�ݺ�ߣ

K N O W Y O U R L I F E - P A R T - 2
by
Balvinder Kumar ret. IAS
Author of Redesign Your Life in Modern Age
& Explore Your Life Journey
POSITIVE AGING - LEARN
TO AGE GRACEFULLY

The Article
EXPLORE
The death anxiety, we all encounter
Why time run faster, as we age?
How can we slow down our aging process?
Why is so crucial to our aging process?
How can we accept death and dying gracefully?
gut bacteria

3
We are all programmed to die one day. How
many tomorrows we are going to see; we
have no idea. However, we all live as if we are
destined to live for ever. This is the biggest
irony of life. We never notice how much time
has already gone and the time which is left
we can only guess wildly. As long as we exist,
death is not with us, when it comes, we don't
exist, said famously by Ernest Becker, the
author of “Denial of Death”. Life is short if we
waste time by living a repetitive and habitual
life. Life is long if we keep on learning and
growing by experiencing new things in life.
Most of us run after wrong things thereby
waste lot of precious time, allocated to each
one of us.
Life is short if we waste time by living a
repetitive and habitual life.
Life is long if we keep on learning and growing
by experiencing new things in life.
People can survive for decades with terminal diseases. Some others die instantly. They don't get
time to prepare themselves for dying. Some even don't get up in the morning. Oh sadly, few
people beg and pray for early death. They desperately want to die. What a life? Full of uncertainty.
We humans are highly vulnerable, delicate and
prone to accidents, diseases and calamities. Off
course, some element of uncertainty and surprises
will always be there throughout our lifetime. Like, a
person is travelling by road and met with a fatal
accident due to someone else mistake. However,
substantial part of our life including aging can be
controlled by us. Living is a skill to be learnt. We can
potentially design our own destiny.
POSITIVE AGING - LEARN TO AGE GRACEFULLY

Do you know that at least 15 to 20 years of
additional life is purely at our disposal? If we
grow and age positively, we can avail these
bonus years. In the world, a little over 53,000
people die every day. Nearly 63% of deaths, as
per WHO's estimates are because of life style
diseases. These people could have lived
longer, had they escaped from life style
diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart
and lung diseases. They themselves created
those diseases. Seneca, a major philosophical
figure of Roman Empire very rightly said that
'learning how to live takes a whole life and
what is more surprising is that, it takes a whole
life to learn how to die”. He is right, we don't
accept the process of dying and death despite
knowing its inevitability. In a way, we don't
want to die but at the same time, we don't
want to live gracefully.
Pause for a minute and think about our own
aging process. We may be 'aging'
physiologically only for 7 or 8 years in a
d e c a d e . I n o n e d e c a d e , w e a g e
chronologically by 10 years. But we may age
only 7-8 years we lead a robust and healthy life
– both physically and mentally. On the other
hand, we may age physiologically by even 14
to 15 years or even more in a span of one
decade. This happens when we don't grow in a
healthy way. Different biomarkers for various
diseases deteriorate fast when we age. In this
way, majority of us either hasten or slow down
our aging process.
In one decade, we age
chronologically by 10 years.
But we may age only 7-8
years we lead a robust and
healthy life – both physically
and mentally.
As most of the time we are busy in our day to day problems, we don't spend time to look inside ad
see things in bigger perspective. However, a time comes when start attending, more frequently,
prayer meetings, after death, of our known and close ones. Then the question of old age and fast-
approaching death comes more often in our mind. Thanks to improved living conditions and
medical interventions, we can treat better some of the leading causes of death such as cancer and
4

