Are you a spiritual person? Spirituality may become important when you start to ask 'why' about life, when you feel a sense of the mystery of it all or foster a belief that there is more to life than what we can see or fully understand. As one researcher noted, 'Spirituality is the ability to stand outside of ourselves and consider the meaning of our actions, the complexity of our motives and the impact we have on the world.' That could be religion - or not.
Spirtuality is also strongly connected with resilience and successful ageing. For instance, a spiritual outlook on life enables you to focus beyond and physical disabilities because the spiritual perception views such functioning as just one aspect of living. It also helps you to answer and cope with the question of 'Why me?' when bad things happen because it helps you to view yourself as part of something bigger, not as the centre of the world.
A spiritual perspective also helps you to cope with situations that you can't control, which is a key component of stress. If you view the world as bigger than yourself and admit to the existence of some 'greater power', whether it's God or something else, it becomes easier to relinquish control.
Spirtuality also focuses your mind on the present, emphasising mindfulness over the way we tend to rush and focus on the future so much in modern life. Finally, a spiritual perspective recognises the importance of social support, in terms of both giving and receiving. All have been found to improve overall health and well-being and to help people to age better, regardless of any physical or mental disabilities.
For instance, one study of 400 elderly Brazilians found that those who perceived their health to be good or very good were five times more likely to be 'ageing successfully' than those who perceived their health as bad. However, those who said their personal beliefs gave meaning to their lives were ten times more likely to be classified as ageing successfully.
Other studies of older adults find that attending religious services once a week significantly reduces services once a week significantly reduces levels of inflammatory markers in the blood and leads to lower death rates over a 12 year period regardless of a person's weight, diseases, social support network, depression levels or age.
Researchers from the University of Dundee found that people who had strong religious beliefs were less likely to be lonely in older age, while Canadian researchers found that older people who participated in church-related activities were much healthier overall over a six year period than those who didn't take part in such activities. In fact, other researchers found that once-a-week churchgoers had lower blood pressure, less abdominal fat, higher HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lower levels of inflammatory stress harmones than people who skipped Sunday services.
For many, spirituality and organised religion are one and the same - but they needn't be. A passion for nature, a belief in healing energy, faith in science and the natural laws of existence or merely a strong sense of good versus evil can all provide purpose and direction in your life. What ultimately matters to your health isn't what you believe in but merely that you believe in something with your heart and soul.
Even if you aren't religious or spiritual today, you're likely to become more so as you age. Studies find that religion appears to increase with age as spirtuality becomes more important.
Pause and give thanks - it enriches your heart, and protects it, too
While we strongly believe in the power of spirituality to help people to live longer, healthier lives, we also acknowledge that this is particularly personal, fraught with emotions, traditions, history and even politics. That said, here are a few suggestions that you may find useful in growing your personal spirituality.
For health, focus on yourself As we all know, there is a difference between personal spirituality and organised religion. Spirituality is about one person - you. Organised religion can be a path to personal spirituality, but it also encompassses much more. Whatever path you choose, it's what happens in your own heart and soul that matters to your health.
Find a spiritual adviser This could be a vicar, rabbi, imam, yoga instructor, teacher, close friend or even someone from your church who is grabbing with the same questions you are. The two of you should meet weekly for an hour to talk about your week and address larger issues. Spiritual growth is achieved more easily through shared experience and discussion than in isolation.
Take up music or art Both enable you to express yourself, allowing you to reflect the sense of something larger than yourself in your work. Not only that, but these new skills have added benefits in terms of keeping your memory sharp and your mind clear.
Devote time to the spiritual Whether it's going to a church, meditating, taking a nature walk, reading a spiritual guide or saying a nightly prayer, spending regular time cultivating your sense of the greater good is rewarding for your mind, heart and overall health.
Are you spiritual?
Answer the following true-or-false questions to assess your current level of spirituality. Be honest - no one but you will know your answers. Remember too that there are no right or wrong answers. However, 'true' answers reflect a greater level of spirituality than 'false' answers. Retake the quiz every six months to see if your spiritual attitudes are evolving.
The word stress is so overused today that it has nearly lost its meaning. So let's introduce some new worlds. First, say hello to adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, vasopressin and aldosterone. These are all hormones your body releases when a psychological or physical challenge suddenly confronts you. These chemicals play a major role in the inflammation we've talked about in this session. Recall that this inflammation damages cells, leading to a host of health problems. Every time you are scared, pressurised, angered or frustrated, your body releases chemicals that lead to inflammation, and this is one of the major problems caused by acute stress.
