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You’ve known it ever since your parents read you The Little Engine That Could: Positive thinking can propel you to overcome challenges. But it’s not just a mental boost: Optimism can have a major impact on longevity.
The proof is substantial and impressive. Optimism corresponded to an 11 to 15 percent longer lifespan in an analysis of data from 69,744 women in the journal of The National Academy of Sciences. Higher levels of optimism were associated with women of all races and ethnicities who lived beyond 90 in research done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
If you don’t consider yourself a glass-half-full type, you might be wondering what you can do about it. Here’s some uplifting news: “Only 25 percent of optimism is genetic,” says Sue Varma, MD, a psychiatrist and author of Practical Optimism. That means the rest is within your control—and there are simple, everyday ways to give your outlook a glow-up.
Health Payoffs? Check.
Of course, a longer life is the ultimate health goal, but there are some amazing benefits of positivity for your general well-being:
- Optimists have better physical functioning as they age. A study of 5,930 postmenopausal women published in JAMA Psychiatry found that the most positive among them had better lower-body strength and showed a slower decline in walking speed over the course of six years.
- Positive people are overall more likely to have a better quality of life than their pessimistic peers, including less pain and stronger emotional and mental health, according to a Mayo Clinic study. They may also recover better from injury and illness.
Why is optimism so good for you? Basically, it enhances people’s ability to regulate their behavior, experts say. Optimism is associated with not smoking or abusing substances. People with the most positive mindset are more likely to exercise vigorously and have a healthy diet. They have better coping strategies for stress, too.
Optimism Strategies
Having an upbeat approach to life creates a ripple effect. As gerontologist and mid-life coach Barbara Waxman notes, “The way we think is the way that much of our future takes hold.” Your mindset can be what she calls a “superpower”—if you tap into it. Try these tactics:
See your best self.
People who spent five minutes a day for two weeks envisioning their ideal self in terms of their work, relationships, and personal goals had significant increases in optimism, found a study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychology. Consider adding this little activity to your daily calendar.
Make plans with optimistic people.
“Extremely positive people are infectious,” says Dr. Varma. “And they serve as great role models.”
Be a little grateful.
Waxman recommends this one-minute morning practice: Before you get out of bed, think of three people, places, things or feelings for which you’re grateful. You’ll set yourself up for a more positive day.
Banish bummer thoughts.
Avoid getting caught up in negativity by treating it as you would other people’s luggage on an airport baggage carousel, suggests Dr. Varma. You might notice others’ suitcases, but you let them pass you by. Next time you catch yourself being pessimistic, picture your concern on that carousel—and let it move along.
Pick up a new skill.
You can’t be enthusiastic about your future if you’re mired in mental clutter. When you learn a sport, a musical instrument, or a craft it takes all your focus and attention and stops you from ruminating, says Dr. Varma. Not to mention that crushing it on the pickleball court or finishing a painting can put you on a natural high.
Quit doomscrolling.
Limit your general news consumption (there are apps for that) and seek out actual good news. Check out Instagram accounts like @goodnews_movement and @somegoodnews.
Focus on your potential, not your age.
Research from Yale University found that people who had a positive mindset about aging lived 7½ years longer than those with less positive self-perceptions. Take it from Waxman: “My advice is to detach yourself from a number—chronological age is no longer an indicator of what you can or can’t do.”
Forget that mid-life crisis cliché, she urges. consider it a time for reinvention, refocus and renewal.
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