Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life’s Second Half, by Dr. Kerry Burnight
By: Amanda Gillis-Furutaka
Ageing is something all of us do, every minute, every day. Does this truism sound depressing? Yes, especially when we are bombarded daily with advertising for products and advice on how to preserve our youthfulness! And so, we avoid thinking about and planning for our later life. After all, we cannot predict how long our lifespan will be (i.e., the number of years we will live), and we cannot guarantee our healthspan (how many of those years we will enjoy good health). However, I now understand that we can greatly impact our “joyspan”–the years which feel meaningful, filled with purpose and pleasure.
Dr. Kerry Burnight, a joyful gerontologist, has coined this term to explain her research findings from 35 years of empirical testing on psychological well-being in longevity. Joy is a concept that has been seen as an essential part of the human experience for thousands of years. More recently, neuroscientists have demonstrated how joy activates key areas in the brain and affects behaviour and emotional well-being. Joy is linked to the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Dopamine surges in the nucleus accumbens during positive experiences, which reinforces the behaviours that lead to joy, and motivates us to undertake similar activities in the future. Functional MRI studies have shown that joy activates the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala, two parts of the brain associated with emotions and positive experiences.
From a positive psychology perspective, joy helps us to thrive mentally and strengthens our resilience and social bonding. Joy can be communal, such as in rituals and celebrations where individuals share experiences and feel uplifted as well as at festivals and sports events. Joy can also be associated with harmony and contentment, and with enjoying the pleasures in life (“joie de vivre” in France). In evolutionary science, joy has been shown to encourage cooperative behaviour and social bonding, which are necessary for community building and survival.
Burnight cites neurological and cognitive research data which show that people live longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives when their days are filled with meaningful relationships and they are learning new skills, exploring new topics, giving as well as receiving, feeling and expressing gratitude. “Joyspan” is vital, Burnight insists, and she explains how we can maximize this in simple ways even when life events have dealt us hard blows. Her goal is to show us how to thrive throughout our whole life, or as people say in Japan, to have 生きがい“ikigai” (a sense of purpose in life).
There are two contrasting attitudes towards ageing: It is either seen as a purely downward trajectory (as I indicated earlier), or in a more positive way, as a new stage in life that presents challenges, but also new freedoms and satisfactions–if we fortify ourselves internally. Moreover, our approach to ageing has a direct impact on our “joyspan”. People don’t thrive in their later years based on their genes or good luck. In fact, genes are only responsible for 25% of the variation in lifespan. The remaining 75% is the result of our beliefs, attitudes, choices, and behaviours (p. 40).
Burnight identifies four scientifically proven strategies that can maximize well-being in longevity:
- Grow–continue to explore and expand (learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and undertake new experiences)
- Connect–put time into new and existing relationships (rekindle lost relationships, treasure and strengthen family and friendship bonds)
- Adapt–adjust to changing and challenging situations (never give up, be creative, see what can be done)
- Give–share ourselves (give thoughtful gifts, and give your time and attention to others)
Burnight’s book is organized into 3 sections. Part 1 explains why “joyspan” matters, provides examples of successful “joyspanners”, and shows how “joyspan” prolongs lifespan and healthspan. Part 2 shows us how to strengthen our “joyspan” through lifelong growth, and emphasizes the importance of having community and connections. The author also underlines the need to maximize our adaptability, and very importantly, demonstrates ways in which giving our time and love, as well as gifts, can provide purpose and meaning in life. Part 3 provides advice on how to maintain your “joyspan” right to the end through examination of common struggles, such as feeling like a burden, dealing with mobility and health obstacles, and with loss of loved ones.
I found it very easy to stay focused and to relate to what the author was saying because her writing style is clear and informal. Moreover, in each section she shares profiles of individuals she knows (friends, relatives, patients, and even a few celebrities) who exemplify the elements of “joyspan” she has outlined. To keep her readers active, she includes surveys and exercises to help readers explore what creates “joyspan” for them. And she ends each chapter with inspiring examples of super “Joyspanners”: People who have actively applied the four main elements of “joyspan”.
What are my main takeaways from this book? Several of Burnight’s most notable suggestions come from the field of Positive Psychology and will be familiar to readers of this magazine. First, is gratitude practice. By regularly reflecting on things you are thankful for, you can enhance your emotional well-being. There are many ways you can do this each day, both in your personal life and with your students in the classroom. Take a few moments to look back on recent events and identify something you feel grateful for. This can be done not just in a classroom or in a quiet moment, even the super busy can make time for this while walking or cycling home, riding the bus or train, lying in bed, or keeping a journal. I have taken up journal writing again and find it really helps me to appreciate each day.
Next, are mindfulness and meditation, which are practices that reduce stress and increase present-moment joy. Some examples are: Savoring the flavor of a single blueberry (as introduced by Marc Helgesen sometime ago), sitting quietly and listening to all that is happening around you and then letting it all go (something else Marc taught me in a workshop). And for me, personally, inhaling the rich earthy smell of our local forest trails.
Burnight explains how acts of kindness and helping others create a lasting sense of joy and connection through the release of dopamine and serotonin. She provides a great suggestion called “Give of the Day”: Every morning, think about how you can give something meaningful to someone else. Ask yourself, who, what and how you can do this. Then do it! Try this for 7 days and see how it transforms your mood, your relationships, and your overall sense of joy and purpose.
Engaging in activities that make you laugh is also very important because laughter has beneficial health effects. And when it comes to work and hobbies, if possible, choose activities that bring a sense of purpose and fulfilment. The importance of exercise and play should not be underestimated because physical activity releases endorphins which improve our mood and increase joy.
Last, but certainly not least, we should nurture family relationships and friendships because this builds emotional resilience. And emotional resilience is vitally important as we age and increasingly encounter setbacks and losses. Loneliness increases stress-related hormones like cortisol, but people with strong social connections experience lower levels of stress hormones, reduced inflammation, and better cardiovascular health. Quality relationships are among the most important predictors of longevity and well-being. Deepening friendships and making new friends through social activities and group involvement have also been linked to lower risks of depression and dementia in older adults. Burnight urges us to reach out to old friends and distant relatives who we have lost touch with to expand our social circles and experience the joy that rekindled relationships can bring.
We cannot deny the downsides to ageing. Our processing speed and recall decline with age. It is normal for our brains to lose mass, receive less blood flow, and for the connections between neurons to slow as we age. As a result, our attention spans shorten, things (especially names and words) are harder to recall, but this doesn’t mean we are suffering from cognitive impairment, or that we cannot successfully learn new things. We need to be kind to ourselves, allow ourselves more time, and “view ageing not as an ending but as a rich and vital continuation–a time to live fully and give generously” (p. 172).
Thanks to Dr. Kerry Burnight, I have been able to embrace my recent retirement and see it as an exciting new stage in my life and one in which I hope to contribute to the expansion of the “joyspan” of others around me!
Further Reading & Listening
- Burnight, K. (2025). Joyspan: The art and science of thriving in life’s second half. Worthy Books.
Amanda Gillis-Furutaka Ph.D, is the current President of the JALT Mind, Brain and Education SIG, and a retired professor at Kyoto Sangyo University, where she joyfully volunteers once a week to give back, and to stay connected with students and many good friends.