Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Podcast

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/782q59/Daniel_Levitinfinal_-_2_14_21_114_PM70h2q.mp3

 

EPISODE SUMMARY: 

There are various ways to look at aging: emotionally, physically, environmentally. One of the most important aspects of midlife, however, is in one’s psychological perspective of aging. In today’s episode, we sat down with neuroscientist, musician, and best-selling author Daniel Levitin to discuss how one’s mentality on aging can influence their life. Daniel recently wrote a book called Successful Aging, and we started by asking about his inspiration behind the decision to write it. He told us that, as a scientist, he feels that it is his duty to make scientific findings public knowledge. His book gives readers insight into his philosophies on aging and give them insight into information non-scientists may not be privy to. We then asked about the difference between lifespan, health-span, and disease-span. Daniel explained to us that lifespan could be separated into two groups: health-span and disease-span. Health-span is the amount of time that one spends their life healthy, and disease-span is the length of time a person spends not healthy. We asked Daniel about his opinions on ageism, and he told us that ageism is an issue that has still yet to fully be addressed in society. As an example, he told us about how one of his friends, an employee at Cambridge, would have to leave Cambridge when he turns 67 due to a rule preventing anyone over the age of 67 from working there. He went on to explain that older people are actually ideal employees, for they have the experience and expertise to be good at their jobs and mentor others. We then asked about self-talk when it comes to aging, and Daniel explained that one of the ways to make self-talk more positive is to look at aging through a more positive lens.

People should focus more on what they gain as they age, such as experience and good judgment. Daniel said that, from an arts standpoint, it is the job of films and television to begin showing accurate portrayals of older people rather than having them be the butt of the joke. He used the show Grace and Frankie as an example of positive representation and even told us that he interviewed Jane Fonda, who stars on the show. In regard to the best exercises for aging, Daniel emphasized that getting up and moving is the best thing a person can do, especially if the surface is uneven. For sleep, Daniel debunked the myth that older people need less sleep. Older people need just as much, sometimes even more, sleep as anyone else. When we asked about dominant personality traits in older people, Daniel said that out of all of the older people he’s interviewed and met, they all had a strong curiosity, desire for adventure, and a drive to keep moving. We then asked about how quarantine is affecting older people, and Daniel gave examples of how quarantine has forced people into exploring new things and being creative. One of his examples was a friend of his, who before the pandemic was barely on social media. Now, however, he’s increased his presence on Instagram and posts videos. Daniel spoke to us about the importance of conscientiousness, and how, as we age, it is important that we are dependable, reliable, and responsible. Daniel also went on to debunk the myth that it is impossible to change the older you are. He acknowledges that it is more difficult to change as we age, but states that the difficulty should motivate us to try new things and push to change for the better. Finally, we asked Daniel about where to find his book, Successful Aging, and he told us it is on his website and is an audio book. He also told us people can get in touch with him through his website.

Daniel Levitin

From his website:

Daniel J. Levitin is an award-winning neuroscientist, musician, and best-selling author. His research encompasses music, the brain, health, productivity and creativity.

Levitin has published more than 300 articles, in journals including Science, Nature, PNAS, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal. His research has been featured over 1800 times in the popular press, including 17 articles in The New York Times, and in The London Times, Scientific American, and Rolling Stone.  He is a frequent guest on NPR and CBC Radio and has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, and CNN. His TED talk is among the most popular of all time.

He is the author of four New York Times bestselling books: This Is Your Brain On Music, The World in Six Songs, The Organized Mind and Successful Aging, as well as the international bestseller A Field Guide to Lies. A popular public speaker, he has given presentations on the floor of Parliament in London, to the U.S. Congress, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. He has consulted for a number of companies including Apple, Booz-Allen, Microsoft, the United States Navy, Sonos, Philips, Sony, Fender, and AT&T.

Dr. Levitin earned his B.A. from Stanford in Cognitive Science, his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology with a Ph.D. minor in Music Technology from the University of Oregon, and completed post-doctoral training at Stanford University Medical School and UC Berkeley in Neuroimaging and Perception. As a musician (tenor saxophone, guitar, vocals and bass), he has performed with Mel Tormé, David Byrne, Rosanne Cash, Sting, Bobby McFerrin, Victor Wooten and Tom Scott. Levitin has produced and consulted on albums by artists including Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell and on the films Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction, and has been awarded 17 gold and platinum records.  Levitin taught at Stanford in the Departments of Computer Science, Psychology, History of Science, and Music, and has been a Visiting Professor at Dartmouth, and UC Berkeley.

He is currently the Founding Dean of Arts & Humanities at the Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate Institute, San Francisco, California, and James McGill Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Neuroscience and Music at McGill University.

Dr. Levitin’s Top Ten Tips for Rejuvenating Your Brain

• Don’t retire, or if you do, take up volunteering or hobbies. Don’t stop being engaged in meaningful work.
• Look forward, don’t look back-reminiscing doesn’t protect health.
• Exercise- get your heart rate going, preferably in nature.
• Embraced a moderated lifestyle with healthy practices.
• Keep your social circle exciting and new.
• Spend time with people younger than you.
• See your doctor regularly, but not obsessively.
• Don’t think of yourself as old.
• Appreciate your cognitive strengths, including pattern recognition, crystallized intelligence, wisdom, and accumulated knowledge.
• Cognitive transfer results from experimental thinking, travel, spending time with grandchildren, and immersion in new activities.

In this episode, we discuss…

• [0:01] Introduction
• [0:23] Guest Introduction
• [7:10] Start of Interview
• [8:06] Why Daniel Wrote Successful Aging
• [9:11] Lifespan V.S. Health-Span V.S. Disease-Span
• [11:51] Addressing Ageism in Society
• [17:19] Working on Self-Talk
• [21:34] Exercises That Are Beneficial As We Age
• [23:19] The Importance of Sleep
• [26:51] Dominant Personality Traits
• [29:37] How Quarantine Affects Older People
• [30:56] The Importance of Conscientiousness
• [33:02] The Ability to Change as We Age
• [33:49] Successful Aging and How to Get in Touch with Daniel
• [35:52] Closing Thoughts

Useful Resources:

Daniel’s Website I [https://www.daniellevitin.com/]

Daniel’s Books I [https://www.daniellevitin.com/books]

Daniel’s Twitter I [https://twitter.com/danlevitin]

Daniel’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/daniellevitinofficial/?hl=en]

Daniel’s Facebook I [https://www.facebook.com/daniel.levitin/]

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