Glass Half Full
Glass Half Full
Rewriting How We Think About Aging With Dr. Corinne Auman
Most of what we’ve been taught about aging is wrong—and it’s quietly shaping how we live, work, and show up for each other. With gerontologist Dr. Corinne Auman, we swap the “over the hill” narrative for something more honest and far more hopeful: Keenagers—older adults who stay keen, engaged, and purposeful.
We trace Corinne’s path from rural North Carolina to the classroom and into real-world care management, where she sees 70-year-olds advocating for their 90-year-old parents and launching new ventures. We unpack why language matters—how a single word can open space for dignity—and we get practical about what truly drives a great later life. Lifestyle accounts for the majority of our aging experience, which means movement, social ties, learning, and purpose are non-negotiable. We connect the dots to Blue Zones and to cultures like Japan, where elders remain woven into daily life, and we talk candidly about the mental toll of retirement when purpose disappears.
This conversation is equal parts mindset shift and field guide. You’ll learn how to spot ageism in everyday moments, replace limiting scripts with stronger ones, and design a plan that goes beyond money: legal basics, weekly routines, intellectual spark, and community anchors. Corinne shares simple practices for mental health and why even with illness, adaptive joy—like Parkinson’s dance classes—keeps agency alive. If you’ve ever said “I’m too old for that,” consider this your invitation to rewrite the line.
Listen now, share this with someone who needs a brighter map for their next chapter, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Want more conversations like this? Subscribe and tell us the one aging myth you’re ready to retire.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinneauman/
https://www.instagram.com/keenagersbook/
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, wherever you are in the world, and welcome to another episode of Glass Half-Full, a podcast and a safe platform where we talk with a variety of teachers, entrepreneurs, spiritualists, uplifters, givers, takers, and serenaders. Everyone has a lesson to learn and a lesson to share. Let's use our life experiences to enrich someone's heart, mind, spirit, and soul. Through sharing our experiences, we can be a learning inspiration for one another. I'm your host, Chris Levins. If you love the show and want to support us, you can become a monthly subscriber or make a one-time donation. Just look for the heart icon or the support link on our podcast platform. We're so grateful for your continued support. It helps us keep making this show even better. Let's welcome today's guest. Today's guest is Dr. Corinne Allman. Dr. Corinne Allman is a recognized gerontologist with over 20 years of experience working directly with older adults and their families. And is the author of Teenagers Telling a New Story about aging. She is a nationally certified guardian, certified senior advisor, and an advanced professional member of the Aging Life Care Association. She received her PhD from North Carolina State University, where she studied developmental psychology with a specialty in adulthood and aging. Dr. Allman speaks to audiences about aging in America and the real world, how it impacts the impact of it, of the age bias. As a gerontologist with a profound commitment to making a difference, Dr. Allman continues to champion the cause of older adults and their families. Her multifaceted approach, encompassing caregiving, education, activism, and authorship positions her as a true advocate for a new narrative around aging. Let's welcome Dr. Corinne Aumann. Hello, hello, hello.
Dr. Auman:Thanks for having me. It's you know, it's it's wonderful to hear your buyer read and also slightly like, oh my.
Chris:Well, hey, you know what? We we we for people who don't know you, I think it's great. You know, we get an idea about who you are and your education. So it's all right, you deserved all of it. Just soak it in. Just soak it in.
Dr. Auman:I earned it. I know.
Chris:Yes, ma'am, you have. Yes, ma'am, you have. And first, let me welcome you to Glass Half Full. We are so happy to have you a guest as a guest today. Thank you so much.
Dr. Auman:Yeah, thanks for having me.
Chris:Can you tell everyone where you are in the world and what time it is, please?
Dr. Auman:I am currently in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it is 8 09 a.m.
Chris:Excellent. Thank you for this morning chat for sure. And how is the weather today?
Dr. Auman:Well, I'm at home today because it was supposed to be snowy and icy and awful outside. So everything is canceled, like my kids' school and everything. But what it actually has done is just rained. So it's very disappointing. Oh my gosh.
Chris:Wow. Okay. Well, thank you for your time today for sure. Okay, we're gonna jump right on in. I like to ask all my guests this first question. I believe that our lives are in spiritual design. Can you share your life layout or blueprint with everyone? This is how you grew up, family lifestyle.
Dr. Auman:So I grew up not far from where I live now in uh North Carolina, out in the countryside. Technically, I lived beside my grandparents, but when I say beside, I mean there was a giant field in between our houses. So it's not like it wasn't like a neighborhood where you know the house is right next door kind of thing, really out in the countryside with a barn and cows and hay fields and all the things. And so that kind of rural experience was wonderful. It was wonderful to grow up that way, but also as an adult has made me go, I want to live near civilization, please. So it has it has impacted my choices of location as an adult because when you're when you're out in the countryside like that as a kid, you have all that space to roam, but there are no friends close by. And and getting anything, you know, getting food, getting going to the grocery store was, you know, a trip into town and a big, a big deal. So yeah, it has certainly shaped my choices as an adult.
