Of all the countries in the world, Japan boasts the longest average life expectancy, with incredibly low mortality rates from diseases like cancer and ischemic heart disease… so, if you’re keen to live a long and healthy life, it could certainly be worth having a look at what Japanese people do that helps them remain so robust as they get older.
Studies show that diet plays a key part in this longevity, with low mortality rates reflective of low obesity levels and reduced intake of red meat and saturated fatty acids, complemented by high intakes of fish, plant-based food and sugar-free drinks like green tea.
But it’s not just diet that can impact how well you age and it’s just as important to protect your mental health as it is to look after your physical wellbeing.
Links have been established between chronic stress and accelerated ageing, with research revealing that cell telomeres shorten faster, inflammation increases (which leads to pathologies like diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis), and oxidative stress becomes problematic (causing tissue damage).
So, looking to the Japanese again for inspiration, what can you do to bust that stress and start feeling more positive about life once more?
Enter the concept of ikigai, or the Japanese art of happiness!
Loosely translated to mean your purpose for being (‘iki’ meaning ‘to live’ and ‘gai’ meaning ‘reason’), the ikigai philosophy involves finding your true passions in life, no matter how big or how small, those pursuits and activities that motivate us, inspire us and which have value to us.
Finding these activities and indulging will help you to immerse yourself in the present moment, focused entirely on whatever it is you’re doing, without worrying about the end result, what other people think or anything else. You find yourself so anchored in the moment that all your stresses and concerns simply melt away into the background.
Much emphasis is placed upon performing your activities for yourself and no one else, removing any idea of validation, approval or applause. You’re simply doing something for the joy you find in it and nothing more, which in turn will help you build your self-awareness, increase your self-knowledge and become more self-accepting.
By approaching tasks in a more conscious way, you will learn to find happiness and fulfillment in the smallest and most seemingly mundane aspects of life, helping you to live more harmoniously and more positively as time goes on.
To start practising ikigai, think about what you’re good at and what it is you love to do. These two may not actually be exactly the same! The ikigai venn diagram can help you direct your focus appropriately, covering profession, vocation, paid work, what you’re good at, what the world needs, passion, mission and what you love.
Talk to your private nurse if you’re not sure where to begin. The Concept Care team is always on hand to help!
