Enhancing positive perceptions of aging by savoring life lessons

Jennifer L. Smith · Fred B. Bryant

61 citations0/0 files storedAging & Mental Health

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Aging and Gerontology Research Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction Aging, Health, and Disability

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effects of savoring valuable life lessons on perceptions of aging and on well-being among older adults. METHOD: A total of 303 adults (mean age = 68.12 years) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: savoring life lessons (n = 95), reflecting on negative aspects of aging (n = 129), or untreated-control condition (n = 79). Participants in the savoring condition wrote about a valuable lesson they had learned in growing older, whereas participants in the negative-aging condition wrote about physical losses they had experienced in aging. RESULTS: After controlling for baseline happiness, health, gender, and age, participants who savored valuable life lessons reported greater positive perceptions of aging and life satisfaction, compared to participants in the negative-aging and untreated-control conditions. There were no differences across conditions in negative perceptions of aging or in anxiety. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that savoring valuable life lessons could be an effective addition to psychoeducational programs designed to improve perceptions of aging.

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2021A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological interventions to improve mental wellbeing 2021Reducing anxiety in the foreign language classroom: A positive psychology approach 2021Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring 2019Relational Savoring Reduces Physiological Reactivity and Enhances Psychological Agency in Older Adults

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