Chris:I love that. And so tell us about your your family going up. Do you have siblings? Were there any pets?
Dr. Auman:Oh, sure. So again, we grew up, I grew up right next door to my grandparents, and I have one older brother. Okay, and a million and a half pets over the years again when you're out out in the middle of nowhere, you can have less.
Chris:Right, yeah.
Dr. Auman:So cows, horses, dogs, cats. I don't think we ever had any really unusual pets. We did have a ferret for a while. He was really mean, he would bite you, so that wasn't great. A rabbit, we had a rabbit for a while, so yeah, lots of animals, lots of activity going on all the time.
Chris:Okay, so you guys were a lively family. Was there any religion in the family at all?
Dr. Auman:We I grew up United Methodist. So yes, church every Sunday, church Wednesday night, all those things.
Chris:Nice. And tell us about your early education. I mean, like in as far as like university student and that.
Dr. Auman:Okay, I started to say, you want me to talk about, you know, going to elementary school?
Chris:No, ma'am.
Dr. Auman:How far back are we going? No, so I went my undergraduate work was at Elon University, which is here in North Carolina, and then I went to graduate school at North Carolina State University, which is in Raleigh, and got my PhD there.
Chris:And this is back to back. You went from undergrad to I went straight through.
Dr. Auman:School and I I was advised that if you if I quit and I started making money, I would never go back. This is a real deal.
Chris:As a person who's in the master's program currently, like, yeah, it's easier when you just get it all done. But yeah, they were.
Dr. Auman:I just I I was used to being broke and going to school, and I just continued to be broke and to go to school. And I didn't even really, you know, it didn't even phase me. So that's yeah, I just went straight through.
Chris:Wow. Wow, okay. And so what is your first job that you get outside of after having all of these degrees in education? I mean, in degrees.
Dr. Auman:Yeah. Yeah. My first real job was uh my first grown-up job was as an assistant professor of psychology at a at Presbyterian College, which is in South Carolina.
Chris:Good job.
Dr. Auman:Yeah, it was a great job. And uh that was my first. Once I actually finished all my degrees and everything, that was my first job.
Chris:Now, did that have anything to do with aging at all? Did that to compare to what you're doing now, does it have any relation at all or is completely something separate?
Dr. Auman:Yeah, so developmental developmental psychology is study of how we change across the lifespan. And when you when you do work in that area, you have to pick an age group to specialize in. And so my specialty is adulthood and aging. And so I I was teaching classes on lifespan development. I was also teaching classes specifically on aging. So absolutely it it had direct ties to what I do now.
Chris:So, what inspired you to dedicate your life to this reframing about how we think about aging?
Dr. Auman:My original interest in working with older adults really stems from living next door to my grandparents. That that, you know, I I lived next door to them, I was with them every day, I adored them. And, you know, I think most people who work with older adults in any way, their story about why they got interested often has to do with their grandparents or some older adult that they knew or were around as a child that, you know, really impacted their life. And so that's where the interest originally came from. And then I went on and got my my degree and everything, and my switch to kind of where I am now, kind of moving out of academia into working in the real world with older adults, really came about because I watched my mom as my grandparents aged, I watched my mom try to care for them and try to figure out what to do next and make mistakes along the way. And I really thought, why isn't there somebody who helps you do this? And then that led to me starting my business, which is as a care manager. And so we help people kind of navigate caring for their aging loved ones. We we advocate for them, we give advice, we help structure in-home care, we do all kinds of work to support families who are going through that. And to finally get to your question about you know, trying to reframe how we think about aging. When I started my business back in 2012, I really thought I was gonna work with 40-year-olds who were caring for 70-year-old parents because in my mind, according to the stereotypes, you know, seven 70-year-olds are the ones who need care, right? What I actually do is work with 70-year-olds who are caring for their 90-something year old parents.
Chris:I was about to say, you're gonna say they're caring for the 40-year-old. Like, okay. No, what it's it's wow, that's impressive, though.
Dr. Auman:It's different. It is so different than what you think it's going to be. And nothing has shown me that more than this work where, you know, it's it's a 69, 70, 72-year-old calling me saying, Yeah, my 93-year-old mom's been living at home and she's been totally independent until you know something has happened and now they need help coordinating her care. But it's not, I mean, very we do occasionally get a 70-year-old who's not in good health and needs care, but that is that is the exception, not the rule. And and I think our stereotypes about aging make people think that that's the rule, that that by 70, yeah, you're you know, headed downhill. And these 70-year-olds, and some of them they're they're starting new businesses, they're still working, they're and why not, right?
