A long life doesn’t matter much if you don’t enjoy it.
You’ve probably heard the term life span. And maybe you’ve learned about health span, a longevity term that describes the number of years someone spends in good health.
Not to overload you with “spans,” but I just heard about another one: Joyspan.
Joyspan is a term coined by Kerry Burnight, who was a professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine for 18 years. In her upcoming book, “Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half,” she says that a lengthy life span does not equal a life well lived: You have to like your life, too.
Dr. Burnight, who has treated thousands of older patients, writes that aging need not be “the downhill slide that people believe it is.” You can thrive, even when faced with health problems and challenges. “How we step up to those challenges can be the difference between thriving and suffering,” she said. She has had some patients who have become immobilized by the realities of aging, such as a death of a loved one or a chronic condition, “while others have been able to find creative ways to navigate their new normal.”
And you can lengthen your joyspan through everyday choices, regardless of your age or physical condition, by focusing on four “nonnegotiable” actions she has identified in her research, she said.
I asked her to take me through each one.
Grow
Growth is the desire to explore and learn, and research suggests that a sense of curiosity and a willingness to learn help maintain cognitive function and mental health in older adults.
To spark your curiosity, Dr. Burnight said, write down anything that has captured your interest, no matter how esoteric — whether it’s Renaissance fairs, learning to play the drums, genealogy research or rucking.