Review of Joyspan: A Short Guide to Enjoying Your Long Life by Kerry Burnight
Ageing With More Joy
There probably aren’t too many people who eagerly look forward to old age. For those who have chalked up several decades, US gerontologist Dr Kerry Burnight offers advice on how to get the best out of these later years. She starts by noting the difference between lifespan, healthspan and her particular focus area: joyspan. She does not minimise the challenges that come with advancing years. Instead, her goal is to offset the deluge of negativity around getting older and help us develop coping strategies and psychological resilience.
The Joyspan Matrix
Her recommendations are built around her joyspan matrix. It has four elements to incorporate into life to maximise wellbeing and meaning: Give, Grow, Connect, Adapt. Three of these feature on the Chartered Wheel of Balance as Give Back, Learn and Relationships.
Stories That Bring the Ideas to Life
One of Dr Burnight’s main sources of inspiration is her own mother, 96-year-old Betty. She also shares the stories of friends, patients and some high-profile long-lived figures. These include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former US President Jimmy Carter, and Dame Prue Leith. Their stories illustrate how actively applying the four joyspan elements can lead to more fulfilling years.
Adapting Without Giving Up
The important message she conveys under “Adapt” is not to give up on something you enjoyed simply because you can no longer do it in the same way. Something may have changed, or your abilities may have shifted. Instead, find ways to stay involved, work around the obstacles, and embrace new approaches to doing and viewing things.
Connection, Purpose and Small Daily Practices
Connection and relationships have emerged as major factors in healthy ageing in several studies, and Dr Burnight is firmly behind this. She encourages small, regular practices that support all four quadrants of her joyspan matrix. Phone or message someone to keep in touch. Offer your help or skills where you can. Learn something new. Move your body, even if it’s a gentle stroll or chair yoga instead of a more vigorous workout. The book includes many examples of the joyspan matrix in action. These inspire readers to build a longer, more connected and joy-filled life.
A copy of Joyspan: A Short Guide to Enjoying Your Long Life is available for short-term loan from our Johannesburg Chartered Client Library.
Joyspan by Kerry Burnight