There’s no doubt that a positive attitude can support healthier aging. In fact, studies show that staying positive and optimistic as you get older can be as health-promoting for you as exercising or eating well. And as we’ve previously noted, Yale professor Becca Levy’s research has found that positive attitudes about aging can extend your life expectancy by up to 7.5 years. But the question is, how do you stay positive given all that goes on in the world, much less your own life?

We’ve got a few bits of expert advice and experiential wisdom to share with you for this challenge.  First, in case you missed its publication, Margarita Magnusson (author of the previous bestseller The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter) recently published a new book, The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You. Wishing to share her philosophy for aging joyfully, Magnusson reveals her accumulated wisdom from living her 86 years in Swedish culture. In a recent interview in The New York Times, she shared 3 “tips” for staying joyful, even when all is not well. First, she ascribes to the Swedish notion of kärt besvär, which is looking for the positive even when caught up in the negative. As she states, “There seems no other choice than to see every nuisance as something that I must find a way to cherish.” Second, she recommends that you surround yourself with younger people (something agebuzz blogger Alice Herb also recommends!). Break out of the age segregation weighing down your life, and invite lively conversation (and food consumption) with some younger folks! Finally, she advises that you say “yes” whenever possible. Opening yourself up to new experiences keeps you curious and cognitively boosted and out and about. As Magnusson reveals, “I’ve found having a closed mind ages me more quickly than anything else.”

Writing a recent post in Psychology Today, Professor Patricia Prijatel wants to encourage us to see ourselves as active essential members of society. As she writes, “Opportunities can lurk in your future, no matter how many digits it takes.” Moreover, she implores you to just stop thinking of yourself as old. Forget about how you’re supposed to act at whatever age you are. In fact, she believes that all of us who have reached our later years have the responsibility to combat society’s ageist attitudes by talking about the joys and positives in our lives and sharing them on social media. As she declares, “Aging is a fact but it doesn’t need to be The Fact that manages our lives. People like me need to stop calling ourselves old.”

Speaking of sharing words of wisdom on social media to combat ageism, meet Ann Russell, known as Tik Tok Auntie, with over 2 million followers on her Tik Tok page. She remains positive and cheerful, despite some difficulties, and states it comes down to being “comfortable.” While she believes she has a long life ahead, she lives each day as if it were her last and never loses the opportunity to tell family and friends she loves them. To find out more, break out in a smile and click here.

Finally, if you want to create a positive attitude going forward, research has found that putting something pleasant on the calendar can turn your attitude from negative to positive. It doesn’t have to be something grandiose or expensive but creating a fun or pleasing activity to look forward to perks up your brain and gives you a sense of control over the otherwise unknown future. So schedule that pedicure and plan for the positive by reading more here.