But there is fresh news in the world of stress. To understand it, you first need to know that there's second type of stress that's much more problematic than the type caused when someone shouts an insult at you. Chronic pshychological stress is when troubles gnaw at you persistently over time. Think of ongoing financial woes, out-of-control children, tough daily commutes, an underlying sense of insecurity and even deep resentments about neighbours. It turns out that chronic stress ages you cell by cell. It does so by shortening a part of the cell called a telomere.
Telomere are caps on the ends of the cell's chromosomes that help to keep chromosomes stable, just as the cap on a pen prevents ink from leaking. Every time a chromosome unzips to make copies of its genetic material so the cell can divide, the telomere gets a tiny bit shorter. The shorter the telomere, the worse the cell functions. Studies link shrinking telomeres to numerous age-related conditions, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, insulin resistance and early death, primarily from infection and cardiovascular disease.
Telomeres get some help in maintaining their length from an enzyme called telomerase, which is released by immune system cells. Telomerase builds up telomeres after replication, keeping the cell alive longer and functioning better. Eventually, however, the telomere get so short it disappears, and the cell self-destructs and dies.
The new discovery: chronic psychological stress can shrink telomeres the same way hot water shrinks a woolly jumper. It also seems to lower the amount of telomerase the immune cells release. And in, a vicious circle, the less telomerase you have, the greater your body's response to stress and the more inflammatory chemicals released.
These findings are important because they show how psychological issues, such as stress have a harmful physical effect on our cells. The findings also provide crucial good news it's how you perceive stress, rather than the actual cause of the stress, that leads to the harm.
If you can find ways to inoculate your body against overreading to perceived stressors, you will halt the flow of inflammatory chemicals and stop unnatural damage to your cell's telomeres. One study found that people who practised transcendental meditation for 16 weeks had much better blood pressure, insulin resistance and heart-rate readings when exposed to stress compared with those who didn't meditate.
This all becomes even more important as you age, since studies find that your body's reaction to stress increases with age.
Along those lines, then here's our advice for protecting yourself against the ageing effects of stress and changing your conscious perception of the stress you encounter. Add theses tips to those in the sections above, and you will have all the information you need to live more calmly and happily and for a longer time.
Spirtuality is also strongly connected with resilience and successful ageing. For instance, a spiritual outlook on life enables you to focus beyond and physical disabilities because the spiritual perception views such functioning as just one aspect of living. It also helps you to answer and cope with the question of 'Why me?' when bad things happen because it helps you to view yourself as part of something bigger, not as the centre of the world.
A spiritual perspective also helps you to cope with situations that you can't control, which is a key component of stress. If you view the world as bigger than yourself and admit to the existence of some 'greater power', whether it's God or something else, it becomes easier to relinquish control.
Spirtuality also focuses your mind on the present, emphasising mindfulness over the way we tend to rush and focus on the future so much in modern life. Finally, a spiritual perspective recognises the importance of social support, in terms of both giving and receiving. All have been found to improve overall health and well-being and to help people to age better, regardless of any physical or mental disabilities.
For instance, one study of 400 elderly Brazilians found that those who perceived their health to be good or very good were five times more likely to be 'ageing successfully' than those who perceived their health as bad. However, those who said their personal beliefs gave meaning to their lives were ten times more likely to be classified as ageing successfully.
Other studies of older adults find that attending religious services once a week significantly reduces services once a week significantly reduces levels of inflammatory markers in the blood and leads to lower death rates over a 12 year period regardless of a person's weight, diseases, social support network, depression levels or age.
Researchers from the University of Dundee found that people who had strong religious beliefs were less likely to be lonely in older age, while Canadian researchers found that older people who participated in church-related activities were much healthier overall over a six year period than those who didn't take part in such activities. In fact, other researchers found that once-a-week churchgoers had lower blood pressure, less abdominal fat, higher HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lower levels of inflammatory stress harmones than people who skipped Sunday services.
For many, spirituality and organised religion are one and the same - but they needn't be. A passion for nature, a belief in healing energy, faith in science and the natural laws of existence or merely a strong sense of good versus evil can all provide purpose and direction in your life. What ultimately matters to your health isn't what you believe in but merely that you believe in something with your heart and soul.
Even if you aren't religious or spiritual today, you're likely to become more so as you age. Studies find that religion appears to increase with age as spirtuality becomes more important.
Pause and give thanks - it enriches your heart, and protects it, too
While we strongly believe in the power of spirituality to help people to live longer, healthier lives, we also acknowledge that this is particularly personal, fraught with emotions, traditions, history and even politics. That said, here are a few suggestions that you may find useful in growing your personal spirituality.
