What Sets the Healthiest Older Adults Apart? This One Trait

What if the secret to a longer, healthier life wasn’t just diet and exercise but something much deeper? Imagine facing life’s greatest challenges, not with fear, but with strength and confidence.

Now, researchers say that cultivating the powerful trait of resilience might be the key to graceful aging and a lower risk of death. Let’s dive into the science and discover practical ways to strengthen your fortitude.

Key Takeaways:

• Resilience Lowers Mortality Risk – A long-term study found that higher resilience scores were linked to a 38% lower risk of death over ten years.
• Mental Strength Improves Aging – Resilient people maintain better physical and mental health, even in chronic illness and life challenges.
• Resilience Can Be Developed – Strategies like fostering relationships, practicing mindfulness, and maintaining a sense of purpose can build resilience over time.

Stronger Minds, Longer Lives: The Role of Resilience in Aging Gracefully

The year 2020 is etched into our collective memory. Although it was a tough time, some people coped much better with the fear of COVID-19 and the lockdown restrictions than others. They adapted to adversity, bounced back, and grew stronger. How?

They possessed a valuable quality. Resilience.

Now, scientists say that not only will this inner fortitude get you through hard times, but, as a new study shows, it will also lower your risk of death.

Resilience: The Missing Link to a Longer, Healthier Life

Significant life events like job loss or bereavement can knock any of us down. When they occur, people’s ability to cope and adjust varies enormously. Some folks are highly resilient, while others buckle under the weight of mental torment from life’s challenges.

Scientists have long known that resilience improves physical and mental well-being in older adults and promotes successful aging. It also plays a crucial role in reducing the harms caused by chronic illness and disabilities that may come later in life.¹

However, it wasn’t until a recent study conducted by Florida Atlantic University that researchers saw the tremendous impact resilience can have on human health and aging. They interviewed 98 people (primarily women) with an average age of 86 living in a retirement community. They asked these women about how they coped during the pandemic. Their answers were inspiring…

Finding Joy and Meaning Even During Hardship

With their usual group activities disrupted, some of these retirees turned their hand to new interests, such as gardening and painting. Others explored novel ways to stay active, such as virtual yoga classes, online gaming, and dancing. Video calls helped them stay connected with family and friends.

They drew on their life experience, including past hardships like recessions and wars. In addition, they used the pandemic as a period to foster reflection, spiritual growth, and a greater appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.

Patricia Liehr, a study team member, said: “Living through these experiences helped our study participants use their inner strength and muster the ability to adapt and bounce back in the face of the health challenge of COVID.

“Many of them indicated that with age comes the ability to see the bigger picture. Using this perspective helped them remind themselves that difficult times are usually temporary and that it is possible to find joy and meaning even during hardship.”²

The study didn’t explore the effects of resilience on aging, but there are a few studies that have been conducted in this area. One study looking at genetic changes found that people with high resilience age more slowly. In contrast, another found that the time it takes to recover from stress is directly related to lifespan. The ability to adapt and overcome tragic events in life was also shown to lengthen the life of holocaust survivors.

Because of the sparsity of research, a new study was designed to fill this gap. Researchers mined the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, which began in 1992.

Participants are adults over 50 who agree to be monitored every two years and crucially, includes questions on mental resilience. This is assessed using a validated scale ranging from zero to twelve, encompassing qualities such as perseverance, calmness, a sense of purpose, and self-reliance.

As Resilience Increases, Risk of Death Decreases

For the current study, 10,569 participants were included, and their average score on the scale was 9.18. Over the 12-year follow-up, 3,489 deaths occurred.

After accounting for multiple factors that could influence the findings, the researchers discovered that as resilience rose, the risk of death fell, which was more pronounced in women.

Compared to those whose resilience score was in the bottom quarter of the scale, those in the next highest quarter had a 20% lower risk of death over ten years. This rose to 27% in the quarter above that, while those in the top quarter had a 38% lower risk of death.³

How Resilience Shapes Your Future—And How to Strengthen It

If you don’t feel as though you’re very resilient, don’t worry. Resilience is not set in stone.

Being resilient is a dynamic and active process, and if you feel you’re short of this quality, you can do something about it! According to the American Psychological Association (APA) “the resources and skills associated with resilience can be cultivated and practiced.”⁴

Here are the top seven ways to build more resilience:

• Prioritize relationships – connect with people who care about you and join a group for support.
• Foster wellness – healthy diet, regular exercise, good sleep, meditation, and prayer work together to help the body and mind strengthen, adapt to stress, focus on the positive, and develop a sense of gratitude.
• Find purpose – volunteer, help others, and be proactive in helping yourself through self-development, working on your strengths to muster motivation and purpose. Work towards realistic goals and look for opportunities for self-discovery.
• Embrace healthy thoughts – change how you interpret and respond to a highly stressful event by keeping things in perspective and adopting a more balanced and realistic thinking pattern.
• Accept change – change is a part of life. Focus on circumstances you can alter.
• Maintain a hopeful outlook by visualizing what you want to occur in the future.
• Look back on what helped in previous times of distress.

Summary

Resilience isn’t just about mental toughness—it’s a key factor in aging well and even extending lifespan. A study analyzing over 10,000 older adults found that those with higher resilience had a significantly lower risk of death over a 12-year period, particularly among women. Resilient individuals adapt to life’s hardships, find meaning in difficult situations, and maintain strong social connections. The good news? Resilience isn’t fixed—it can be built through healthy relationships, mindfulness, and a purposeful approach to life. Strengthening this trait could be a game-changer for longevity and well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is resilience, and why does it matter?
Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover from stress or adversity. Research shows it can improve mental and physical health and even increase lifespan.

Can resilience really lower the risk of death?
Yes! A study found that individuals with higher resilience had up to a 38% lower risk of death over a ten-year period.

Is resilience something you’re born with, or can it be developed?
Resilience is not fixed—it can be strengthened through practices like fostering relationships, mindfulness, and finding purpose in life.

How does resilience impact physical health?
Resilient individuals tend to have lower stress levels, stronger immune systems, and better overall well-being, reducing the risk of age-related diseases.

What are simple ways to build resilience daily?
Prioritizing supportive relationships, practicing gratitude, setting realistic goals, and maintaining a hopeful outlook can all help build resilience over time.