OK, so you get to live to a 100?
YAY!
You get to live to a healthy 100?
YIPPEE!!
You get to live to a healthy and joyful 100?
WOOHOO!!!
Hang on there: could it be that we got things upside down in the longevity world?
For years, our focus was on just living longer – a commendable public health goal, born out of a war-torn century. But then, we noticed this: “Why live to a 100 if my health has long broken down?”
Point taken: healthspan was born!
And, boy, have we been working on it for the past couple of decades – self-optimising the heck out of our diets, our gym routines and our sleep in the hope of becoming strong, bendy and energetic nonagenarians…
But joyspan? C’mon… Isn’t that too much to ask?
Dr Kerry Burnight, a leading American gerontologist, begs to differ. In fact, she wants to turn this historical development on its head and focus on joyspan (a term she coined), as the bedrock of longevity.
After decades of research, social lobbying and consultation with elderly citizens, she got tired of fear-driven age-bashing and its anti-ageing arsenal. And she decided to address the core wound, i.e. why live longer (and healthier) if life is no longer pleasurable?
And why not start with joy – as a catalyst for healthy longevity?
You may be rolling your eyes by now and thinking: “Here we go again… all that drivel about positive thinking, the pursuit of happiness, etc. How can you be or remain joyful when ageing is all downhill?”
Well, Dr Burnight would strongly disagree with you on at least two counts.
First of all, it may be time for a more sober definition of joy. Burnight does not perceive joy as permanent ecstatic happiness, but as a form of deep-seated contentment that stems from true quality of life. A contentment that can be actively cultivated, since it is less dependent on external circumstances than on personal framing, self-awareness and self-work.
Secondly, Burnight is on a crusade to change ageing’s scary reputation. In a recent interview, she highlighted some of the many advantages of ageing:
“One, our appreciation of connections, our appreciation of beauty and nature and music, our ability to not care so much what people think about us, our humour, the depth of our spirituality. Oftentimes our problem-solving as a result of both neurological integration and also lived experiences.” (Your JOYSPAN with Dr Kerry Burnight, 2025)
Indeed, in the course of her career and her personal life, Dr Burnight witnessed two broad attitudes toward (and experiences of) ageing. These could be simplistically summarised as “grouchy” versus “graceful”. Individuals falling into the grouchy category find it difficult to cope and evolve with age, while those in the graceful one take age in their stride and even manage to thrive – like her 98-year-old mother Betty.
But are “graceful agers” just lucky to be blessed with better health, more comfortable circumstances and a generally sunny disposition?
Burnight contends that this is not the case and reveals that her mother was initially not a role-model of ageing. But like other graceful agers, she learned to cultivate the 4 common denominators of joyspan, which Burnight uncovered through both research and experience, i.e. grow, connect, adapt and give. These could be summed up as follows:
1. GROW: no, ageing should not be synonymous with arrested development. Instead, continuous learning and exploring new interests are crucial to sustaining a zest for life.
2. CONNECT: relationship maintenance is not optional for long-term well-being. As your grow older, make sure to also befriend the new generations, since your contemporaries may be taking their leave before you. You will not only profit from the stimulation, younger friends may even benefit from your experience.
3. ADAPT: life is fundamentally unpredictable. So, whether you are dealing with grief, health challenges or other issues, you will need to find ways to process and cope with change. Asking for help may be a good first step…
4. GIVE: give of yourself! Whether it is your time, energy or skills, there is bound to be someone in your circle or beyond who will benefit. And you will benefit from the exchange too. Even something as seemingly basic as active listening can be very precious.
So, next time you catch yourself obsessing over your healthspan – whether it is reviewing a new supplement protocol or investing in the latest longevity gadget – why not spare a bit of that energy to invest in your joyspan? Because it won’t just make a difference later; it could make a big difference to your quality of life now!
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Sources and further reading/listening
Burnight, Kerry. Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half. Nashville: Hachette/Worthy Books, 2025.
“Your JOYSPAN with Dr Kerry Burnight”. The Aging Project with Shelley Craft. 03.08.2025. Online interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pBQFNHLk9E
Illustrations
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Andrea Piacquadio/ pexels
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