An optimistic outlook can boost your odds of living past 90

News Got You Down? Looking at the BRIGHT Side Can Help You Live Past 90

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

You’re probably familiar with that catchy children’s song… and probably sang it countless times with YOUR children – and your children’s children.

And now, new research has uncovered a VERY good reason start singing that old chestnut once again.

Perhaps, you’ve already heard that being happy and optimistic are linked to less stress, better sleep, greater wellbeing, and better health, including a stronger heart and immune system.

Well now, a new study of senior women has found that looking at the BRIGHT side of life can also help you live longer – a LOT longer.

Ha! That may be a LOT easier said than done these days.

If you’ve read a newspaper or turned on the news lately, you know there hasn’t been a whole lot to be optimistic about. And that’s putting it mildly…

But here’s why you SHOULD try to put on a happy face (or as your grandkids’ nursery school teachers would say, turn that frown-y upside down-y).

Optimism linked to “exceptional longevity”

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, involved nearly 160,000 older women, ages 50 – 79, over a period of more than two decades.

At baseline, all of the women completed surveys to determine whether they were optimists or pessimists. And 26 years later, researchers followed up to see which subjects were still alive, and which had passed.

After comparing the women’s lifespans to their optimism levels, the researchers found a significant link between both.

The upshot?

Higher optimism was associated with a longer lifespan – up to 6.4 percent longer!

Now you may think that’s NOT a lot of extra time… but remember, when the study began, the women were already seniors – and some were even closing in on 80.

In fact, seeing the glass as half full, rather than half empty, boosted the odds of achieving what the researchers called “exceptional longevity.”

What made it exceptional? Living into their 90s. That’s a decade or more LONGER than 83, the average lifespan for women in the U.S. and other developed countries.

The women’s lifestyles did not significantly affect their longevity – and neither did their ethnic or racial backgrounds.

Of course, not everyone is a natural optimist (remember Oscar the Grouch?). But that DOESN’T mean you have to resign yourself to a short, unhappy life.

Because there are ways to help turn things around.

And NO… I’m NOT talking about antidepressants, or other dangerous drugs.

I’m talking about NATURAL methods to manage stress and improve your outlook… many that you can start doing today.

These include: exercising, eating a healthy diet, getting a good night’s sleep, taking a walk (sunlight is a great mood brightener), listening to music, meditating, practicing yoga, deep breathing exercises, reading a good book, or calling or meeting up with a friend.

You can also get some much-needed stress relief with ashwagandha. Studies have shown this adaptogen can plunge levels of the stress hormone cortisol… and significantly REDUCE stress and anxiety.

You can easily find ashwagandha at vitamin shops, drug stores, and online.

Source:

“Optimism, lifestyle, and longevity in a racially diverse cohort of women”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35674052/