Concluding life, finishing in your own way. The keys are staying active for life and choosing your own medication.
"After retirement, men who just lounge around the house are seen as a nuisance by their families, and if they try to go for a walk, they are disliked by their dogs because they get dragged along multiple times a day."
This was said jokingly by someone, but to live a rich life until the very end, we need actions and habits that lead to my own version of 'staying active for life.' In particular,
it might be important to shift your perspective from
working because you are healthytobecoming healthy because you work.
About 50 years ago, Nagano Prefecture, which had the second-highest stroke mortality rate in the country, became number one in average life expectancy thanks to health promotion campaigns. It still ranks high today.
Why did the average life expectancy increase so much in such a short period? An organization called the National Health Insurance Association conducted a survey and found something.
They expected things like 'eating more vegetables' or 'exercising' because people were generally healthy, but what was statistically significant was
that the employment rate of the elderly is the highest in Japan.
It seems that in this inland prefecture, many elderly people are engaged in small-scale farming, and being able to continue working at their own pace was a major factor.
Come to think of it, Queen Elizabeth reportedly carried out her official duties with a smile until two days before she passed away.
Also, a study in the United States on people over 100 years old found an important commonality that applied to almost all of them. That is,
currently working,
or having worked until recently.
Conversely, there is research suggesting that retiring (reaching retirement age, quitting) shortens life expectancy by five years.
I myself once lived a life that felt like being a shut-in.
I thought I had plenty of 'time just for me' and could do whatever I liked, whether it was reading or playing games. In fact, it was fun at first, but it gradually became mentally difficult.
That was because thoughts like 'I am not needed,' 'I am not useful for anything,' and 'What about me...' grew, and my interactions with people decreased drastically.
There is a term called 'volunteer high,' and interacting with people or feeling that you are useful to others and making them happy is a source of vitality.
In fact, there is research showing that people who do volunteer work have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and live about five years longer than those who do not.
Even after retirement, doing something to contribute to others or society is important for your own healthy life expectancy and contribution lifespan.
For example, I think the following things would be fine:
・Growing vegetables in a field and sharing them.
・Participating in cleaning groups to keep public facilities and local schools clean.
・Participating in 'reading aloud volunteer' activities at libraries or schools.
・Participating in book clubs and sharing your own experiences while expressing your thoughts.
・Participating in festivals or local events and helping out.
...
From a neuroscience perspective, it is known that being kind to others releases a happiness hormone called 'oxytocin'.
Even if you are financially independent, it seems important to have time to stay active for life and connect with people or do things that contribute to others.Also, what elderly people who are over 100, lively, healthy, and living without needing anyone's care have in common is・Moving (working) a lot・Eating well
・Living with curiosity
・Doing things in their own way
It seems.
Health is important, but we don't live for the sake of health, so if you become too obsessed and 'that itself becomes a sickness,' it is putting the cart before the horse.
In particular, it might be okay to gradually reduce checkups and treatments after reaching old age (after 60).
In fact,
a foundation of American internal medicine specialists is conducting a campaign called 'Choosing Wisely.' Simply put, it is a movement to choose wise medical examinations and treatments.
In Japanese hospitals, many medicines are prescribed, but medicine, in a sense, has both pros and cons.
Even if it is positive for one part, it has negative effects on other parts as side effects.
You need to be careful because drugs that lower blood pressure or cholesterol often lead to other ailments if taken continuously.
Statistically, it is known that for elderly people over 70, the lower the cholesterol, the higher the mortality rate.
Therefore, while it might have been necessary until 70, after 70, you should be able to have the option to 'stop taking medicine' while thinking about the future.When thinking about life expectancy, refraining from eating things you like or giving up habits due to examinations and treatments is actually negative for your health, or it can lead to regrets like 'I wish I had done that.'Of course, if you are in your prime and cannot afford to collapse now, regular checkups and daily care are important, but from around 70, if you are restricted by examinations and treatments just to extend your life, you will lose sight of 'what you are living for.'For someone with a predicted life expectancy of less than 10 years, it might be meaningless to undergo cancer screening.
Even if cancer is found after 80, considering the remaining life expectancy and way of life, you might choose not to undergo surgery or intense (physically burdensome) treatment. This is because thinking about and acting on how to live a rich and fulfilling life until the end of your life leads to a better life than treatment.
Concluding life, finishing in your own way.
At that time, valuing connections with people, not stopping 'working,' and choosing medication (treatment) yourself seem to be the keys.
Thank you for reading this far.
I hope there is a word or lesson that remains in your heart.