heart stroke. If we take care 'loneliness' and maintain an active life - mentally and physically with
decent diet then our journey of remaining life can well be under our control.
Death and the process of dying is one of the most fascinating subjects in our life. Many
institutions across the world are studying this subject to delay and possibly even defeat death.
Medical experts have successfully identified 'longevity genes' as well as physiological and
biological factors that control our aging process. Undoubtedly, the world his becoming a far
better place to live. As a result, life expectancy has been increasing consistently. In every year, one
year is added in our average life span. A great news indeed. With this speed, our younger
generation will easily be crossing 100. It's not a fiction that with the help of gene editing, non-
technology, artificial intelligence etc, organ replacement including head will be very common in
near future.
Death will be “optional” within just 25 years, and
the aging process will be “reversible,” according to
two genetic engineers, José Luis Cordeiro and
David Wood. Their book, The Death of Death,
asserts that “immortality is a real and scientific
possibility that could come much earlier than
originally thought. Humans will die only in
accidents, never of natural causes or illness, by
around the year 2045.” They further maintain that
“Old age starts to be classified as an 'illness' so
that publicly funded research into its 'cure' can
extend.” Cordeiro, who is based at MIT in the USA,
says he has “chosen not to die” and that in 30
years' time, he will be “younger” than he is today.
There is no denying the possibility that that time
may come sooner, rather than later.
If we take care
'loneliness' and
maintain an active
life - mentally and
physically with
decent diet then our
journey of
remaining life can
well be under our
control.
We all want to die gracefully and peacefully. What is really dreadful about death is the suffering
and pain that is associated with the process of dying. Therefore, we are fearful of death because of
uncertainty, physical and emotional pain, and the loss of everything and everyone we have loved
in life. The anxiety that's caused by thoughts of ceasing to be is called death anxiety. Death is the
most fundamental companion to anxiety.
We all want to die gracefully and peacefully.
What is really dreadful about death is the suffering and pain
that is associated with the process of dying
5

Many of us also start to feel “settled” once we enter our late forties or early fifties. Our children
may leave the nest for college or job, get married, start a family…and life becomes comparatively
comfortable and settled as the struggle period is, for the most part, over. At this point, many find
themselves “mellowing out” - and feeling more satisfied with life. This tends to be especially true
when one reaches retirement from active service or a profession, and life becomes more routine
Time is all in the mind.
Its speed varied from time to time.
and habitual. The same routine in the
morning -- going for a walk, practicing yoga,
reading newspapers, checking email, having
breakfast followed by the afternoon leg of
similarly regular activities. This goes on and
on.
Even irrespective of age, we often experience
time subjectively. When we are bored or in
painful situations, time moves slowly. On the
other hand, for one who is watching an
entertaining film or engaged in interesting
conversation, the time flies. In the words of
Albert Einstein, “Put your hand on a hot stove
for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with
a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a
minute. That's relativity.”
6
In the words of
Albert Einstein,
“Put your hand on a hot stove
for a minute, and it seems
like an hour. Sit with a pretty
girl for an hour, and it seems
like a minute. That's
relativity.”

The time displays on our clocks and the time
we all experience is different. Each one of us
experiences time in our own unique way.
Though time is objective, our experience of it is
subjective. Most of us have surely noticed that
time seems to speed up as we age. Now
numerous studies have confirmed this
experience. Time appears to be moving much
faster than it did in our childhood and young
adulthood when, for instance, a single summer
felt like a year. Depending on one's outlook and
experience, the days, months, and years
appear to offer either less or more time than
usual.
Researchers have not,
thus far, been able to
pinpoint the exact reason
or reasons why the
perception of time
changes so radically as
we age. While there
are many theories,
i t re m a i n s a
m y s t e r i o u s
phenomenon. In
2005, two German
re s e a rc h e r s a t
L u d w i g M a x i m i l i a n
University of Munich conducted a very
important study on
time perception.
A r o u n d 5 0 0
participants, ages
14 to 94 years, took
part in the study. They
were asked to fill out
questionnaires relating to
their perception of the passage of time.
Possible answers ranged from “very slowly” to
“very fast.” Results support the popular
consensus that the passage of time seems to
accelerate with age.
Time seems to move faster as we get older.
Results support the
popular consensus
that the passage of
time seems to
accelerate with age.
time seems to speed up
as we age.
7

Recently, another study also concluded that
“Physics is the reason time seems to fly when
you're grown.” According to Adrian Bejan, the
J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of
Mechanical Engineering at Duke University,
''the present is different from the past because
the mental viewing has changed, not because
somebody's clock rings. Days seemed to last
longer in your youth because the young mind
Days seemed to last
longer in your youth
because the young mind
receives more images
during one day than the
same mind in old age."
receives more images during one day than the
same mind in old age." He further explains
that 'the fact that adults have fewer new
experiences than children contributes to the
appearance that time is moving faster.
Therefore, as we get older time becomes
slower because no new experiences and so no
processing of images.
8