Chris:Why not?
Dr. Auman:Yes, they're doing all kinds of things that really surprise you, but also, I mean, inspire you. I I am really looking forward to this now, and I I don't know if our stereotypes make people think that that's something they will look forward to.
Chris:This is true. This is so true. I'm wondering, so how old are your are your parents still living?
Dr. Auman:Mm-hmm. My parents are both 81.
Chris:Okay, so how has this helped you to be able to care for them as they have stepped into these this their their wiser years?
Dr. Auman:Sure. So they the the term I use for kind of this these early years of older adulthood, right? So like 65 to 75, even up to 80 is what I call your teenager years with the K. And and my parents have both been very active teenagers. They, you know, my dad, even now, his health has declined some, but he is still, you know, any day he can get out and go be doing something on the farm, he is he is out doing something on the farm. Now he weather will slow him down. I like today. And if it's really cold, he doesn't want to go outside so much, but he's still doing and engaging and um out there at 81, engaging with the world, getting stuff done. So they have definitely been teenagers all along. My mom is in very good health at 81 and does some caregiving for my dad, but you know, is out there getting it done too. So they are they are exactly the kind of thing that I see all the time in my practice, in that, you know, they're they're still kicking it and doing great at an age when we would think that maybe they wouldn't be. Yeah, exactly. And like I said, their health is their health is not perfect by any means. And I'm not sometimes when I talk to people about reframing how we think about aging, people go, Oh, you know, you're just trying to like, you know, put lipstick on a pig.
Chris:This is it is really bad.
Dr. Auman:I'm not I'm not trying to say everything is going to be perfect and that your health is gonna be perfect, and that you're gonna feel at 81 like you felt at 40. But what I am saying is it's a lot better and then people think it is.
Chris:This is it. This is it. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Oh, wow, so good. So you've used the word teenagers, and your book is called Keenagers with a K. So, how did you come up with that name? And what does it represent in your own words?
Dr. Auman:Okay, so I'm gonna start with what it represents. So the defin the definition of keen means highly developed or having a really strong interest in something, like being keen on something or keen on somebody. And the I love that as a word for describing older adulthood because our older adults are highly developed, they do still have really strong interests in activities, in life, in work. They're not withdrawing from the world and sitting on their front porch in their rocking chair, right? They're out here doing stuff. And so I think the word is really appropriate. I struggled so hard to find a positive word to talk about aging because if you just Google synonyms for older adult, the words are almost all negative. You know, it's it's codger, crone, old coot. Oh my god. I mean, it's terrible. It's terrible. There are a few there are a few words that are kind of neutral, like active ager or senior or just older adult itself, but there are no really like positive words.
Chris:And they sound gray, they sound dark, they sound heavy and dark, you know, like yeah, nothing sounds, you know, teenager sounds cute. It's like, oh, that's you know, that's a little something. You know, you you flip your shoulder, you maybe toss your hair a little bit on that one. But the other one, exactly, you feel like, oh, that's not me.
Dr. Auman:Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so, well, you know, and language is really powerful. So true. The way we talk about something impacts how we think about it.
Chris:Yes.
Dr. Auman:And so if I'm going to try to reframe how you're thinking about aging, if we're gonna talk about it in a positive way, I have got to have positive words to use for that discussion. And so I was really struggling. I was trying to find positive words, I had nothing. And a friend of mine and I were sitting around one night waiting for our kids to get out of dance class. And I was telling her this. I was like, I can't, I gotta come up with a word, and I don't have a word. And so we were throwing out everything we could think of. And she finally called her mom and said, who was in her 70s, and said, Mom, what do you and your friends like to be called? And it was her mom who said, Oh, we call ourselves teenagers. And I was like, There it is, you know, the clouds parted, the sunshine down. Yeah, exactly. I was like, That I love that. I love that word, I love the positive connotation. I think the definition of keen is perfect, and thus a brand was born.
Chris:I love it. I love and you know, I love that you really give credit to the mama. I don't know who what's her name. Do you know the mama's name?
Dr. Auman:Jane.
Chris:Jane. Let's get let's give Jane a little love. You know, yeah, Jane. And I appreciate that you have brought it all the way back to Jane because you know, the people, the time periods are different. You know, my mom's time period, my grandma, they were so wise or still are very wise. My mom is still living. But the things then experiences and they were just amazing. And if you don't have that in your life, I feel as a young person, you're kind of missing out because, you know, there's so many uh imposter things with social media that are happening in life that we don't get those real genuine old school ways and methods of living. So I love that, and I love that she gave it to you. That's awesome. Awesome. Love the name. Love the name. Do you have t-shirts? Are there t-shirts out? Like, like, can we get a t shirt?
