The Slow Ageing Philosophy
A longer life is not necessarily a better one. That’s why the SLOW Ageing philosophy focuses on the complementary goals of disease prevention and maintaining a high quality of life. These aims are distinct from anti-ageing practices, which seek only to stop ageing in its tracks.
Over the last hundred years, medical advancements have made our lives healthier and longer, yet the notion that ageing may be controlled by a single pill or diet is naive. Ageing is not a wholly biological experience, but a complex change determined by environmental, behavioural, cultural, socioeconomic, and biological factors.
As an analogy, consider that it is now possible to contain the entire nutrient content of an apple in a tablet. While it may be chemically identical, it does not have the crunch of the first bite, the shine of the skin, or the joy of picking it fresh from a tree. In the same way, health and ageing are much more than biology or chemistry. Rather than simply being passengers in our bodies, we can start to make informed choices about things we can do today with tomorrow in mind.
The Meaning of Going SLOW
The SLOW philosophy is one of conscious choices to live your best life and treat your body well. SLOW is about more than extending your timeline. It’s also a helpful reminder of how to approach your plan for life and good health.
As an acronym, SLOW stands for:
- Strategic: Investing time in planning and making the critical decisions required for you to slow the ageing process
- Long-term: Committing and persisting for a lifetime
- Organized: Designing measurable objectives and developing a step-by-step plan to meet them
- Willful: Acting with full consciousness as you work toward you life goals
Learn to Slow Down by Following the 7 Ageless Principles
We all want to delay the onset of age-related decline and disease. So did Faust and Dorian Grey. But as each found out, the ends do not justify the means. SLOW means not giving control of your life over to anyone else, be that the devil, professional experts or large corporations. SLOW puts you in control of your choices and their consequences when you follow seven ageless principles.
1. SLOW solutions require AWARENESS
In this busy world, it is easy to fall asleep at the wheel and find yourself off course. To become unstuck, you need to take the time to change the bad habits you’ve accumulated over time. The SLOW path is one of self-awareness. It means taking a closer look at your biology and environment along with your risk factors and personal strengths. It means taking a close look at what you eat and drink, your work, stress and activity levels to understand that your choices will have a significant bearing on our future. Much of the discomfort and disease associated with ageing result from the choices we make in earlier phases of our lives. SLOW is about making these connections and finding opportunities to merge your understanding and awareness with a willingness to do what it takes to age well—and to keep at it for life.
2. SLOW solutions have clear and realistic GOALS
SLOW is not the easy option. It takes a good deal of strength and commitment.
It is not enough to simply want quality of life or longevity. You also need to be clear about what you’re prepared to do to understand that the choices you make really matter. SLOW solutions set objectives that match your personal goals and capabilities. It is about taking stock of where you are now and being realistic about the health planning process. This takes organization and planning to execute—remember that SLOW stands for strategy and organization.
3. SLOW solutions ELIMINATE the negative
SLOW ageing seeks to redefine ageing as a positive growth experience, rather than one inexorably linked with decrepitude, degeneration and decline. The anti-ageing movement generally seeks to position “getting old” as something to be avoided at all costs by feeding on fear. We want to slow ageing, not fear it. Ageing is a valuable experience, and it is possible to love the ageing and embrace the process as one filled with pleasure, peace, resilience, and growth.
SLOW solutions are not punitive. For example, for a weight-loss diet to be successful in the long-term, it cannot be a punishment. It must instead be intrinsically rewarding. Similarly, good sleep, hygiene and exercise will effortlessly find their way into daily life when they come with their own rewards, such as the kick we get from waking up revitalised and refreshed. SLOW Ageing means we are equipped to savour life’s journey, stay on track, and find the best way home.
4. Slow solutions are LONG-TERM
SLOW solutions are long-term solutions for long-term problems. They are never a quick fix and are easily separated from the fads that claim to achieve miracles in only six weeks. There is no point buying into diets, or joining a gym but rarely going, or getting good medical advice but only following part of it. You’re in this life for the long run, so whatever you choose to do to slow the ageing process, it must be something you can incorporate into our lives on an ongoing basis.
SLOW solutions, then, are seldom more than good habits. That’s what makes them work so well! The desire and momentum to keep habits in place usually comes from within. This does not mean becoming angels or fanatics who do everything correctly all the time—that will never be sustainable. Ultimately, practice makes perfect most of the time, and building a repertoire of healthy SLOW habits requires commitment and a willingness to keep trying.
5. SLOW solutions are not EXCLUSIVE
The complex challenges that face the ageing body and mind require complex, multimodal solutions that are most effective when used in combination. The key to SLOW Ageing is not an individual antioxidant, an exercise regimen, or eating five fruits and vegetables every day—although each of those things each may help. Rather, it is having a focus and understanding of the whole process and the options available.
Slow ageing covers all aspects of health: physical, mental, and spiritual. Each of us place a different emphasis on these elements and, over time, that emphasis may change. SLOW practices can adjust as new ideas and information emerges. When you are in control and have the knowledge to make the right decisions, change is both transforming and invigorating.
6. SLOW solutions need SUPPORT
A central theme to SLOW is that we as individuals must be at the core of the process, controlling key decisions. Even while we sit in the driver’s seat, it helps to have a navigator. This is one reason we have developed this blog – to provide our experiences of the roads—both the potholes and the easy downhill stretches. There are also many good practitioners available, and the best of them are willing to act as health coaches rather than demanding allegiance to their therapeutic strategies. It is valuable to use them to organise our thinking and explore the many options available to achieve our objectives.
Don’t be afraid to look for knowledge and support from friends and family, too. Sometimes they also want to know about and participate in your SLOW Ageing journey. Ultimately, the most successful program involves a strong relationship between the driver and navigator, whether they are a doctor, dietitian, trainer, motivator, friend or family member.
7. SLOW solutions are SELECTIVE
Once upon a time, there was young girl called Goldilocks. When approached with a challenge, she resolved to explore the alternatives, ultimately choosing the one that best suited her needs. When considering the many options available, it’s a good idea to take a leaf out of Goldilocks’ book. There is no one answer to ageing. Some options may prove too hot or too cold for our tastes, but there will always be one that is just right.
A SLOW solution means choosing the right thing for you. You’ll also need to get some feedback to provide some indication that you’re heading in the right direction. Is the way you’re ageing now truly supporting you to be happy? Successes and failures in the course of any activity can be used to keep you on the right track and to set personal benchmarks. Little bears need little bowls. Big bears need big beds. One size never fits all, so find your path and stick to it.
Taking It SLOW
There are many opportunities to slow our lives. As you read the material on this blog, take the time to look through your own pages. What are you doing today for tomorrow? Can you say that these are SLOW solutions? Can you use the Ageless Principles to make them more beneficial, more sustainable and more enjoyable? Often it doesn’t take much to make a real difference—just the awareness that we can.
As you move forward, remember the 7 AGELESS Principles:
- A is for AWARENESS and engagement in the ageing process
- G is for GOAL-setting as an essential part of a strategic planning process
- E is for ELIMINATE the negative; accent the positive.
- L is for LIFELONG focus to make choices that are sustainable in the long term
- E is for EXCLUSIVENESS, which should be avoided as there is never a single solution for complex problems
- S is for SUPPORT, which you need to succeed
- S is for SELECTIVE, so don’t stop until you find a solution that is right for you
