“Stay Young and Healthy by Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone: Tips from Aging Journalist Wies Verbeek”

If there’s one thing that keeps your body and mind young, healthy aging journalist Wies Verbeek (1964) discovered, it’s keeping your life exciting. And we’re not talking about climbing Mount Everest or bungee jumping for an afternoon, but about doing things differently than you’re used to. “If you want to stay fit for a long time, look for a little adventure.”

Going out late into the night, sleeping on such a thin camping mat, going to busy festivals, moving a lot, finishing all parties and drinks, driving back and forth with the kids to playdates, changing jobs: I’m glad I did all of that. don’t have to anymore. Getting older has its advantages. Where I used to have an appointment several days a week in the evening, I now find that once a week is more than enough. I love being home and going to bed on time. Yes, call it old but I do very well on it. Just like the habits and rituals I’ve developed over the years. I get up at the same time every day, do the same exercises, eat the same breakfast, and work at the same kitchen table every day. Maybe you recognize yourself in this and you think: what’s wrong with it? Well, quite a lot.

Way of least resistance

We have an innate desire to discover ourselves and the world, to learn, to be curious, to challenge ourselves, but somewhere in our lives we stop exploring. We lose the drive a bit and take the path of least resistance. It is precisely that routine life without challenges that makes us deteriorate faster, grow old faster. Because the brain is hardly stimulated anymore. The sneaky thing about those habits and rituals is that they sneak in without you noticing. We do so many things on autopilot.

Out of your comfort zone

Now it doesn’t have to be as challenging as it used to be, but doing different things than you’re used to, stepping out of your comfort zone, going on small adventures are incredibly important to stay healthy for a long time. Whether you eat a different breakfast or learn a new language, everything that your brain has to work for matters. We need to get away from those ingrained neural pathways. It is as the well-known neuropsychologist Erik Scherder always proclaims: “By doing something different – ​​even if it is just choosing a different route than you normally do – new connections are made that improve the overall condition of the brain. This can improve cognitive skills such as learning and remembering.”

Little adventures

Changes and small adventures not only keep the mind active, but also give new energy and more satisfaction. I recognize it in myself. Every now and then my friend and I spontaneously go to a theater performance in the evening. I always have to switch gears because I actually wanted to do some laundry at home or something like that and go to bed early, but every time I go, I think: this is much better than another evening at home on the couch. Even if the performance wasn’t fun, it brings me something. I have stories, it makes me think. Sometimes we just need to break something. As a creature of habit, I have trouble deviating from my daily rituals. If only in a different place than at the kitchen table….

Read more?

Curious about the rest of Wies’ story? You read it in Zin 06 2023. Now in the store. Or order it online here.

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