When we are young, we continue to experience
new things in life, facing fresh delights and
novel challenges. As we make our way into
adulthood, there may also be a struggle for
better living conditions. At that time,
comparatively speaking, time moves slowly.
On the other hand, when we get older, we
mostly experience repetitive and habitual life,
doing the same things again and again. At that
stage, time, unbroken by nuance, seems to
move much faster. Older people tend to say
they “don't know where the time has gone.”
One convincing explanation of this old/young
difference in time perception is that when we
are getting old, our life often becomes highly
repetitive, routine, and habitual. As there are
hardly any new and unfamiliar experiences, the
brain is not processing new information. Life
remains by and large the same day after day –
its hours smudged in sameness.
During old age, why do the passage of time accelerate.
Can we slow it down?
Now the question arises as to whether we can
slow down the pace of time as we get older?
Yes, we can do it by being open to trying and
experiencing new things in life. By visiting
new places, starting new projects, learning
new languages, reading books and
magazines, and playing mind games like
Sudoku, we can make our life more
interesting and creative. We must also try
to minimize our routines.
What we are required to do is break down the
walls of your comfort zone, come out from the
areas of comfort and ease and start venturing
into new fields, develop new habits, and learn
new skills. All these activities will definitely
help anybody to escape the sense of
loneliness and vulnerability. Secondly, they
will go a long way toward sidestepping age-
related mental diseases like dementia and,
most importantly, help us to lead a healthy
and fulfilling life.
9

There are many effective ways by which we
can manage our aging speed. Depending
upon our lifestyle choices, in a single decade
we can age by fifteen years or just seven years.
Obviously, some age much faster than others.
Many age-related physical symptoms become
very prominent in some people while in
others they appear quite later. As we age,
many starts witnessing increased fatigue,
weakened bones, and ill health; we start
observing wrinkles, age spots, and sagging
skin. Aging is an outcome of complex changes
in our normal biological functions.
We have all the potential
to slow down our aging process
There are many reasons why we age. However,
three well-established triggers of the aging
process are, first, shortening of telomeres, the
tip at each end of chromosomes in our cells;
second, deterioration of the mechanism that
repairs damage to DNA; and lastly,
accumulation of free radicals in the body.
When cells divide chromosomes are replicated
and each daughter cell inherits an identical
pair. Chromosomes are thread-like very minute
structures located inside the nucleus of cells.
Each chromosome is made of protein and a
single molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA).
Aging is an outcome of complex changes
in our normal biological functions.
Telomeres make sure that the DNA gets
copied properly when cells divide. Each time a
cell copies itself, the DNA stays the same but
the telomeres get shorter. A time comes when
telomeres get too short to do their job,
causing our cells to age and stop functioning
properly. Therefore, telomeres act as the aging
clock in every cell. Once telomere length
reaches a particular cut-off point, the cell can
no longer divide and eventually it dies.
10

How telomeres work and why some people
age faster than others still needs to be
answered by scientists. Further, as we age, the
environment and normal cellular processes
cause damage to our genes. This damage
compounds over the course of life and is
known to accelerate aging. Regarding free
radical theory, many of the changes that occur
as our bodies' age are caused by free radicals.
Damage to DNA, protein cross-linking, and
some other changes are attributed to free
radicals. Over time, this damage accumulates,
resulting in aging. That's why, anti-oxidants are
becoming very popular in our diet. They
neutralise free radicals in our body.
Over time, this damage accumulates, resulting in aging.
That's why, anti-oxidants are becoming very popular in our diet.
They neutralise free radicals in our body.
There is no doubt that we have tremendous
power to slow down our aging process. Many
variables that influence how long we live can
be altered. In this age of social media, plenty of
videos go viral every day in which 90-plus
people are dancing, running marathons, and
many other activities which we generally don't
expect at that age. The actions we can take to
increase our odds of a longer and more
satisfying lifetime are really quite simple.
Every day, new research is published on how
to slow down aging. There is a 2019 study that
establishes that positive thinking can result in
an eleven to fifteen percent longer lifespan
and can increase our likelihood of living to eighty-five or older.
The first and the foremost requirement for longevity is that we remain active throughout life. One
undisputed fact about the modern lifestyle is that we humans are becoming less and less active.
The majority still don't move or walk sufficiently during the day. Insufficient physical activity is a
leading risk for many lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, heart and lung diseases, and cancer, and
has a negative effect on mental health and quality of life.
Insufficient physical activity is
a leading risk for many
lifestyle diseases, such as
diabetes, heart and lung
diseases, and cancer, and has a
negative effect on mental
health and quality of life.
11

