Why do optimists live longer? How can I be an optimist?
Studies conducted so far have shown that optimists live longer. So, experts explained why optimists live longer and how people who aren't born optimists can get the same health benefits as optimists.
Do optimists really live longer? Here's what the research says
A 26-year follow-up study of about 160,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 found that optimist women lived longer overall, especially up to their 90s, than non-optimist women. .. According to Fuschia Sirois, a researcher in health psychology at Durham University in the United Kingdom, what is particularly interesting in this study is 'other factors related to longevity, such as education level, financial situation, ethnicity, depression and other chronic illnesses. The result did not change even if it was taken into consideration. '
This study was for women only, but another study involving both men and women found that optimists averaged 11-15% longer lifespan.
Optimists have an average lifespan of 11 to 15% longer and are more likely to live up to 85 years or older-GIGAZINE
So why optimists live longer is thought to be related to a healthy lifestyle, at least in part. A 2018 study examining the relationship between optimistic tendencies and lifestyles found that optimistic people tended to eat healthy, move, and refrain from smoking.
However, in the aforementioned survey involving 160,000 women, 'lifestyle accounts for only 24% of the relationship between optimism and longevity.' In other words, the length of life of an optimist is related to many factors other than lifestyle.
A factor other than lifestyle is Sirois's idea of 'how to deal with optimist stress.' According to Sirois, optimists tend to tackle stressful situations head-on when faced with them. These include finding ways to deal with stressors, seeking help from others, and finding 'bright signs' to get a less stressful view.
When you feel stress, cortisol , which is sometimes called a stress hormone, is secreted, which causes long-term adverse health reactions such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, and decreased immune system function, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. .. From this, Sirois said, 'Optimists may be able to protect themselves to some extent from the negative effects of dealing with stress.'
Optimism is thought to be due to both heredity and childhood experience, but even adults can develop optimism with simple training. One of the trainings is to imagine the 'best self', that is, the future self who has achieved the goal, and write it down. One thing to keep in mind at this time is that the goal is not just wishful thinking, but a positive and rational one. Also, thinking about future positive events is effective in raising an optimistic view.
Expecting an ideal future can be disappointing when things go wrong, but Sirois points out that those problems can be alleviated by 'distinguishing between what you can control and what you can't.' doing. Optimism is strengthened when it goes the way you want, and retreats when it doesn't, so it's optimistic to regularly envision your best self and take small, realistic steps towards achieving it. It seems to be useful for fostering thinking.
'Of course, being an optimist isn't as easy as it sounds,' Sirois said at the end. Managing stress and living a healthy lifestyle, such as getting a good night's sleep, is a shortcut to longevity. Further training and optimism will increase your chances of longevity. ' ..
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