Dr. Auman:You can. If you go to my website, there's a store link.
Chris:Oh see, look, look.
Dr. Auman:There are there are t shirts, there are notebooks, there are water bottles. There's anything I want that uh there's stickers, you can have a sticker for your computer.
Chris:Love it. You You weren't kidding. There's a full brand. There's a full brand. We love it besides the book. Oh, great. So I want to ask, since we're talking about the book, what is it that you want people to walk away with after reading the book?
Dr. Auman:I want people to walk away with an understanding that they have tremendous control over how their aging experience is going to go. A lot of it has to do with your mindset, kind of questioning the stereotypes that we are surrounded by all the time. If you're in a Western culture, you are in an ageist culture, one that is biased against older people and honestly often does not treat them very well. And a lot of the time we don't even question or realize the stereotypes that we are being kind of be bombarded with every day, you know, with advertisements, with birthday cards, with ageist jokes. I mean, we we really find it very acceptable to make ageist statements about people or to assume things about people based on their age. And I want people to understand that you can question that, that you can hear an ageist joke and go, is that true? Or why would you even say that? And or even in your own, I always say that fighting ageism is an inside job in the sense that it has to first start in your own head. So I want people to stop and like if you're getting dressed and you've got an outfit and you're thinking, oh man, I am too old to wear this.
Chris:There you go. Yep.
Dr. Auman:Why, why are why are you thinking that? Or and I I mean, this is a fight that is internal for me too, because I find myself sometimes saying things. I had a I had some AirPods that I couldn't get to connect to my phone, and I was getting really frustrated. And I said out loud, oh, these are my old headphones. They're just tired and cranky. And my husband looked at me and he said, You know that's ageist, right?
Chris:Yes, husband. Yes, get you together.
Dr. Auman:Oh, oh no. Uh so I mean, so I and like I said that.
Chris:Thank you for your trick.
Dr. Auman:And it didn't even cross my mind that I am making a a completely ageist statement. And that's the kind of thing I want people to start to question, to start to think about, and then to fight that battle, because we're not, I I am not going to be able to change ageism in society tomorrow. If I can if I can change your mind, if I can make you start thinking about it and questioning it, and the next person and the next person, that's how we actually start changing the conversation. And I think it's a really important conversation to address because sometimes people will say to me, I'm 50, and they'll say to me, Why do you care? You're only 50. And I'm like, Well, because I'm hoping I'm gonna be 80. And when I get to be 80, I want to be treated well and I want people to interact respectfully with me. And if I don't work to change how we talk about and treat older adults now, then that is absolutely my destiny because I have to change it now if I want a better future for myself when I get there.
Chris:Yes.
Dr. Auman:And so I want people to read the book, I want them to think about you know their agest beliefs and what can what they need to change or what they need to work on. I want them to build confidence, questioning other people about the ageist things they say and do. And then I also want people to start to plan for their own aging experience. There's a lot of things in the book about, you know, paperwork you need to do or things you need to think about beyond financial planning, because so much of what we tell people is, oh, get your finances in order for retirement or get your finances in order for your older adult years. But we don't talk about, okay, where are you gonna get your intellectual stimulation? Where are you gonna get your social stimulation once you retire? What are you gonna spend your time doing? What's gonna make you want to get out of bed on a Wednesday morning? There is so much more to planning for these older adult years than just money. And so those are the things that's the reshaping that I would love for people to come away with.
Chris:Yes, yes, Corinne. That's good. Woo! That's good, that's good. And you know, like my mom is a big advocate. She does not use the word old and she does not let people use it on her. And you know, she always says, whatever, you know, her age is young, and I'm not gonna blast her age out in here, but she's close to 90. But my grandmother and her sister, my grandmother lived to be 97, her sister, both of them wants 100, 101, and they were doing the business like out there. You know, we had to take the keys away in the late 90s from both of them. But besides that, they were still doing, still had a full day of stuff to do. Yeah, living their best. Yes, they were, and I love that. So I think it's powerful as well that we have to be careful to, I don't let people say that, you know, like, oh, how, you know, I'm such and such years old. I would say, oh, you know, I'm you know, I'm 36 years young, or I'm 36, you know. I try not to put that word in at all to have the commentary. Or sometimes even people will say, Oh, you don't look like, you know, you you look so much younger. And I'm like, this is what the age looks like. This is what it's this is what it's supposed to look like. So yeah, we have these connotations in our head about what ages look like and the face that should go with the number. And it's like, no, no, no.
