Can You Flex Your Attitude?

You may be great at exercises to keep your body bendy, but how flexible is your mind? Try these ideas to enjoy an ageless attitude

- Honey Langcaster-James

An ageless attitude doesn’t mean staying or acting ‘young’ and it isn’t about skinny jeans or magic creams. If your focus is on fighting the years, then you’re still viewing yourself and the world around you through the age cage. An ageless attitude means throwing out the calendar, disregarding the decades gone by, or how many might be left, and living life to the full. It means making the most of all that life can offer. Life coach Dr Nicola Bunting and psychologist Honey Langcaster-James give their top tips.

1 SEEK OUT THE NEW

When we’re younger, we are programmed to explore, to seek out novelty and new experience, but with time we’re naturally more inclined to repeat routines – from our regular hairdresser to where we shop, to the type of food we like and, of course, our attitudes to life’s issues and conundrums.

On one level, it’s good that, by now, we know what we like. But on another, it shuts us down to the full range of possibility outside of our bubble. Familiarity also speeds the passing of the seasons. Of course, you may already be one of those who does seek out the new and loves to try something different, but it still pays to look at all of your habits, even the day-to-day ones. Consider how you spend your time and ask yourself why. Does it sit well? Is it the best you can do? Then think about how flexible you are mentally. Life is changing in so many ways… an ageless attitude is curious; it wants to be informed and engaged. Make your year different. Take up a new sport. Experiment with a new hairstyle. Read a different type of book. Forsake your local for a new eatery in an unknown neighbourhood. Investigate a day course in something you’ve never tried. The more flexible you are, and open to new experience, the more ageless you’ll become.