Redefining Your Senior Moments: Jane Fonda’s Guide to Aging Gracefully

If you want a great retirement but don’t consider yourself “graceful,” don’t worry. “Aging gracefully” isn’t about how you look or how elegant you are. It’s more of a mindset to approach getting older with positivity.

Actress and activist Jane Fonda says that for her, the opportunities to find joy and happiness later in life have been a surprise. “As I started getting older, I realized, ‘I’m so happy!’ I didn’t expect this!” she has said. “I wasn’t happy when I was young.”

Now 87, she continues to inspire people to thrive in their golden years. She acknowledges the changes that come with getting older. But she doesn’t let her age stop her from pursuing a full and vibrant life. Just the opposite, really.

So how has Jane embraced the universal experience of aging? And how can you incorporate some of her joy into your everyday life? Here are seven tips to inspire you.

Tip #1: Get Ready for Your “Senior Moment”

Let’s face it – most of us have forgotten where we put our keys or why we walked into a room at one time or another. Still, Jane challenges us to reject stereotypes of equating aging with badness and decline.

“We should reframe having that senior moment,” Jane says in a video about aging gracefully. In that video featured on CBS News Sunday Morning, she redefines “senior moments” as a cause to celebrate. As an example, she tells the story of Barbara Hillary, who was the first known black woman to reach the north pole – and she was 75 years old! That is a senior moment, says Jane.

Tip #2: The Power of a Positive Attitude – 7.5 More Years of Life

People with more positive age beliefs have been found to live an average of 7.5 years longer than people who equate aging with disease and decline, according to Jane’s video and a Yale study that examined this topic. “In other words, one way to live longer is just to have a good attitude,” says Jane.

With that said, it can sometimes take an extra effort to stay upbeat. Some helpful tips to stay positive, according to the American Heart Association, are to:

• • • Maintain a sense of purpose
    • Recognize negative messages about aging – and reject them
    • Stay socially active
    • Try something new

Tip #3: The U-Curve of Happiness

In her video on aging, Jane talks about the U-Curve of Happiness. This theory contends that people are happiest at the beginning and end of their lives. This trend creates a U-shaped curve with the high points at both ends.

“So much of your life gets better as you age,” Jane says. “We get less stressed, we become kinder to ourselves and braver. We’re less judgmental, and best of all we stop caring so much about what other people think of us.”

Tip #4: Building Community – The Most Important Factor

It’s no surprise that Jane considers a solid community to be the most important component of thriving in old age. Research consistently points to strong social connections as benefiting older adults both physically and mentally.

Need more evidence? Check out our Era Living podcast with Shirley Hofmeister, who is living proof of the U-Curve of Happiness and the power of community. Or, read our blog story about the health benefits of friendship and how they can transform your senior years.

Tip #5: The Transformative Power of Art Classes

Not only are art classes a great way to build community, they can also support better overall health and wellness. Jane raves about this in her video on graceful aging, citing potential benefits like:

• • • Increased mental stimulation
    • New or stronger relationships
    • Increased physical activity

These and other positive impacts have been published in research through the National Endowment for the Arts. Here at Era Living, we consistently see that engaging in art can be transformative for people like Jeanne of Aljoya Mercer Island, who discovered a creative streak as she describes in an Era Living resident podcast.

Tip #6: Embracing Bravery and Letting Go 

In a podcast conversation with Julia Louis-Dreyfus (from the hit show “Seinfeld”), Jane talks about the significance of third acts – in movies and in life. “They can make sense out of the first two, right? They’re very important. It’s kind of a legacy that you’re going to leave behind.”

In approaching her “third act,” Jane describes doing a review of her own life and deciding how to move forward so she would not live with regrets. Later in the conversation with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, she also talks about her perspective as an older adult. “People are thinking and saying you’re over the hill. But then you realize, oh my God, but there’s whole new vistas over the hill, other hills. Other views that you just keep going and growing,” she says.

Tip #7: Staying Physically Active

Okay, this blog story would not be complete without a mention of exercise given that Jane was one of the most celebrated fitness gurus of the ‘80s! You may recall her in her leotards and fitness videos inspiring people of all ages to get stronger and healthier.

Jane still touts exercise as an essential part of her routine, though she’s adjusted her pace. “I do kind of the same moves. But slowly and with less weight,” she says in her interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The main point is to keep moving.

Aging Is a Universal Experience – We’re Here for You!

As Jane explains in her video featured on CBS, aging is a shared human experience to be celebrated. Your golden years can offer boundless opportunities for growth and joy – and we’re here to help!

At Era Living, we’re excited to offer retirement living communities designed around your needs as an older adult. Senior independent living can provide a great way to enjoy your own space with added benefits like dining services and robust activity calendars. We also offer more support, if needed. Our senior housing options include:

• • • Independent living for seniors
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care

If you or someone you love is considering a Seattle retirement community, we invite you to contact us and learn how we can help you connect and thrive in your retirement years.