A Sense of Purpose

I’m delighted to share this newest research on health and longevity, on how to live a counterclockwise life.

No, it’s not another superfood.

No, it’s not a new ultimate fitness regimen.

It’s not about fasting, detoxing, botoxing, hormones, enzymes, lotions, lasers or dead skin-eating fish.

It’s about – wait for it – living a life with a sense of purpose. A while back, I wrote about meeting a vigorous, energetic 92-year-old woman who does just that.

You may remember that I’ve also written about a related subject: how volunteering is a powerful anti-aging strategy. Several recent studies found evidence that those who volunteer — which gives them a sense of purpose — live longer than their non-philanthropic counterparts. I mentioned a 2013 study published in the journal Psychology and Aging that found that mid-life adults who volunteered about 4 hours a week were 40 percent less likely to develop high blood pressure 4 years later. Other studies discovered fewer health complaints, higher functional ability, less depression and anxiety, and less incidence of heart disease among volunteers than among matched sets of non-volunteers.

Now more good news in the same vein. Simply stated: People who live with a sense of purpose live longer. National Institute on Aging-funded research based on more than 6,000 mid-life people found that people with a sense of purpose had a 15 percent lower risk of death, compared to their more aimless counterparts. The Canadian researchers controlled for other factors known to affect longevity like gender, age and emotional and psychological well-being. Sense of purpose trumped them all.

And here’s additional good news: It didn’t appear to make a difference when these people found that purpose. It could have been in college. It could have been after retirement. You might be interested to know that “sense of purpose” is not limited to the grandiose – joining the Peace Corps, cleaning up a toxic river, working for a political or social movement. The researchers defined purpose as a “compass or lighthouse that provides an overarching aim and direction in day-to-day lives.”

It could be big, like working for social change. But it could also be intimate like ensuring the well-being of one’s family. Or it could be self-focused, like doing well on the job. Creativity could also give a person a sense of purpose and direction.

Exactly how purpose benefits health is not clear. It might be that individuals with a sense of purpose are also purposeful about their own health and so lead healthier lives than others. But a likely explanation – especially given the research on the health benefits of volunteering – is that sense of purpose increases self-esteem, happiness and optimism, all traits associated with a myriad of health benefits. The researchers hypothesize that a sense of purpose may protect against the harmful effects of stress, one of the great systemic agers.

All of which goes to prove that living a healthy, vigorous and long life is not about anti-aging fads and 7-day make-over promises. It is about building and enjoying a rich, purposeful life. With (dark) chocolate for dessert.