If You're Happy and You Know It... Live Forever? Optimism and Longevity
You might think that anxiety and skepticism are key to survival. Indeed, these traits do help us avoid dangerous situations. However, focusing too much on negative things can actually have a negative impact. Optimism may help you live longer, according to recent studies.
Okay, obviously, being happy won’t make you live forever, but as it turns out, a number of recent studies have shown that people who are generally optimistic do, in fact, live longer. Studies tracked participants, sometimes for decades, to see if there’s really a link between positivity and longevity.
Do Optimists Live Longer?
You might think that anxiety and skepticism are key to survival. Indeed, these traits do help us avoid dangerous situations. However, focusing too much on negative things can actually have a negative impact. Optimism, even beyond what is realistic, may help you live longer, according to recent studies.
A study published in June 2022 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, looked at almost 160,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79, from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, over the course of up to 26 years, to see how their outlook affected their longevity.
They assessed the optimism levels of the participants throughout the course of the study and found that those who were generally counted among the most optimistic 25% lived longer than those more on the pessimist side. This top quarter was 10% more likely than the bottom quarter to live past the age of 90 and generally lived up to 5.4% longer overall. Even after accounting for other health factors like depression and chronic or genetic illness and lifestyle differences in exercise and diet, those statistics remained consistent.
A previous study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which looked at both men and women, had similar findings. The optimists were found to live 11 to 15% longer. According to study author Lewina Lee, speaking as part of an interview with TODAY, this may be because optimistic people are more likely be confident in their abilities to reach their goals, leading to overall healthier lifestyles.
Glass Half-Empty
What if you’re naturally pessimistic? Don’t lose hope. There are a number of factors that can make a person a pessimist, but they can all be overcome.
First, it’s important to recognize that being sad or having negative emotions does not make you a pessimist. You can absolutely both be sad or angry and still have hope for the future, believe in other people, and see the positive side of things. Optimism isn’t about never having negative feelings; it’s about maintaining a positive outlook in spite of those negative feelings.
That being said, if you find that you generally don’t look forward to the future, if you think there’s no hope, and if you find it hard to see the good in others, you may be a pessimist. There may be some genetic predisposition toward pessimism, but it’s largely caused by social and environmental factors.
Some things that can lead to pessimistic outlooks may include bad breakups, major life changes like job loss or sudden moves, illnesses, loss, and other types of trauma. Pessimism can also be “contagious.” When you spend a lot of time around people who share a pessimistic outlook, it can be easy to start seeing things the same way.
Learn How to Become More Optimistic
Pessimism doesn’t have to be a permanent state of mind. Just like physical exercise, you can exercise your mind to build up the areas you want to strengthen. If you want to add more optimism to your outlook in the interest of longevity, there are a few daily exercises you can do to train your brain to think more positively.
Rewrite the Negative
When you find yourself having negative thoughts, rewrite them. Recognize them in the moment and then choose to see a more positive version. This can also boost self-esteem and improve relationships.
If you’re having negative thoughts about another person, look for something good you can say about them instead. Likewise, if you’re putting yourself down, choose to build yourself up by finding something positive to say. The more you make a habit of doing this, the more your brain will naturally gravitate to positive thoughts instead.
Find Other Optimists
In the same way that spending time with pessimists can make you more pessimistic, hanging out with optimists can have the opposite effect. Humans naturally take on the outlooks and emotions of those we spend the most time with. If you start spending more time with people who build you up and see the good in the world, you’ll likely start to see those good things, too.
Be Thankful
Start and keep a gratitude journal. If you spend just a little time every day thinking about the good things in your life, you’re less likely to focus on the bad. Think about the good things that happened during the day: an easy commute, a delicious lunch, a chance encounter with a friend, etc. Whatever made you happy during the day, take a moment to remember it and make a note of it.
Focus on a Positive Future
It seems silly, but just imagining ways the future might be brighter can change your outlook. We often predict the worst outcomes because we want to be prepared for them, but it’s worth taking a few minutes to imagine the best-case scenario, too. Longevity is less attainable and desirable when the future you’re living for is bleak.
Put Down the News
While it can be important to keep an eye on what’s going on in the world, too much media consumption can be a recipe for pessimism. Often, news outlets only report on the bad things that are happening – feel-good stories just don’t sell as well – so it gives us a negative outlook on the world. Be aware of major world events, but don’t dwell on them all day. Instead, focus on good things happening in your community. Sometimes, hearing about your friends’ good news can give you a little hope.
Go to Therapy
Sometimes, it can be helpful to see a therapist, even if you don’t think you need one. People choose to go to therapy for a variety of reasons. It can oftentimes be helpful just to have an outside perspective on your life, especially if you tend to focus on the negative.
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