Dr. Auman:Yeah, well, it's so funny you say that because um, you know, I have teenagers at home, my kids, and they have really learned that they have to watch what they say around me because when I was turning, I think 49 for my 49th birthday, my daughter said, Oh, mom, you don't look 49. And she's trying to be nice, right? Like she's trying to give me a compliment. And I was like, Yes, I do. I look exactly like what a 49-year-old. Yes, that's me too. Yes, tell them. You just don't have an accurate concept in your mind of what a 49-year-old looks like. And you could just see her. I mean, she's going, Are you kidding me? Like, mom, I'm just trying to be nice.
Chris:I know she's like, pull back, mom, pull back.
Dr. Auman:Yeah, but you know, my point is why would why do we even have to say that? Why wouldn't you just look at somebody and say, happy birthday? You look amazing. Right, you're right. Great. You don't you don't have to say anything about their actual age.
Chris:So true.
Dr. Auman:It drive, yeah, that drives me never.
Chris:Yeah, there's a conditioning that's happened that we do. Like, you're right. There's a an an old, it feels like an old myth that's just continued and continued, and like, you know, and I love that you're making a new spread of education to change these things, to break these myths, as we would say.
Dr. Auman:Yep.
Chris:What would you say is the most common myth about aging that you wish you could just delete? Take it from society forever.
Dr. Auman:Well, I mean, just the idea that it's uh all downhill.
Chris:Okay.
Dr. Auman:That that or and and or that it's somehow out of your control. I mean, we know there is there is research that shows that your aging experience is about 70% your lifestyle and your choices, and about 30% genetics.
Chris:Yes, true.
Dr. Auman:So you yes, we all got an a genetic inheritance from our parents that you know we don't have control over, but 70%, well over half of what's gonna happen, what your experiences are gonna be like, are determined by the things you are doing right now. You know, are you exercising? Are you eating healthy? Are you getting social stimulation? Are you doing things that challenge your brain? You know, all of these things are decisions you are making that impact how this aging thing is gonna go for you. And, you know, that's incredibly empowering.
Chris:Yes.
Dr. Auman:And I I think so many people approach aging as if they are just resigned to it. And and and I don't mean like I I really don't like any sort of advertisement that says we're gonna win the battle against aging. No, no, you're not. That is that is a battle you are going to lose. Like we are all we are all gonna be older at the end of this podcast than we were at the beginning. But but I really would like for people to reframe it to go, you know, I have tremendous control over this, and I am going to shape how my future looks. And that's that's what I want people to think. So, yeah, get rid of the, you know, get rid of the battle for age to win, you know, to defeat aging and get rid of the sort of inevitable inevitability of a downward spiral. Think about how in control you are, and then and then that just feels so much more empowering than what the way we think about it now.
Chris:So true. So, so true. I wanted to ask you what role does culture play in our views of aging? And part two of that, are there cultures we should look into as giving positive examples?
Dr. Auman:Sure. I mean, culture has a tremendous power over us, and and it's insidious in the sense that we don't even really think about it. We don't think about how surrounded we are by negative messages around aging. And I'll give you a quick example. A couple of years ago, when my youngest daughter was 12, we took her to a Bruce Springsteen concert. And I think Bruce was 70 at this time. And after the concert, we're driving home. And I said, you know, oh, how did you like the concert? And she goes, it was okay. She's like, but he shouldn't. At the end of the show, he kind of like ripped open his shirt while he's up there playing guitar. And and Bruce Springsteen at 70 was in really good shape. He's got six pack abs. And so him ripping open his shirt was fine. And my daughter goes, he really shouldn't have ripped, you know, torn open his shirt like that at the end. And I was like, Okay, first of all, how dare you, right? This is Bruce Springsteen we're talking about I know, people, and then and I'm like, okay, but why? And she goes, Well, because he's a dirty old man.
Chris:Oh my gosh.
Dr. Auman:Okay, okay, so she's growing up with me as a mother, so you know this is not something I am saying to her. Wow, and this is not this is not something her dad is saying to her. This is something that the culture has taught her by age 12 that that older men are dirty old men, no matter who they are, no matter the context. I mean, it was just it was I was absolutely floored.
Chris:I'm sure it just stopped the silence and the I'm sure everything was to what it did up, like how did you handle it? Okay, what did you what do you say in this position? Because your mom plus your doctor, Dr. Almond. So, like, how do you what do you how did you step back from this and handle it? This is yes, let's let's hear this.
Dr. Auman:Well, I mean, I I did I did ask her, I'm like, why would you say that? And it and it was really just well, you know, he's old, so that's just who he is. He's a dirty old man. And where's the dirty come from, though?
Chris:I mean, I get okay that he's old from her time period, but where's the dirty?
Dr. Auman:Right. That she's at some point, some something has something, someone, some book, some whatever it is, some story has taught her that. And and so we had to have a discussion about, you know, not all older men are dirty old men just because of their age, and that you know, he's he's a rock star and he's giving a concert.
Chris:Her dad is around this. How old is uh is her husband?
