“If you think I’m active you should see my dad – he still works and he’s 90!” Au exclaims. “He’s still healthy, his mind is still sharp and he’s in excellent shape.”

When we think about old age, many of us imagine a life marked by a loss of vitality, mental and physical decline, limited social and employment opportunities, isolation and loss. But Au and his father, and many other men and women in their age groups, are defying that stereotype, living healthy, happy, meaningful lives and still playing active roles in their community.

Thanks to advances in public health, more of us than ever aren’t just getting older; we are living longer into old age, too. Last year, for the first time in history, there were more people aged 65 or above than there were children under five years of age globally. According to data from the United Nations’ World Population Prospects: the 2019 Revision, by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over 65, up from one in 11 people in 2019.

“Ageing is inevitable and a process we cannot control, so it’s normal to fear or dread it,” says Dr Annabelle Chow, a clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology in Singapore. “But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless to make this stage of your life the best it can be.

“There are so many wonderful things to look forward to in old age. For instance, you can take up new hobbies or learn new skills because you finally have the time to do so. With age also comes experience and therefore perspective – another benefit of getting older.”

Of course, ageing can be emotionally tough. Not having a regular job and seeing your adult children move out of home can leave you feeling lost, sad and lonely. There may also be feelings of guilt and regret for not having chased your career ambitions hard enough or for not being a better parent or spouse. Being slower, weaker or more forgetful than you used to be can also make you feel inadequate or inefficient.

It’s normal to have all these uncomfortable emotions, says Chow, but rather than avoid or suppress them, she says you should mindfully observe and accept them. “This makes the emotions seem less daunting and distressing. Soon, you’ll start to realise that they’re not that powerful and you can feel them without reacting to them.”

The more positive you are about getting older, the easier and more enjoyable the transition will be. Experts call this “positive ageing”. According to the Australian Psychological Society, the approach involves maintaining a positive attitude, feeling good about yourself, keeping fit and healthy and engaging fully in life as you age.

Having a positive attitude helps you maintain a sense of control and quality of life as you face another part of your life cycle.

Positive thinking about ageing benefits your physical health, too. A Yale University study, published in 2018 in the journal PLoS One, found that older adults with a positive attitude towards ageing might be less likely to develop dementia, even if they are genetically predisposed to the condition.

Lead researcher Dr Becca Levy reported that individuals who have more positive age beliefs tend to have lower levels of stress, while those who have more negative age stereotypes seem to have an exacerbated response to stress. Chronic stress is widely thought to increase one’s risk of dementia.

Another study, also led by Dr Levy and published in 2002 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that thinking positively about ageing may extend one’s life by seven-and-a-half years – more than exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.

It’s easier than you think to be a “positive ager”. For starters, you may want to use positive age-related words like “wise”, “enlightened”, “insightful” and “accomplished” when thinking about yourself, as opposed to negative ones like “dependent”, “decrepit”, “confused”, “incompetent” and “diseased”.

Interestingly, in one of her earlier studies, published in 1996 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Levy tested these and other age stereotypes on people aged 60 to 90, and found that those exposed subliminally to the positive age stereotypes fared better at memory tests than those exposed to the negative ones.

Other ways to age positively include continuing to be productive, finding meaning in what you do, staying engaged with your community and keeping physically healthy. These are all closely tied to our mood, which can impact the way we view our lives.

Au’s friend Charles Levy has always been physically active, but he says that as he gets older, he realises how much more important keeping fit is to every aspect of his life, from his mood to his personal and social relationships. Five mornings a week, he walks or runs to The Peak before hitting the gym, where he lifts weights or uses the different weight machines to build muscle.

The 55-year-old financial adviser says: “Our physical health is intimately tied to our emotional well-being. When you’re healthy you feel happier and more balanced, and the happier you are the more likely you’ll be to welcome and embrace old age. I don’t fear growing older at all.”

Au agrees that having a positive attitude is paramount to enjoying this stage of his life and beyond. “I’ve learned to let go of past mistakes. I don’t like getting angry and if others do me wrong, I simply forgive them and move on. I also don’t place limits on myself – there’s really nothing I can’t do at 61. Life is too short and too important to be fearful, regretful, bitter or resentful.”