Get Easy Health Digest™ in your inbox and don’t miss a thing when you subscribe today. Plus, get the free bonus report, Mother Nature’s Tips, Tricks and Remedies for Cholesterol, Blood Pressure & Blood Sugar as my way of saying welcome to the community!
Get happy to live longer
Are you a glass half-full type of person? Do you always see the bright side of things and for you does every cloud really have a silver lining?
If so, congratulations, you may just live longer!
You see, science is revealing that your longevity is tied to far more than just the numbers your doctor checks when you go in for a visit – like your weight, pulse and blood pressure.
In fact, having a sunny outlook could just be the key to a longer life.
Better attitude, better chance at life
A study out of Denmark found that patients with heart disease who have a positive attitude live longer than those with a negative mood. The study reported that people with a positive attitude are more likely to exercise, reduce their levels of stress hormones, adopt healthier lifestyles, and may live longer healthier lives.
Conversely, an 11-year study found that pessimism increased death two-fold for people suffering from heart disease.
But that’s not the only disease affected by your attitude…
In 2016 researchers at Harvard reported after studying 70,000 women over an eight year period that the most optimistic women had a:
- 39% lower risk of dying from stroke
- 38% lower risk of dying from respiratory disease
- 16% lower risk of dying from cancer
- 52% lower risk of dying from infection
- 38% lower risk of dying from heart disease
In fact, the top 25% of optimists had almost a 30% lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study when compared with the least optimistic women.
So, if you’re a naturally optimistic person, pat yourself on the back.
But, what can you do if your world’s always a little less than sunny to become more positive and live longer?
Here are four ways to boost your optimism levels.
#1 – Keep a gratitude journal
Choose one time a day to sit down and write about all that you are grateful for in your life – from just being able to live another day to your friends, family, pets, work, health and more.
In one study, participants who journaled what they were grateful for over a period of 10 weeks reported higher satisfaction with their lives and improved levels of optimism.
#2 – Spend time with optimists
Have you heard the saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”?
It’s just as true when you’re looking at your outlook on life.
Surround yourself with positive-minded people and you will more easily see the bright side of things and be less likely to fall into old, negative patterns.
#3 – Stop the self-talk
Your inner voice may be a pessimist, but that doesn’t mean you have to listen to it.
As soon as you hear those negative thoughts begin, stop yourself and replace them with positive ideas.
So, if you generally tell yourself that something is bound to go wrong, instead work on telling yourself how you can ensure the outcome you’re looking for.
#4 – Use your imagination
An exercise in which you imagine your best possible self, living your best possible life, may improve levels of optimism.
In fact, researchers in a study in the Netherlands found that practicing this exercise for five minutes a day increased optimism levels in just one week.
If you’re ready to live a more fulfilling, enjoyable and yes – longer life, use the four tips above to find your inner optimist.
Editor’s note: Did you know that when you take your body from acid to alkaline you can boost your energy, lose weight, soothe digestion, avoid illness and achieve wellness? Click here to discover The Alkaline Secret to Ultimate Vitality and revive your life today!
Sources:
- Optimism May Increase Longevity — Psychology Today
- Pessimism and risk of death from coronary heart disease among middle-aged and older Finns: an eleven-year follow-up study — BMC Public Health
- Optimism and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study — American Journal of Epidemiology
- Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. — Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Become more optimistic by imagining a best possible self: Effects of a two week intervention — Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry