The secret to making old age a golden age, by the bestselling author Marie de Hennezel

Acceptance is key 

People who don’t accept the fact that they grow old have no chance of getting old in an appropriate way. You need to learn to accept the changes to your body, and that you are going to get wrinkles. But if you take care of your body, and don’t eat bad things, smoke or drink a lot of alcohol, you will age in a good shape

Get physical 

It doesn’t matter if you don’t do any sort of sport; you just need to move your body. It could be walking, gardening or yoga. One woman I met recently was learning to dance the tango, which is brilliant. 

You have to take care of your wellbeing and stay as active as you can

You must keep your brain alert. Even simple things like reading poems or going to lectures will help. Recent research on Alzheimer’s concluded you can keep your neurons in a good state if you organise things. Plan a dinner with your friends – you’ll have to think about who you’re inviting, how they’re going to sit around the table and what you want to cook

Unleash your creativity 

Many people, especially in the earlier part of their lives, do not consider themselves creative. Yet once they retire they discover that they can paint or do something with their hands. 

we all have something creative inside us and it’s important to let that grow

Glass half full 

People who always dwell on the bad things in life have very little chance of being young at heart. You have to learn to look at the positive side, and that starts with being aware that pessimism isn’t going to help you. If you are 60 and realise that negativity will really affect your life, you still have time to change

Get rid of negative emotions such as guilt, anger or regret. Solving the conflicts of your past is very important to feeling young. We all have heavy suitcases of emotions that we carry with us, and if they are full of negative emotions you can’t go on. Working through these emotions is still possible at 60, but much harder as you get older

Come to terms with the fact that you are going to die one day. Ageing means you’re getting nearer death, but people who accept the fact that they will die one day are not afraid of dying. They appreciate life much more. They are able to live in the present, which is a great key to staying young inside. Have an open attitude filled with curiosity and humour, and realise that you are lucky to grow old

The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting: Ageing Without Growing Old (Pan Macmillan, £8.99), by Marie de Hennezel, is out in paperback on 4 March

source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/9084773/How-to-stay-young-at-heart.html