Take our Positive Aging Test

Find a therapist specialized in aging concerns

Research shows that people are living longer, making it necessary to understand healthy aging.

A study found that positive views of aging can maintain and even improve physical and mental function.

Defining the meaning of life in one's later years can create a sense of purpose, leading to greater vitality.

The World Health Organization (2025) reported that people all over the world are living longer, and that by the year 2030, 1 in 6 people will be age 60 or older. A recent international review of healthy aging recommended that we develop a new understanding of the factors contributing to healthy aging (Catalano et al., 2025).

If you’re in the second half of life, you can take active steps to live with greater well-being, joy, and vitality. In addition to eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise, research finds that three ways you approach aging can bring you greater vitality in the days ahead.

1. Revise Your View of Aging

A new study by Levy and Slade (2026) reveals the need to dramatically reconsider our previous views of aging. The researchers found that we can maintain and even improve our physical and cognitive function when we develop more positive beliefs about aging. Instead of retreating into what once were called our “declining years,” you can focus on what you can do—discovering new possibilities in the days to come.

2. Have a Sense of Purpose

A study of older adults in rural Japan found that ikigai, a culturally grounded sense of purpose, enables older adults to flourish and remain active members of their community in their 90s and 100s. What the study called “spiritual health”—mindfulness practices, community involvement, continuing education, mutual support, and inclusion in meaningful........

© Psychology Today