Dr. Auman:Is he he's the same age as me. Okay, okay. So he's yeah, and yeah, it just it was crazy. So, so when I say the culture teaches us this, and and if you even go go take a look at kids' storybooks, older people in kids' storybooks are witches and hags and scary old men. Um, there are a few grandparents in kids' storybooks, but most of the time the the bad character is an older person.
Chris:It's always been that way, though. I mean, since I was a child too, I can go back to thinking of all of it. It's always been the elderly person.
Dr. Auman:Yeah. So so that's what we're teaching. That's what we're teaching from a very young age. That that's what aging is yeah, it's negative. So, I mean, I can't I can't be mad at people for being ageist, I can't be mad at my daughter for thinking that because she's surrounded by it all the time. But you don't what and this is my point about it being an inside job because once you kind of start opening your eyes to it, you can't close your eyes, you start to see it everywhere, and you're like, Oh my gosh, what are we doing?
Chris:But um rabbit hole, there it is, yeah.
Dr. Auman:And you know, you you were talking about cultures, there are other cultures, you know, eastern cultures, Japan is the example that you know comes up all the time in terms of respect for elders, treating your elders well, but a lot of the eastern cultures are much more respectful of older people in a whole different way, a whole different way, yeah. And like for the ancestors, you know, they have like ancestor ancestor shrines in their home where you you respect and keep these people in mind, and yeah, you you treat everybody really well. That so it is very different cross-culturally, and there's even some research that has looked at testosterone levels in older men, and they find that older men in cultures where men where older people are respected and treated well, their testosterone levels are higher than the older men in cultures where older people are not respected and not treated well. And so, I mean, there are real physiological impacts that and you can look that research up.
Chris:No, I look we uh definitely, but we believe you. I mean, after you say it, like, but yeah, wow.
Dr. Auman:Dr. Becca Levy at the Yale School of Public Health has a really terrific book called Breaking the Age Cluck Age Code, and she's done a bunch of this cross-cultural research on aging, and so if you're really interested in a deep dive, that's a terrific book to go down because that she gets so far into the cultural impacts on you as an individual, and it's so interesting to look at how these messages just impact people and their own well-being.
Chris:Oh my gosh. Let me ask you, what is one habit or practice you've seen that leads to thrilling life in 60s, 70s, and beyond?
Dr. Auman:Oh, one habit or practice.
Chris:Is it something that they mentally are saying to themselves? Is it something that they are incorporating themselves in? What it is I feel like there's probably a pattern for this of people who are living these amazing lives.
Dr. Auman:I do think it's a mental game, just like what you were saying about your relatives, about how, you know, they have really approached their aging as though age is nothing but a number. They've not let that slow them down, they've not focused or dwelled on how old they were. They've they're out living their life no matter what their age. And I think that is a theme I see throughout people who are having a terrific teenagerhood, older adulthood. They really approach their life like I'm gonna do the things that I find interesting and that I'm passionate about or that I are fun for me. I'm gonna go do those things. And my age really has nothing to do with it. I so often people get hung up on their age, that whole I'm too old for that. And the the people who really do it well are the ones who are like, who cares how old I am? You know, that that's got nothing to do with it. Let's go, let's go run our marathon or let's go start our business or let's go do whatever it is that I find really interesting to do, take that dance class. They don't they don't let their, you know, the age is almost irrelevant in that point for them.
Chris:I love that. I love that. And why, why not? You know, like why not, especially if you're if you're physically healthy. I want to ask about I'm sorry.
Dr. Auman:Hang on, hang on. Even if you're not physically healthy, I've got a lot of people who I would consider teenagers who do have significant health problems, but they are they are still doing all the yeah, everything that they are able to do to keep themselves active and engaged despite those physical health conditions. Because I think sometimes people, sometimes people think I'm trying to say that you know, you're gonna have it's you're gonna be in perfect health if you have a good attitude about it, or it's all gonna go perfectly. And that is that is not absolutely necessary, even if you are undergoing treatment for a disease. Let's say you have Parkinson's, and you know, that is a movement disorder, it's affecting your entire life. There are dance, there are dance classes for people with Parkinson's. And go take the dance class, right? Like go do those things that are available that get you that that are fun and get you moving. And you know what wherever you're at, there are things to continue to do and to find joy doing that make you want to get out of bed and keep going. And so it you don't have to be in perfect physical condition to have a great teenagerhood.
Chris:I love that. Thank you for for jumping in to say that because it's true, and maybe more on the opposite side, some people will feel that their physical condition is not at the best, so they're limited but still even in the limitation do what you can still do for that. Nice. How does diet play into preparing us for aging?
