Best of 2023: 8 tips for ageing well

While there seems to be an underlying goal in society to prevent aging, the truth is, it comes for all of us.

Here are some of the top tips from 2023 on how to age well.

1. Challenge your own negative stereotypes about ageing 

Ageism is "socially-condoned discrimination" and needs to be challenged by people of all ages, says psychology professor Julie Henry

"It is in everyone's interest to be more positive about ageing ... as a society we have to change and try to value age and ageing more."

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2. 'People who think more positively about ageing are more open to new things'

People who think that "everything gets worse with age" are less motivated to take action, says psychology professor Anna Kornadt.

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3. 'You have to be very, very aware of your body'

At 70, Joan MacDonald was overweight and found it difficult to walk upstairs. Seven years later, she's a bona fide fitness influencer.

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4. 'It's never too late to be happy'

After studying thousands of people's lives, Harvard psychiatry professor Robert Waldinger has seen many people find deep friendship and love in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

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5. 'What you hope for and expect has got a way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy'

Swimming, blogging and dancing make writer Rachel McAlpine's life worth living at 83.

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6. 'The length of a life is not as important as its depth and its breadth'

Writer David Von Drehle's seven-year friendship with his neighbour Charlie White began when the latter was 102 years old. 

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7. 'Examine the moments that have shaped you' 

Reflecting on your own personal story is a way to build self-confidence, says 76-year-old writer Barbara Else.

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8. 'I am very happy with my life'

At 85, best-selling children's author Judy Blume runs a non-profit bookshop in Florida with her husband George.

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