At a time when more and more attention is being paid to the value of people’s wellbeing, it’s helpful to refer back to our wise, quirky elders. Our modern lives can have the effect of heightening stress and anxiety, as social media can have the effect of distorting our own sense of self by constantly framing our lives in contrast to our social circles.  Our elders have learnt to live well with some evergreen truths, that we’d do well to borrow.

So what are the tips on how to look after yourself from those who’ve been around the longest? Sometimes, the advice from how to live and watch to watch out for is downright weird, such as the saying “He who would pun would pick a pocket.” Often however there advice on how to live well is profound and reflects their generations of experience. There is even a “Best nan advice’ generator with wisdom ranging from the frugal to the philosophical.

Researching for his book, Karl Pillemer has interviewed hundreds of older americans for his book on the secrets of aging well. When asking about their biggest regrets, rather than bringing up personal tragedies or lost loves, their most common response was that they wasted too much time worrying. He noted that “Their viewpoint from later on — this may sound like a cliché, but they mean it — is most of the things they worried about didn’t happen, and the bad things that happened to them were things they hadn’t considered.” It’s easy to worry about things we have no control over, and to stress even more when things do get difficult.

The advice from older people follows the voltaire model of tending to your own garden before bothering about anyone else’s and the world will follow. In other words, from another centenarian “Mind your own business, and don’t eat junk food.”

So, how do you live well and without worrying about others? Well according to the generations before us, the key is in maintaining small pleasures and habits. Britain’s oldest ballroom dancer, Eric Castle, turned 100 just last week and still continues to practice dancing 93 years after his sister first showed him. Their advice is about recognising what you derive pleasure from, and learning to cultivate pleasure from often seemingly insignificant moments, such as meeting a friend for coffee. We tend to get overwhelmed by the big picture, but our elders recommend thinking small, and about the day to day positive interactions that build strong relationships. 

We have a lot to learn from our elders about how to live well, and how to turn inwards and find pleasure in the little things when life gets too big. What advice from your nan, grandparents or neighbours has helped uplift you or cheered you up? Let us know below or on our socials.