columnist
JUNE, 2018 | The HEALTH
19
AGEING WELL Part 2
First point to healthy ageing
W
HEN we discuss ageing issues the
first thing that comes to mind are
the physical issues. However we
humans should look at ageing
from the perspective of mind,
body and spirit. We actually are a combination
of this three ‘things’.
The spirit I talk of here is really
our purpose; the reason we were
born. All of us are unique and
each of us have our own unique
purpose. However a lot of people
go through life without ever find-
ing out their purpose.
Sometimes I agree it can be dif-
ficult. Most of us go through life
like being on a treadmill - being
stuck in our daily rut. Our purpose
does not have to be like Mother
Theresa’s or Mahatma Gandhi but
something unique to us.
How do you know what your
purpose is? It will be something
that excites you when you think
about it. You feel happy when you
are doing it and will do it even
if you do not get paid for it. The
other word that goes hand in hand
with purpose is passion. Once
you know your purpose, you will
become excited and be passionate
about doing the things you need to
do to achieve it. You will wake up
in the morning ready to run and
full of energy. Most people who
have no purpose and passion are
the ones who always complain
about life and how tough it is.
Why is purpose important for
healthy ageing?
I have seen that purpose driven
people seem to age better. They
know why they get up in the
morning. There are enough stud-
ies to show that people who retire
too early and have nothing to do
and do nothing have shorter life
spans. I am a strong believer of
never retiring from life. Always
have new dreams and new goals
to achieve.
So what do we do if we still do
not know what is our purpose?
Than just start with dreams
and goals. Your dreams can be
materialistic in the beginning and
goals can be put in place to achieve
them. Again your dreams and
goals must be specific. There are
enough books written on this sub-
jects and you can read them but
never underestimate the power of
the mind in healthy ageing.
Keeping the mind active is also
a key element in healthy ageing.
Mental stimulation keeps the
deadly disease Alzheimer’s away.
Always keep your mind active by
reading and engaging in mental
activities. That’s why having
dreams, goals and a purpose will
keep you active both mentally and
physically. This help release the
write chemicals and hormones in
your body that will energise you
and keep you feeling younger.
People with dreams, goals and a
purpose also are more happy and
less at risk from loneliness and
depression.
So in your quest for longevity
and ageing well, remember that
your mind and spirit are the most
important and you need to get
them right before you even look
at the physical elements.
Dato Dr Rajbans Singh is the
Malaysian Wellness Society presi-
dent and Pantai Hospital Kuala
Lumpur consultant physician and
geriatrician. He can be contacted
at drrajbans.com
BY DATUK DR
RAJBAN SINGH
Healing
harmonies
H
UMAN beings are governed by rhythms. Music therapists
work in a variety of different settings from hospitals to halfway
houses. In the elder care context, they can be found in senior
care facilities, rehabilitation clinics and palliative care centres. Music
is particularly beneficial for people struggling with memory loss
because it’s easier for them to access the memory of a melody than to
recall a person’s name or a past event.