Of the
100 ways to live to 100, a large number focus on maintaining a positive mental state by avoiding conflict, living conscientiously and forgiving people easily. Further to this, several studies suggest that those with a positive attitude to life are generally more healthy than those who adopt a pessimistic approach.
Research has shown that not only can optimism increase your life expectancy, but also pessimism can lower it:
- Healthy optimism: In one study, those who scored high on optimism in personality tests in the 1960s were far more likely to be alive 40 years later than those who were classed as pessimists.
- Unhealthy pessimism: Another study found that those who respond negatively to adverse events, either by blaming themselves or by allowing the events to affect many aspects of their lives, had a 19% higher risk of death than optimists.
How to live positivelyFor those who do not naturally think on the positive side, the following suggestions, taken from the September 2007 issue of What Doctors Don’t Tell You, will help to develop a healthy, optimistic approach to life:
- Keep a journal and jot down any negative thoughts you have. Try to replace them with more positive feelings.
- Give yourself due credit when something positive happens in your life. Think of all the ways you contributed, both directly and indirectly, to make the event occur.
- Don’t beat yourself up when something negative happens. Think of the external factors that could have contributed to the event, and remember that every failure can be a helpful learning experience.