Study Says People Who Have This One Thing In Life Stay Mentally Sharp Into Their 60s And Beyond
A healthy brain is integral to a long and happy life.
Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock Not everyone feels the same about aging and getting older. While it's always a blessing to reach any age, there's also something incredibly complex about becoming older. Many older people have admitted that a sort of dysmorphia happens as you age because not everything is the same as when you were younger. One of those things that isn't the same is the brain.
As you age, your cognitive functions tend to decline. It's simply a part of life. However, a study published in Psychological Science found that people can actually improve their brain activity, even as they reach their 60s and beyond. It all has to do with your well-being and how you continue to have passion and drive for life.
A study found that people who have a sense of purpose in life stay mentally sharp into their 60s and beyond.
If there's one thing every person likely hopes for as they dream of retirement, it's staying healthy and mentally sharp for as many years as possible. We all want to enjoy the fruits of a long life of labor after all. Aside from generalized advice that urges staying active and fit when it comes to brain health, most people just assume it's a crapshoot whether memory function declines or other dementia-related illnesses make themselves known.
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This study, led by Gabrielle Pfund of Auburn University, found otherwise. Participants, with what Pfund described as "a strong sense of purpose," were found to have better brain health. She wrote, “This study focuses on the reciprocal relationship between cognitive function with three domains of well-being: (1) sense of purpose (the extent to which one feels they have personally meaningful goals and activities), (2) eudaimonic well-being (one’s sense of autonomy, personal growth, purpose, and connection to others), and (3) life satisfaction (one’s sense of contentment with their life)."
What the researchers found was groundbreaking. In participants with decreased cognitive function over the 10-year study period, there was a direct link to a decreased sense of well-being. In an interview with PsyPost, Pfund said, “We found that as cognition function declined, so did participants’ levels of well-being.” Adding, “We also found that declines in well-being at one time point predicted times in cognitive function at the next (and vice versa). These patterns remained when accounting for age, sex, race, APoE genotype (i.e., gene for Alzheimer’s risk), education, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism. This means that intervention efforts focused on the development, maintenance, and promotion of well-being could be a promising pathway to support healthy cognitive aging.”
These findings are significant as cases of dementia are expected to rise by 2060.
A separate study found that the risk of developing dementia at any time after age 55 among Americans is 42%, more than double the risk reported by older studies. With an estimated half-million cases in 2025, projections indicate that the number could rise to one million new cases a year by 2060.
While the numbers sound alarming, scientists speculate that the primary cause is simply a large population of aging people. As technology advances and people live longer, rates of dementia and dementia related illnesses will naturally increase. But in the same way medicine is keeping our bodies healthier for longer, scientists are rushing to find equally effective solutions for brain health. Pfund's research is an important gateway to that.
What's so compelling about the research is that well-being and sense of purpose don't require pharmaceutical intervention. These are holistic approaches to healthy aging that anyone, regardless of economic factors, can explore. As Pfund noted, the results of her study are only sparking more questions she is excited to explore. “Why is sense of purpose associated with cognitive function? Is it because purposeful people have better social relationships, engage in more cognitive activities, are more physically active, or is there something unique about feeling purposeful? This approach is necessary for establishing what factors are most necessary to intervene upon in daily life to promote healthy cognitive aging.”
Having a sense of purpose is linked to other brain boosting activities that likely contribute to healthy aging.
Apart from Pfund's study, the Mayo Clinic Health System explained that people with "a sense of purpose tend to take better care of themselves through exercise, healthy eating, and addressing health issues when they arise." Basically, if you face aging with a goal rather than settling into a state of each day blending into the next, you'll stay healthy and live longer. It certainly makes sense.
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Hearing the phrase "sense of purpose" might be overwhelming for some people, and they may think that it has to be something extravagant. However, identifying your sense of purpose simply starts with honing in on your specific values and exploring activities that are related to it. Or, better yet, getting out of your comfort zone and exploring something new.
A sense of purpose could be volunteering at your local animal shelter or taking up a new hobby that gets you out of the house and interacting with others. It could even be as simple as traveling or completing the New York Times Sunday Crossword. Heck, why limit yourself to one thing? Write a novel. Learn a new language. Take up pottery. Do all three and then some!
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
