Ann Russell has been nicknamed The TikTok Auntie by her followers, thanks to her insightful tips, tricks and life advice videos which have appealed to all generations. In a recent video, she responded to a middle-aged commenter with her advice on remaining positive as you age.
The commenter asked: “Ann how do you stay so positive and optimistic about your longevity? Having reached middle age I worry about how much time I have left.”
According to Ann, the key is about being “comfortable”. The professional cleaner-turned-writer, who currently has 2.3M followers on her @annrussell03 TikTok page, eschews “fad diets” and recommends never parting with loved ones on bad terms.
“There are no guarantees, are there? I could be hit by a bus tomorrow,” she said. “There are no guarantees. I say I love you to people when I say goodbye to them in case I never see them again.
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Ann also recommends making sure to do things that make you feel good throughout the day. “Get lots of sleep,” she said. “Otherwise I feel crap.”
She added: “I just assume I will live forever. And if I die tomorrow, well that will be very unfortunate but hopefully, people will remember me kindly. And if they don’t it doesn’t matter because I won’t know anything about it.”
Positive thinking has been attributed towards better mental and physical health as we age. Experts from Web MD explained: “During a study, women who were more optimistic were less likely to die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection.
“And in a study of people over the age of 50, those who had more positive thoughts about ageing lived longer. They also had less stress-related inflammation, which shows one possible link between their thoughts and health.”
Ann’s insight has been applauded by followers, with many sharing their own journey towards positivity as they age. A user posting under the handle DustyFingers02 said: “I feel when we hit our age we learn to live each day, I no longer procrastinate, tomorrow may never happen.”
Another user, named Luke said: “I stay positive as many poor souls don’t sadly make as far as I have. I’m grateful for this. I live for today.”
An account named The Swiss Family added: “Honestly this is the best life advice everyone should have. So simple, so happy, so full of love. Thank you.”