesaver for Dealing with Dementia.
