Engaging in challenging and creative activities in outdoor environments can maintain and advance skills in later years.
Overcoming risk aversion and stress through dynamic play and forgiveness can unlock cognitive superpowers and enhance empathy.
Managing stress levels through creative activities and mindfulness techniques can reduce inflammation and promote a vibrant and fulfilling later life.
Deep dives
Unlocking New Skills in Later Life
The traditional belief about aging is that our physical and mental skills decline over time, but recent research suggests that these skills are user-to-lose-it skills. By consistently engaging in challenging and creative activities that demand dynamic deliberate play in novel outdoor environments, we can maintain and even advance our skills well into our later years. Outdoor activities that require strength, stamina, flexibility, balance, and agility, such as park skiing, can be effective in promoting cognitive reserve, neurogenesis, and the development of robust neural networks. Additionally, a positive mindset towards aging, along with self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others, can enhance empathy, wisdom, and overall well-being in the aging process.
Overcoming Risk Aversion and Stress
One of the challenges in accessing cognitive superpowers in our 50s is overcoming risk aversion and stress. When we are stressed or fear failure, our brain limits our choices and narrows our focus, hindering creativity and hindering the ability to access new skills and perspectives. By engaging in dynamic, deliberate play and pushing boundaries in novel outdoor environments, we can train down our risk aversion and cortisol levels, allowing us to tap into creativity, cognitive superpowers, and enhanced empathy. Practicing self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others are also crucial in unlocking these cognitive benefits and maintaining overall mental well-being.
Inflammation, Stress, and Aging
Inflammation has been identified as the root cause of the nine known causes of aging. Stress is closely tied to inflammation and aging, and the hyper-vigilance and increased stress experienced during the pandemic may have long-term effects on aging. By actively managing stress levels through creative activities, dynamic play, and practicing mindfulness techniques, we can reduce inflammation and its negative impact on the aging process. By adopting a proactive and resilient mindset, we can navigate the challenges of aging and cultivate a vibrant and fulfilling later life.
Reigniting the Seeking System for Peak Performance Aging
As we age, our brains have the capacity to develop new neurons. The hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and emotion, is designed to be most active in novel outdoor environments. By engaging in activities that stimulate the seeking system, such as exploring new outdoor environments, we can enhance the brain's neuroplasticity and improve cognitive function. This revelation challenges the notion that older individuals cannot learn new things and highlights the importance of embracing new experiences to optimize brain health and performance.
The Coping Mechanism of 'Getting Geezered'
A common mindset among people as they age is to believe that they are too old to engage in certain activities. This mindset is often a result of fear and a desire to avoid potential harm or injury. However, research shows that habitual self-assessments of being old can actually hinder cognitive performance and physical capabilities. By reframing limitations as fear-based coping mechanisms rather than simply being due to age, individuals can overcome barriers and tap into their full potential at any age.
Steven Kotler, NYT Best-Selling Author and member of the Flow Research Collective, re-joins the DTFH!
Pre-order Steven's new book, Gnar Country, available everywhere you get your books! If you'd like to learn more about Steven you can also check out his site, StevenKotler.com.
