Episode 23:10 Dr. Kerry Burnight on the JoySpan Framework to Deepen Love, Curiosity, Vitality, and Meaning

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Dr. Kerry Burnight, a gerontologist and author of JoySpan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half. They discuss the concept of "JoySpan," which emphasizes the importance of quality of life over mere longevity. Dr. Burnight introduces her four-pronged matrix for thriving in later life: Grow, Connect, Adapt, and Give. The conversation also touches on overcoming internalized ageism and the significance of maintaining a growth mindset as we age.

About Kerry

Dr. Kerry Burnight is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and nationally recognized gerontologist whose life’s work celebrates the gift of growing older. For eighteen years, Professor Burnight taught Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the University of California, Irvine, and co-founded the nation’s first Elder Abuse Forensic Center.

Known as America’s Gerontologist, she blends science with soul by translating cutting-edge longevity research into practical, heart-centered ways to live with vitality, connection, and purpose. Building upon the lifespan and healthspan literature, she coined the term joyspan - the quality of a long life. The joysan framework is a proven approach to deepening love, curiosity, vitality, and meaning.

Kerry Burnight’s work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS Mornings, Oprah Daily, NBC News, Time Magazine, BBC, and CNN. Growing older is not the end of your story, it is the fullest expression of it.

Key Takeaways

• Focusing too much on longevity can neglect quality of life. Many older adults live long and stay healthy yet still feel unhappy.
• The American Psychological Association defines joy as “a feeling of extreme gladness, delight, or exaltation of the spirit arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction”. Joy is not about being happy all the time—it's a deeper sense of contentment. Unlike happiness, which often depends on external circumstances, joy is rooted in well-being and internal satisfaction.
• The four-pronged matrix for JoySpan is Grow, Connect, Adapt, and Give. Curiosity is the catalyst of growth.
• Research shows that genetics will predict less than 25 % of how we age.
• As you get older, you care less about others' opinions and gain stronger emotional regulation, with fewer intense ups and downs. There’s more appreciation for beauty, relationships, ordinary pleasures, humility, andspirituality. Aging also boosts integration between brain hemispheres, offering improved problem solving and deeper self-acceptance.
• The multi-billion dollar anti-aging industry profits from the “aging is bad” narrative telling us to fear getting older and to use their products to stop aging.