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We’re all aware by now that if we are 50ish and healthy, there is a decent chance we will live well into our 90s, and the possibility of our hitting triple digits isn’t the Guinness Book anomaly it once was. But while we are conditioned to want to live as long as possible, most of us haven’t considered what happens to us—and society at large—when a growing legion of centenarians are no longer the exception but the rule.

Laura Carstensen, PhD, professor of psychology at Stanford University and founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, recently released a report called “The New Map of Life” that suggests that the 100-year life is indeed here, and that we might not be ready for it. The study, which was funded in part by the Annenberg and Eisner foundations, originated in 2018, when 50 experts, including academics, scientists, and educators, convened over a two-day period to solve for the practical, medical, societal, and cultural implications of an aging population. The study took into account the findings from a 2017 survey that pointed to pervasive fears around aging, namely the looming threat of cognitive decline (Alzheimer’s and dementia) and insufficient savings. The initial conversation turned into a multiyear study, with a mission to think holistically about health span—prioritizing not just medical but also far less quantifiable measures, like fulfillment, growth, and purpose.

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Here are some of Carstensen’s takeaways for where the culture is headed, and how we can stay engaged, healthy, and content for decades to come.

We’re going to have to work longer and smarter to make it to the finish line

How is it that our so-called peak earning years coincide with our peak parenting years? According to Carstensen, in the future, we may work fewer days and hours during child-rearing years and longer ones as we enter our 60s and 70s, which, of course, makes all the sense in the world. She predicts that employers will come to recognize that people want to work well into their 70s and create policies and new approaches to accommodate a productive and engaged aging workforce.

“For a 100-year life, we are going to have 60 years or more of working in order to have more income over a longer period of time,” she explains. “But we are all going to work differently. Over this new long working life, we will have lots of flexibility built into our various life stages.”

Second acts will be the norm, not the exception

It seemed unthinkable at the time that Martha Stewart birthed her media empire just before turning 50. With a growing number of able-minded and healthy octogenarians and nonagenarians, there will naturally be many more people launching careers in their 50s and 60s. Future generations, Carstensen says, may have multiple careers over their 60 years or more of working. When you see that Martha is 81 and going strong (hello, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover!), this starts to feel possible.

It’s time to embrace the multigenerational workplace…

For the first time in the history of mankind, there will be five generations in the workplace and in our lives. Studies show that older workers bring stable, experienced perspectives, while younger workers bring innovative thinking. The benefits of tapping into the intergenerational strengths will force businesses to rethink their workforces. Working together in a formalized way is one of the findings for the future of work.

…And multigenerational social circles, too

“Younger people can’t be ready for a 100-year life if they can’t imagine what a good version could look like,” Carstensen says. A growing elderly population, she predicts, will give rise once again to the kinds of intergenerational communities we all originated from—the kind in which shoving off to retirement communities isn’t necessarily the norm. Staving off isolation, ie., being a part of a broader community, is critical to happiness in old age. Exposure to younger people will prevent older people from stagnating, while these new kinds of communities will model to younger generations what a vibrant and fulfilled 70-, 80-, or 90-year-old life looks like.

We’ll all need to be forever students

Central to a long and fulfilling life is to never stop learning. “Formal education levels are the best predictor of a happy long life and happy aging,” says Carstensen. “But we have to stop thinking that education ends in our 20s. Our brains need stimulus. We need to constantly learn new things in order to create successful aging.”

Being a newbie is a cognitive superpower

Staying cognitively nimble, however, isn’t limited to doing crossword puzzles, which don’t really give the brain the full workout it needs. It’s a little like just walking on the treadmill without lifting weights, or stretching as the sum total of your exercise. While the crossword is certainly useful, it doesn’t facilitate the kind of neural stimulation that’s critical for continued growth. Cartstensen recommends engaging in something new, such as studying a language, learning how to play a musical instrument, or having an immersive travel experience.

“Your brain doesn’t know if you are in a classroom,” she says. “Learning can take place anywhere. The key is to never stop taking on something new.”

Commitment to successful aging isn’t up to the individual alone

Stanford’s New Map of Life also focuses on how society and government need to help align life span to health span, requiring investments in public health at every life stage, particularly for those affected by poverty, discrimination, and environmental damage. The importance of movement and exercise as perhaps the greatest predictor of health span can’t be overstated.

“On the individual level, we all need to focus on our functional health. A very simple start is to get up and move every day. Get out of the house. We all sit too much. Exercise in any form has a major impact on us physically, mentally, and for positive aging,” says Carstensen.

Any content published by Oprah Daily is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should not be regarded as a substitute for professional guidance from your healthcare provider.

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