Lulu on getting older: "What matters is your spirit"
The singer on the importance of meditation and why it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
The singer on the importance of meditation and why it’s never too late to follow your dreams.
Age is but a number
The singer turned 75 in November last year, but says most days she doesn’t feel it.
“Generally, I don’t feel 75 at all,” she told Saga Magazine. “I celebrated very quietly. There’s no need for big parties at my age – just chillax!”
Her main tip for keeping young at heart? Stop being obsessed with numbers! She said: “I do think people are obsessed with age, it’s like an illness. They’re numbers, that’s all. What matters is your spirit.”
Be ambitious
Acting’s not unknown to Lulu – she appeared in To Sir With Love as Barbara Peng in 1967. More recently she’s appeared alongside Diane Keaton and Patricia Hodge in Arthur’s Whisky. And it’s something she’s determined to pursue.
“People really close to me laugh and say I’m still waiting to be discovered,” she laughs. “I’ve been doing acting classes for about four years, working with a really good coach. I’m excited for people to see this new side to me.”
She says she wasn’t ready to do more acting when she was younger, but is definitely ready to embrace this side of her now. “I’m definitely still ambitious for my future,” she tells Saga Magazine.
You may not want to tread the boards like Lulu, but learning a new skill is scientifically proven to be good for you. A study by Psychological Science showed that taking up something new, such as photography or learning a language, are likely to improve cognitive functioning. So if you feel like there’s something you always wanted to learn, do it now!
Shift your focus
A study looking at the effectiveness of meditation on anxiety showed that it worked just as effectively as taking prescribed medicine. The only downside? Participants meditated for 45 minutes a day. However, some other studies have shown 15 minutes a day can be enough to improve your decision making process. Try the Calm app if you’re new to meditation, which guides you through the whole process.
Make small changes for big results
Making small changes is a really good way to improve your health. Studies have shown that small adjustments to diet or physical exercise can actually benefit your overall health. Simpler actions become habitual more quickly, which means you’re more likely to stick with them.
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