Healthy Psychosocial Habits We All Need to Age Well and Wisely Monday, March 18, 2024

About six years ago, as Scott Fisher and Ben Green approached their 70th birthdays, the challenges of aging loomed ever larger for these two lifelong friends. Both of us had known people who had reached their eighties and nineties with enduring vitality—but also family members and friends who seemed to have given up on life. Scott, an organizational psychologist, and Ben, a psychoanalyst, were curious about these divergent paths, so they decided to explore together what kept some elders going strong while others lost interest or drive, or both. And they were determined to learn as much as possible about how to make their own elder years as satisfying and fulfilling as possible. In today’s episode, we take a closer look at the outcome of Scott and Ben’s still developing journey—their forthcoming book called “The Aging Wisely Project.” This is their second appearance on 45 Forward, as part of a series probing the concepts in their book, which presents a powerful and immensely useful approach to help propel our understanding of aging forward, especially at a time when public perceptions about “old people” and their mental competence are often badly misinformed. The co-authors propose the emergence of a new, distinct developmental stage of elderhood, which they call “Elder Identity Revision.” Scott and Ben will talk about several critical psychological tasks we face during this period, such as dealing with the loss of control and competence in our lives. They’ll also delve deeply into some of the skills and attitudes (they call them “Healthy Habits”) to address these challenges. By strengthening these healthy habits, they explain, we can make a substantial difference in how we experience this stage of life. “The Aging Wisely Project” offers a compelling journey into old age, and by understanding the psychological tasks that await us—despite the inevitable setbacks—we can bolster our hopes and expectations for improved health and happiness—a meaningful, well-lived life.