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How To Age Well with Aunt Patricia
My Great Aunt Patricia inspiredΒ today’sΒ episode on aging well. She is the epitome of healthy livingΒ and,Β ifΒ IβmΒ lucky,Β IβllΒ be as mentally and well as she is whenΒ IβmΒ her age.Β
She is such an inspiration. I wanted to dedicate a whole episode and blog post to two thingsΒ that I seeΒ influencing her healthy living. We can learn from theΒ awesomeΒ Aunt Patricia.Β
These two pieces are her mindset and her habits.Β
Victim or Victor
When you think of the things that have happened and are happening in your life, how do you see yourself?Β Do you see yourself as the victim or the victor?Β I encourage you to think of yourself as the victor. I encourage you to think of yourself as the victor.Β ListenΒ into the episode to hearΒ specific examples of how my 95-year-old Great Aunt does this.Β Also,Β listen to this podcast episode . You willΒ learn of an exercise you can do to see how your past is affecting your present health and wellness.Β
We must realize two things:Β
- How we view our past is a choice
- How we view our past and present affects all aspects of our wellness.
In the episode, I cite an impactful study by JAMA (linked here). It shows howΒ the wayΒ we think impacts our life expectancy and death by all causes.Β
Listen into the episode to hear how this shows up in my Great AuntΒ Patricia’sΒ thinking patterns.
As my coach, BrookeΒ CastilloΒ says:Β βOur greatest problem is thinking weΒ shouldnβtΒ have any problems.β
3 Parts Of Joyful Living
3Β importantΒ factors come into play when we think of the eventsΒ that happenΒ in our lives. They are:Β
- How we think of the events before they happen,Β
- What we are thinking about as the event is happening and
- How we reflect on the events after they happen.
As a coach, I knowΒ it isΒ importantΒ to lookΒ at our thinking patterns for all three of these pieces.Β I noticed that Aunt Pat was deliberate about thinking about the first piece. Further, she was doing it in a way that Positive Psychology refers to as theΒ Best Case Scenario. She spends a lot of time positive thinking.
ThisΒ is an upbeat thinking practice. It calms the nervous system and helps us raise our happiness set point. Listen into the episode to hear specific examples of how she practices this so you canΒ too.Β
WhatβsΒ interesting is that most of us do the opposite. We do what Brene Brown callsΒ βdress rehearse tragedyβ.Β We spend time thinking of all the things that could go wrong and how we will feel when they do.Β
Do you do this?Β ItβsΒ natural because our brain has a negative bias. Yet,Β itβsΒ not helpful for our mood or longevity.Β Be on the lookout for how and what you think about the things thatΒ are going toΒ happen in your life.Β ThisΒ would be a fun place to start a new habit. My mottoΒ isΒ βHow would Aunt Pat think about this?βΒ Feel free to borrow that, lol!
Daily Happiness Habits
Did you knowΒ thatΒ there are things we can doΒ daily so we canΒ be more of a happy person?Β These things are proven to raise our happiness set point. How do I know? I studied them and taught them and saw if happening every day in my office.Β
IβmΒ so inspired by Aunt Pat.Β IβveΒ decided to run my most popular program, the Happiness Habits Course,Β live starting next week. This stuff isΒ important. Many people eitherΒ donβtΒ know the simple shifts to make. Or they know what to do butΒ donβtΒ have the accountability needed that I provide in this 5-week program to help you.Β
If you want to have a more happy way of thinking in theΒ world;Β this program provides everything you needΒ for it.Β Even thoughΒ itsΒ regular price is a great deal. I’mΒ seizing the day and my inspiration and offering it for HALF OFF if you use the coupon code PAT.Β
Go toΒ smbwell.com/happyΒ and use the code PAT to feel happier and live longer and all the things! Yes, please.
The world needs more Aunt Pat energy.