Dr. Auman:Well I mean it certainly matters. You know, eating I I I am not a nutrition expert, so don't don't pin that on me. I think we all know that our diet and nutrition matters. You know, we can talk about you were talking about cross-culturally, we all have probably heard or if you haven't there are these things called the blue zones where people tend to live to be into their 100s and they all tend to eat a very Mediterranean type diet. Okay. You know, low in sugar low in sugar, low in fat, a lot of fish, a lot of vegetables, olive oil, things like that. So so there are certainly things that matter in terms of how you eat and how that impacts your overall long-term health. But by the same token, one of the things like in the the blue zones, one of the biggest things that they show that matters in terms of living to a hundred and beyond is is your social engagement. What happens what happens in the blue zones is older adults are part of everyday life. They are active and engaged. They are part of the social system. You know one of the things we do in a lot of Western cultures is we separate the older adults. We we say oh it's time to retire and you should with kind of kind of withdraw from life withdraw from the world go home and sit on your porch or if you've got health conditions, you know, we say oh go live in this assisted living or go live in this retirement. We separate them. We we take them out of everyday life and one of the things you see in the blue zones is that doesn't happen. The older adults are part of the community they are engaged they are doing stuff all the time they aren't separated and that socialization and purpose is part of what keeps them living and healthy. And so it's it's food food matters but other things like socialization and purpose matter just as much if not more.
Chris:Nice. And you know here living in Japan it's true the elderly are we have one of the the largest elderly populations in the world and they are busy. They are out they are in the park in the morning six o'clock you know it's the land of the rising sun so the sun is up about 4 a.m and so about 6, 630 they're in the park like a group of them all in all over doing these these exercises and people can just join in and go through but you're right and even you know working in the street construction people retire here twice. They're using the teenagers to be there holding the signs for people to go around because they're working in the streets wherein in the states we use like a fake dummy like a little machine that that moves back and forth right yeah they are using real people cleaning the escalators they're using like it's it's unbelievable the society is really functionable and like you said they are present in society and participating and I think that it does make a difference because they have purpose. They have things that they're doing and yeah it's quite amazing. My mom was shocked when she came to see she was like where are they like where is she going? Like it's dark out it's like you know like she's doing her business she's going shopping she's doing her thing.
Dr. Auman:So I think it's really interesting too because we I would imagine many people in the US would be like oh it's so sad that they have to go to work or that they have to go do that. Oh I didn't even think about it like that but they would we we have we have this sort of like I'll say myth but this idea about retirement that it is your well-earned rest and therefore you shouldn't be asked to go to you shouldn't go do anything. You should be able to you know be in your garden and play golf or go fishing or do whatever and what many people find in retirement after there's like this honeymoon period. You retire and then you get bored. Yes and not only do you get bored you start to feel like nobody needs you like you aren't contributing nobody wants you around nobody needs you for anything and that is like absolutely horrible for your mental health your wellbeing so so I think many of us in the US would look at those older people in Japan and say oh that's so sad but what you don't see is that that makes them feel needed that makes them feel purposeful like I am contributing I am being helpful somebody needs me to show up to do these things and as human beings we want to feel needed and wanted and purposeful. And yeah I mean I would love it if we started like a senior core here in the US doing some of those those tasks but yeah instead instead we would we would be like oh that's so sad that they're still having to to work or having to show up or having to to do and that's another one of those things I think we really need to work on reframing to go, no, it's great that they're that they are participating and that they're up and doing and aren't we grateful that they got up today to do this job. Yes.
Chris:Yeah this is it I mean yeah put the positive spin on it you know that there are people crying in the world because somebody is ha is gone you know that and so to see these teenagers out there working and doing stuff it's inspiring and it's really nice. It's really really nice. It's something that you know the foreigners living here we notice because in our countries it's not that way at all. You know and there's a sense of just extra respect that we have feeling for them that are out doing their business. Nice nice I wanted to ask I'm sorry go ahead on a yes no yeah on a side note I my family and I came to Japan about two years ago I think now and and it was absolutely fascinating for me for in particular as a as somebody you know looking at aging all the time to see the the older ladies walking around in their the I don't even know what they're called kimono platform the kimono but the platform shoes the platform shoes the shoes yeah those I was watching that going oh you know my heart was palpitating a little I'm like what if she falls down no she would probably do a cartwheel and land them back on I'm like that's just it they are like they are moving down the street in those shoes and like it's nothing uh it was so great it was so great I love it I'm glad that you enjoyed the time here and to be to be able to notice about how the culture is with you know how they're doing with their teenagers and what they're doing with it.
Dr. Auman:So I love that you guys have come oh I was here I was here I was here that's so interesting how that works right like wow nice I wanted to ask you if you could refine the word aging in the dictionary what would your new definition be something along the lines of a lifelong developmental process because we don't you know everybody's aging we we use the word when it after you get to a certain age we talk about you aging right but everybody's aging babies are aging when we're when we're young instead of calling it aging we call it growing up but it's aging and aging is a lifelong developmental process that you started the moment you were formed in your mother's womb you started aging not I mean that that's the thing um it we just we talk about aging like it's something that only older people do but it's not it is a lifelong developmental process.