In fact, people in India are among the world's
laziest, taking an average of 4297 steps in a
day, compared to the world average of about
5,000 steps. Out of 46 countries, India's rank is
39th. For a healthy life, we should take at least
10,000 steps a day. Most of the workday, as we
know, is spent sitting for up to 8-9 hours a day
-- highly harmful for our health.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report ranking countries based on
how physically active their citizens are. Surprisingly, India ranked 117 in the list of 168 nations,
with 34% of our population being far too sedentary. Medical science agrees: there is no
substitute for physical exercise for those seeking a long and healthy life. Also weighing in on
longevity-friendly measures, Harvard Medical School, USA, outlines the following five
mandatory actions (other than the obvious avoidance of smoking):
1. Regular physical and mental exercise/activities daily
2. Eat a healthy diet rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits, and substitute healthier
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for unhealthy saturated fats and trans fats.
Also eat less! Studies have confirmed that eating less helps reduce signs of aging.
3. Maintain a healthy weight and body shape.
4. Challenge your mind. Keep learning and trying new activities (to limit cognitive decline).
Latest medical research has established that to
live longer, we must eat less, means consume
far less calories, what we at present take. The
calorie restriction increases our life span.
Though our tendency is to eat more. To ensure
this, intermittent fasting is becoming a latest
fad. It means we give a long gap during the day.
There is one popular “the 16/8 method” for
fasting. This method involves fasting every day
for 14 to 16 hours and restricting our daily
eating window to 8 to 10 hours. Within the
eating window, we can fit in two, three, or may
be even more meals.
For the purpose of healthy and positive aging,
we can't ignore the significance of maintain
right mix of gut bacteria in our body. More and
more studies have established the role of gut
microbes in our mental and physical health as
well as our overall well-being. The connection
between brain and gut is far more intimate and
deeper than previously understood. Research
has also confirmed that our gut bacteria are
linked to many diseases such as diabetes,
obesity, depression, and heart disease. Just as
we are what we think, 'we are what we eat' is
equally true. The health of our gut bacteria
depends largely on our food habits.
Just as we are what
we think, we are what we eat'
is equally true
12

To maintain a good balance of healthy bacteria in our gut, first of all, we must avoid
excess alcohol and the diet high in saturated fat and animal protein should be avoided
as much as possible. Then we are required to take prebiotic and probiotic supplements
to help improve our gut health. To ensure a healthy population of intestinal bacteria,
the following five actions are very helpful: 1. Eat a wide range of whole, plant-based
foods; 2. Include more fibre in your diet; 3. Avoid highly processed food; 4.Consume
more probiotic and prebiotic foods; and 5. Take a daily supplement of probiotics.
Over and above all, meditation also helps in
slowing the aging process. As we have seen
earlier, the shortening of telomeres is the main
physical reason behind aging, and one of the
main reasons behind this shortening is mental
stress. Numerous studies have established that
meditation practice helps reduce mental
stress to a great extent. Stress is one of the
greatest contributors to lifestyle diseases, the
most outstanding being obesity, diabetes, and
cardiovascular ills.
13

No one dies because of aging. There is almost
always a natural cause of death when we die,
even in very old age, such as diseases or
infections. Major causes of natural deaths are
heart attacks and heart diseases, diabetes,
diarrheal disorders, respiratory/lung diseases,
cancer, Alzheimer's and other kinds of
dementia.
As we get older, most of us slowly and
reluctantly start accepting the inevitability of
death. Our only wish for those final days is to
die gracefully, without pain and suffering. We
don't want to experience uncertainty about
death. One study shows that when people
face imminent death, they start accepting it
and focusing on the positive because they
know they don't have much time left. Absent
soul-searching and acceptance, most people
are uncomfortable in talking about their
death. This is also the reason why very few
write a will, designating distribution of their
assets after they die.
We all want to experience a “good death” after
We must learn the art of
accepting death and dying gracefully
living to the fullest. Looking into what
constitutes a successful or good death, an
important study by researchers at the
University of California, San Diego School of
Medicine, came up with some answers. The
study identified 11 core themes of a good
death: preferences for a specific dying
process, pain-free status, religiosity/
spiritualty, emotional well-being, life
completion, treatment preferences, dignity,
family, quality of life, relationship with
healthcare provider, and “other.”
One study shows that when
people face imminent death,
they start accepting it and
focusing on the positive
because they know they don't
have much time left.
We all want to experience a
“good death”
after living to the fullest.
We all want to experience a
“good death”
after living to the fullest.
14

