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Do optimists live longer? Of course!

2022-06-09T17:54:14.032Z


Higher levels of optimism are associated with greater longevity and a greater likelihood of living beyond the age of 90, according to a new study.


Study says being optimistic helps you live longer 0:49

(CNN) --

"Choose to be optimistic.

It feels better," says the Dalai Lama.


But being optimistic doesn't just feel better, it can also lengthen your life.

Higher levels of optimism are associated with greater longevity and a greater likelihood of living past age 90, according to a new study of nearly 160,000 women of different races and backgrounds.

Healthy lifestyle factors, such as diet quality, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol use, accounted for less than a quarter of the association between longevity and optimism, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"Although optimism itself may be determined by structural social factors, our findings suggest that the benefits of optimism for longevity may hold for all racial and ethnic groups," said senior author Hayami Koga, a postdoctoral student at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, in a statement.

"Optimism may be an important intervention target for longevity in various groups," Koga added.

  • Children are more likely to succeed if they live in this type of environment

A growing body of research

This isn't the first study to find a strong link between longevity and looking on the bright side of life.

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A 2019 study found that both men and women with the highest levels of optimism had 11% to 15% longer average lives than people who practiced little positive thinking.

In fact, the highest-scoring optimists were more likely to live to age 85 or older.

The results held up, according to the study, even when taking into account socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, smoking, social engagement, poor diet and alcohol use.

According to experts, optimism doesn't mean ignoring life's stressors.

But when negative things happen, optimistic people are less likely to blame themselves and more likely to see the obstacle as temporary or even positive.

Optimists also believe that they have control over their destiny and can create opportunities for good things to happen in the future.

Being optimistic also improves health, according to studies.

Previous research has found a direct relationship between optimism and healthier diet and exercise behaviors, as well as better heart health, a stronger immune system, better lung function, and a lower risk of mortality, among others.

  • How to be more grateful and why this will make you happier, healthier and more resilient

you too can be optimistic

Twin studies have found that only 25% of our optimism is programmed by our genes.

The rest is up to us and how we respond when life hands us "lemons."

If you're more likely to get bitter when you're stressed, don't worry.

You can train your brain to be more positive.

One of the most effective ways to increase optimism is the "best possible self" method, according to a meta-analysis of existing studies.

In this intervention, you imagine yourself in a future where you have achieved all your goals and all your problems have been solved.

Start writing for 15 minutes about the specific things you've accomplished, and spend five minutes imagining what that reality looks and feels like.

Practicing this on a daily basis can significantly improve your positive feelings, experts say.

In a 2011 study, students practiced the “best possible self” exercise for 15 minutes once a week for eight weeks.

Not only did they feel more positive, but the feelings lasted about six months.

Another way to reinforce optimism is to keep a diary dedicated only to the positive experiences that have been experienced that day.

Over time, that focus on the positive can reshape your outlook on life, experts say.

Taking a few minutes each day to write down what makes you grateful can also improve your outlook on life.

Several studies have shown that practicing gratitude improves positive coping skills by breaking down the typical negative thinking style and replacing it with optimism.

Counting blessings even decreases problem behavior in teens.

Like exercise, optimism exercises should be practiced regularly to keep your brain's positive outlook in good shape, experts say.

But isn't a longer, happier, more positive life worth living?

LongevityOptimism

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2022-06-09

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