By Cynthia Ross Cravit
Do you see the glass as half-full? Pay attention to friends and family? You just might live longer.Aspiring centenarians may want to take a look at their attitude, according to a Mayo Clinic study.
A person’s outlook on life may not only improve longevity but quality of life, researchers say. Optimists are said to experience a higher level of both physical and mental functioning than their pessimist counterparts. Further, optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by a full 50 per cent compared to those who were more pessimistic.
“The wellness of being is not just physical, but attitudinal,” said Dr. Toshihiko Maruta, principal author of the study. “How you perceive what goes on around you and how you interpret it may have an impact on your longevity, and it could affect the quality of your later years.”
Ideas about the associations of personality and health are not new, but have their roots in the bodily humors of ancient Greece.While the exact mechanism of how personality acts as a risk factor for early death or poorer health is unclear, Maruto says it likely has to do with the fact that pessimists have an increased chance for future problems with their physical health, career achievements, and emotional stress — particularly depression.
“Yet another possibility could be more directly biological, like changes in the immune system,” he adds.Researchers found that pessimists scored below the national average on physical functioning, bodily pain, perception of general health, vitality, mental health, and social functioning.
Besides looking at the world through rosier-colored glasses, living a long and healthy life may also mean paying attention to friends and family.Loneliness in people over age 50 greatly increases their risk of high blood pressure, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.
Will Your Personality Affect How Long You Live?