For health, focus on yourself As we all know, there is a difference between personal spirituality and organised religion. Spirituality is about one person - you. Organised religion can be a path to personal spirituality, but it also encompassses much more. Whatever path you choose, it's what happens in your own heart and soul that matters to your health.
Find a spiritual adviser This could be a vicar, rabbi, imam, yoga instructor, teacher, close friend or even someone from your church who is grabbing with the same questions you are. The two of you should meet weekly for an hour to talk about your week and address larger issues. Spiritual growth is achieved more easily through shared experience and discussion than in isolation.
Take up music or art Both enable you to express yourself, allowing you to reflect the sense of something larger than yourself in your work. Not only that, but these new skills have added benefits in terms of keeping your memory sharp and your mind clear.
Devote time to the spiritual Whether it's going to a church, meditating, taking a nature walk, reading a spiritual guide or saying a nightly prayer, spending regular time cultivating your sense of the greater good is rewarding for your mind, heart and overall health.
Are you spiritual?
Answer the following true-or-false questions to assess your current level of spirituality. Be honest - no one but you will know your answers. Remember too that there are no right or wrong answers. However, 'true' answers reflect a greater level of spirituality than 'false' answers. Retake the quiz every six months to see if your spiritual attitudes are evolving.
- I believe in the existence of a higher power.
- I often experience a heartfelt connection to nature.
- During spirtual moments, such as when praying or meditating, I often feel a joy beyond ordinary happiness.
- I believe that things happen that have no rational, scientific explanation.
- My religion or spirituality is the main source of moral guidelines in my life.
- Overall, I'm at peace with the world around me.
- Sometimes I ask for the help of a higher spiritual power.
- I genuinely feel thankful for all that I have.
- It is important to me to help others.
- I accept others even when they do things I think are wrong
- I take time out at least once a week to focus on my spiritual or religious needs.
- I belong to a spiritual community or organisation.
The word stress is so overused today that it has nearly lost its meaning. So let's introduce some new worlds. First, say hello to adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, vasopressin and aldosterone. These are all hormones your body releases when a psychological or physical challenge suddenly confronts you. These chemicals play a major role in the inflammation we've talked about in this session. Recall that this inflammation damages cells, leading to a host of health problems. Every time you are scared, pressurised, angered or frustrated, your body releases chemicals that lead to inflammation, and this is one of the major problems caused by acute stress.
But there is fresh news in the world of stress. To understand it, you first need to know that there's second type of stress that's much more problematic than the type caused when someone shouts an insult at you. Chronic pshychological stress is when troubles gnaw at you persistently over time. Think of ongoing financial woes, out-of-control children, tough daily commutes, an underlying sense of insecurity and even deep resentments about neighbours. It turns out that chronic stress ages you cell by cell. It does so by shortening a part of the cell called a telomere.
Telomere are caps on the ends of the cell's chromosomes that help to keep chromosomes stable, just as the cap on a pen prevents ink from leaking. Every time a chromosome unzips to make copies of its genetic material so the cell can divide, the telomere gets a tiny bit shorter. The shorter the telomere, the worse the cell functions. Studies link shrinking telomeres to numerous age-related conditions, including high blood pressure and cholesterol, insulin resistance and early death, primarily from infection and cardiovascular disease.
Telomeres get some help in maintaining their length from an enzyme called telomerase, which is released by immune system cells. Telomerase builds up telomeres after replication, keeping the cell alive longer and functioning better. Eventually, however, the telomere get so short it disappears, and the cell self-destructs and dies.
The new discovery: chronic psychological stress can shrink telomeres the same way hot water shrinks a woolly jumper. It also seems to lower the amount of telomerase the immune cells release. And in, a vicious circle, the less telomerase you have, the greater your body's response to stress and the more inflammatory chemicals released.
These findings are important because they show how psychological issues, such as stress have a harmful physical effect on our cells. The findings also provide crucial good news it's how you perceive stress, rather than the actual cause of the stress, that leads to the harm.
If you can find ways to inoculate your body against overreading to perceived stressors, you will halt the flow of inflammatory chemicals and stop unnatural damage to your cell's telomeres. One study found that people who practised transcendental meditation for 16 weeks had much better blood pressure, insulin resistance and heart-rate readings when exposed to stress compared with those who didn't meditate.
This all becomes even more important as you age, since studies find that your body's reaction to stress increases with age.
Along those lines, then here's our advice for protecting yourself against the ageing effects of stress and changing your conscious perception of the stress you encounter. Add theses tips to those in the sections above, and you will have all the information you need to live more calmly and happily and for a longer time.
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