For more than 25 years, we have supported active, health-conscious lives in Marin County, and more recently in Sonoma County as well. Yet even among people who eat well, exercise and stay engaged, we see resignation—a belief that declining health is simply the price we pay for aging.
Too often, it is met with a sigh and a shrug, as if nothing more can be done.
Aging doesn’t mean surrender.
We cannot afford the luxury of giving up on our vitality. Our families, communities and world need us to show up as our best selves. This begins with recognizing something subtle: The way we describe our health concerns is often shaped more by belief than by objective reality.
Many of us hear familiar inner statements: “My joints ache because I’m getting old.” “I don’t feel well because of my age.” “I don’t think as clearly as I used to.” This kind of thinking can undermine wellness and happiness. We encourage our patients to adopt a more objective approach—one that removes age as a verdict and replaces it with clarity and possibility. Our thinking profoundly affects body function.
Positive Aging
This shift matters not only for personal health, but for contribution. When our minds are clouded by the assumption that decline is inevitable, we limit our ability to offer wisdom, energy, creativity and care. When we cultivate a positive internal state, we feel better and become a source of strength for others.
Research supports this. Yale School of Public Health professor Dr. Becca Levy has shown that beliefs about aging affect physical health, cognition and longevity. In her book, Breaking the Age Code, she found that people with negative beliefs about aging experience higher stress and disease. She concluded that negative self-perceptions of aging are associated with a higher prevalence of the eight most expensive health conditions.
When “old” becomes synonymous with decline, the body often follows the mind’s lead. Yet, aging does not automatically mean loss of vitality, relevance or purpose.
Objective View
An objective approach replaces judgment with clarity. Instead of labeling symptoms as “because of age,” we describe what is actually happening: “I’m experiencing joint pain.” “My energy is low today.” “My thinking feels less clear than I’d like.” These statements frame health concerns as challenges to be addressed, not fates to be accepted.
People of every age experience pain, fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, low mood and sleep problems. When we remove age-based stigma, we open ourselves to solutions—both conventional and integrative—that can restore balance and vitality.
Beneficial Effects
Maintaining a positive attitude is a profound act of service. When we care for our bodies and minds by rejecting the illusion of being old, we preserve our ability to find the right health professional, the proper method and the most effective treatment for any concern or disorder, and to remain active, engaged participants in our communities.
Each of us has a responsibility to maintain our vitality so that we can make positive contributions to the world. A positive mind leads to a healthy body, and a healthy body allows us to be the parents, grandparents, mentors, neighbors, citizens and leaders the world is calling us to be—adding life to our years and ensuring that our best is always available to others, the world and those who need us most.
Dr. Devatara Holman and Dr. Evan Shepherd Reiff practice integrative Chinese medicine at Marin Oriental & Integrative Medicine in Sausalito, and Valley Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine in Sonoma.