Chris:Then you know the education systems the school systems need to refined some of their teaching you know like because the kids are at school most of the time right I mean home and school so if the educational system can be refined that's how we start changing the mindset for so many around the world at one time. I mean that's the only that's the only idea I could instantly think of. Do you have another one?
Dr. Auman:No no I mean I I don't I I would love that if that could happen.
Chris:Yeah I was just thinking quickly like what can we do to you know because it is about like where where would it be the greatest effect and I feel like the school you know that would be something that would be able to and then programs could be implemented in the school that they are involved in as they're going through the stages as well which would be so good. Hey this I mean this is something to really think about even you know I'm sure you got a lot of things going on but maybe to bring to your your governor your state board or you know just to see what people would respond to having something like this I'm sure it's it's a time consuming ordeal but I think the school system would be something that would be really great to be a good place to start out with this for sure.
Dr. Auman:If if I could just get the school to stop celebrating the 100th day of school by having all the kids dress up as old people stop it are they doing that oh yeah that's how they celebrate the hundredth day of school everybody dresses up like an old person.
Chris:Stop it they put on they put on gray wigs and they bring their canes and their walkers no no yeah you should have a sit down with the with the with the superintendent of schools we should be like come on people like come on come on does that feel good there's a million ways we could celebrate the school without mocking older people because it is mocking this is what you exactly what you're saying it they're mocking they're making fun of the idea of it in that sense of wow I'm shocked to hear that I've been gone from a long time in the States so like wow wow I like to ask all my guests this final question is your glass half empty or half full depends on the day I would say I would say about 80% of the days it's half full and then there's about 20% where I just can't get there and all I can see all I can see is the half empty. But um most days most days it's half full for sure I love that I love that hey and that's an honest answer. We appreciate your honesty for sure I love it. I wanted to ask you do you have any final thoughts for our listeners?
Dr. Auman:You gave us so much great information but anything that you want to finish out on for us I think I'm I think we're we're all good I mean the main thing I would say as a final closing thought is you know ageism fighting ageism is an inside job think start with your own thoughts and the own the things you are telling yourself about your aging your your body your you know what you wear just all the things and just give that a really good examination to start thinking about why do I think that and where did that come from and is that true and does that benefit me in any way or is that something I can just get rid of in terms of my own thoughts?
Chris:Hmm I love that yes go within people go within first go within first let me and we I know we're finishing out but I just wanted to know what do you do to keep your mental health is there anything that you had have in your day or that you a regiment that you do to keep yourself mentally present and prepared for your work?
Dr. Auman:I try to most days do like I have a little meditation and journaling program that I tend to do again most days because I know when I do when I know when I do that and even if I'll just if I'll do that and I'll do 10 minutes of yoga or stretching of some kind I will feel so much better. True and yet somehow some days I don't do it and it makes no sense.
Chris:We all do we're look we're I'm at the same place we don't know what happens and I don't know why but you're right it just doesn't happen some days.
Dr. Auman:Like you you know how to make yourself feel better and then yet somehow you you don't do it. But anyway yeah that's um that's that's what I try to do most days to to stay mentally healthy and to just feel better physically.
Chris:I love that I love that thank you so much I want to know if people want to read you how can they find you they can find me through through my website which is just my name CorinneAllman.com and there you'll find information about me and links to all my social media and everything you might possibly want to know. We love that and all of this will be listed underneath the the information for the podcast so that way they can just easily find it there because we know people are not writing things down anymore. Those days are done I had a kid come in with a backpack and I was like okay um pull out something to write with and they're like I don't have anything to write with I'm like what how do you have a backpack with nothing to write with it but you have books and paper in there and she looked at me like I was crazy and I said are you pricking yourself and writing in blood like what what are you doing? Like you know like yeah I'm like the kids today you know yeah no so it's a whole new breed it's a whole new breed thank you so much for your time for your information and for this amazing reframing for all of us to really start to take a look at things in a different way and start to look at ourselves and start to make the changes within ourselves to prepare for an exciting and fun teenager and the movement that will come in that and I love this. It's been a great idea that you have put out forth and you've made me think so much and you will make many people who listen to this podcast think as well. And so you are doing your job and we appreciate your work that you're doing. We want you to keep going I want to see a TED talk. We want to see you up on Ted I want to I want to see you there and be like oh I know her for sure.
Dr. Auman:Thank you for having me.
Chris:Yeah it's been great fun the pleasure is all mine we thank you so much you take care have a great day you too thank you bye bye bye