Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/kR-yJ1SX370

 

Positive thinking fuels a longer, happier life.  A collaborative study from Boston University, the Boston VA Medical Center, and Harvard’s School of Public Health now shows that optimistic men and women live 11 to 15% longer and have a 50-70% greater chance of living to 85 years.

 

The study looked at more than 70,000 participants.  Surveys quantitated their optimism, and medical records provided their health status.

 

Researchers speculate that optimism neutralizes stress and its nasty associated hormones.  A smile on your face and a positive half-full philosophy will not only brighten but also lengthen your life.

 

Lewina O. Lee, Peter James, Emily S. Zevon, Eric S. Kim, Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, Avron Spiro III, Francine Grodstein, and Laura D. Kubzansky. Optimism is associated with exceptional longevity in 2 epidemiologic cohorts of men and women. PNAS, 2019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1900712116

 

#Optimism #longevity #stress