The top three themes across all stakeholder
groups were preferences for a specific dying
process (94% of reports), pain-free status
(81%), and emotional well-being (64%).
People want to die not only peacefully, but
with some measure of control. No one wants
to suffer pain, which is the biggest fear of all.
To eliminate suffering, euthanasia (the
painless killing of a patient suffering from an
incurable and painful disease, or in an
irreversible coma) or palliative care
(specialized medical care for people living
with a serious illness) are becoming popular
worldwide.
The top concerns for aged people facing
imminent death are first, that their death be
painless; second, that they not become a
burden on others; and thirdly, that they are not
alone near or at their death. Loneliness is a
great concern for many senior citizens. Sadly,
most people do not want to talk about death.
No one wants to suffer pain,
which is the biggest fear of all.
To discuss one's own death is generally taboo,
especially in India. Even family members and
close friends of terminal patients don't dare to
discuss this delicate subject. The fact is, by not
acknowledging and discussing death, we
cause more harm to ourselves. Our quality of
life would be improved considerably if only we
could embrace death gracefully. We must take
death and dying as a natural phenomenon in
life, and work on removing our inhibitions.
In our later most part of life, 3 things are, to my
mind, extremely important. First, we must
continue to follow our passions, spend time,
whatever maximum we can, for pursuing
interests like writing, reading, painting,
photographing, gardening, golf, playing
cards, cleaning, or even gossiping with friends.
We need to lead an active life, to the extent
possible. Lighter exercises like walk, yoga
along with meditation should be done
religiously.
Secondly, we should continue to eat healthy
food along with other medicines and
supplements, as prescribed by doctors.
Thirdly, we shouldn't forget to spend time,
whatever possible with our close friends and
family members. We must avoid to feel
'lonely' and 'boredom, if we stay alone at that
age. There are ways to avoid loneliness even
with the help of digital platforms including
social media.
The fact is, by not
acknowledging and
discussing death,
we cause more
harm to ourselves.
15

Being mindful of death can have a positive
impact on our health and well-being. Our
whole perspective on life will change when we
keep the inevitability of death at the back of
our minds. Our worries and fearful
ruminations will become insignificant. We will
always keep meaningful goals in mind.
Quality of life improves if we think about
death for at least a few moments before we
start each day. This can be possible by way of
mindfulness. Awareness of death will lead to
greater self-awareness and more power of
acceptance. This then opens the heart to more
compassion and empathy for others.
Facing our own death when it becomes a
certainty, as happens in cases of advanced
cancer, is greatly eased by the practice of
mindfulness. It can also be extremely helpful
Awareness of death will lead to greater self-awareness
and more power of acceptance. This then opens the heart to
more compassion and empathy for others.
in alleviating pain. Rather than resisting and
automatically reacting to pain, people can,
through mindfulness, be aware of pain and
accept it nonjudgmentally.
In addition to strong pain- relieving
medications and palliative care, mindfulness
Through mindfulness, one can
accept death more gracefully
and peacefully.
can be a very effective approach to preparing
patients for death. Through mindfulness, one
can accept death more gracefully and
peacefully. Of course, mindful acceptance does
not completely remove the suffering, but it can
reduce the pain and fear of death. Through
acceptance, not only can we calmly
acknowledge the onset of death, but also the
16

There is also a Buddhist meditation practice called Maranasati,
which uses various visualization and contemplation
techniques to meditate on the nature of death.
feelings and thoughts associated with death.
There is also a Buddhist meditation practice
called Maraṇasati, which uses various
visualization and contemplation techniques to
meditate on the nature of death. This is also
known as mindfulness of death or death
awareness. When we forget that we will die, we
tend to lead a habitual and complacent life. We
may even start doing things that we don't
really approve of or wish for ourselves.
Through this meditation practice, we become
more aware and accepting of death as a natural
ending to our life. In Maranasati, practitioners
learn to accept impermanence and suffering,
while also becoming more closely and
intimately aware of death.
Aging is a disease or curse because we're
physically and mentally declining and
eventually we are going to depart the world.
It's finality. It's the mindset and attitude that
determine the course of our journey towards
the end. It can become a blessing, once we
accept inevitability of death wholeheartedly.
We must start seeing aging as a journey of
transition. What kind of journey we will
undertake towards the end of life, can at best
guess? However, one thing is certain that if we
undergo positive aging and the process of
dying then even if we suffer, God forbids,
painful end due to severe illness, we can surely
embrace and accept death gracefully.
17

�ݺ�ߣ

Positive aging

Recommended

More Related Content

More from KANIKACHAWLA13 (13)

Recently uploaded (20)

Positive aging