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What is Successful Aging?
Successful aging is defined as “...low probability of disease and disease-related disability, high cognitive and physical functional capacity, and active engagement with life.” Biomedical theories hold that one can age successfully by caring for physical health and minimizing loss in function; while psychosocial theories posit that capitalizing upon social and cognitive resources, such as a positive attitude or social support from neighbors and friends, is key to aging successfully.

Jean Louise Calment exemplifies successful aging as the longest living person, dying at 122 years old. Her long life can be attributed to her genetics as her parents both lived into their 80s, and as a result of her active lifestyle and optimistic attitude. She enjoyed many hobbies and physical activities and believed that laughter contributed to her longevity. She poured olive oil on all of her food and skin, which she believed contributed to her long life and youthful appearance. Psychologists Erik Erikson and Carl Jung developed

Caring for Physical Health
Exercising four to six times a week for thirty to sixty minutes has physical and cognitive effects such as lowering blood sugar and increased neural plasticity. Physical activity reduces loss of function by 10% each decade after the age of 60 and active individuals drop their rate of decline in half. Cardio activities like walking promote endurance while strength, flexibility, and balance can all be improved through Tai Chi, yoga, and water aerobics. Diets containing foods with calcium, fiber, and potassium are especially important for successful aging while eliminating foods with high sodium or fat content. A well-balanced diet can increase resistance to disease and improve management of chronic health problems thus making nutrition an important factor in successful aging. Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, Life Span Development Theory Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development describes the eight stages of life a healthy individual passes through, beginning from infancy and ending in late adulthood. The last three stages (Early Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, and Late Adulthood) are the stages which are important to keep in mind when studying the field of Adult Development. ·

Establishing Appropriate Goals and Expectations for the Aging Process
Perceiving that one is aging successfully is dependent upon establishing realistic goals and expectations for one’s aging process. There are three primary models that describe goal-setting and realistic expectations for each stage in adult development: 1) Selective Optimization with Compensation Model (SOC); 2) Selective Optimization with Compensation - Emotion Regulation (SOC-ER); and 3) Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST). SOC states that older adults are selective in choosing goals that optimize certain significant skills, while compensating for the loss of others. SOC-ER posits that older adults compensate for the loss of internal and external emotion-regulation resources through selecting and optimizing alternative forms of emotion regulation. Older adults chose emotion regulation strategies that are maintenance-based. And finally, SST suggests that as older adults begin to perceive that time is limited, they become more selective, devoting more of their narrowing resources to emotionally meaningful goals. This extends to a significant preference for positive over negative information in attention and memory among older adults, known as the positivity effect. Over time, adults shift their goal focus away from mastering new information or skillsets and towards maintaining physical and socio-emotional wellbeing.

Physical and cognitive declines associated with aging create challenges to one’s sense of personal control and autonomy. The degree to which one believes that one has control and autonomy influences one’s behavior, relationships, physical health, cognitive functioning, and goal setting. Preservation of personal control can be achieved via assimilative activities, accommodations, and immunizing strategies.

Optimizing Mental Well-being
Mental stimulation and optimism are necessary for successful aging. Adults who participate in intellectually stimulating activities every day are more likely to maintain their cognitive faculties and are less likely to show a decline in memory abilities. Mental exercise activities such as crossword puzzles, spatial reasoning tasks, and other mentally stimulating activities can help adults increase their brain fitness. Additionally, researchers have found that optimism, community engagement, physical activity and emotional support can help older adults maintain their resiliency as they continue through their life span.

Managing Stress and Developing Coping Strategies
Cognitive, physical, and social losses, as well as gains, are to be expected throughout the lifespan. Older adults typically self-report having higher sense of well-being than their younger counterparts because of their emotional self-regulation. Researchers use the theory of Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory to explain how adults compensate for changes to their mental and physical abilities, as well as their social realities. Older adults can use both internal and external resources to help cope with these changes.

The loss of loved ones and and ensuing grief and bereavement are inevitable parts of life. Positive coping strategies are used when faced with emotional crises, as well as when coping with everyday mental and physical losses. Adult development comes with both gains and losses, and it is important to be aware and plan ahead for these changes in order to age successfully.