Longevity: How positive thinking may help you live longer
Are you one of those people who dreads your birthday every year?
If the answer is Yes, research shows that you may be shortening your life. After reading todays e-alert you may want to start celebrating your special day.
Live longer with a positive outlook
American researchers from the Department on Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University, conducted a study to determine how positive self-perceptions on getting older affected individuals health.
The study was made up of 660 participants aged 50 and older who took part in a community-based study. The researchers found that individuals who had a positive outlook towards ageing lived up to 7.5 years longer than those who begrudged getting older.
The participants had responded to a survey 23 years earlier. Even after factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, loneliness and health were taken into account, the longevity benefit remained. Positive self-perception also had an effect on individuals will to live.
Imagine how many experiences you could have in seven years. Thats nearly a decade added to your life just by having a positive attitude.
But thats not all optimism can do for you. It seems that positive thinking may also help with the way you cope with pain.
Think the pain away
In another study from America, scientists at the Wake Forest University (WFU), tested positive thinking and its potential for relieving pain.
The WFU team led by Dr Robert Coghill used heat stimuli on the legs of 10 healthy subjects while their brain activity was measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The participants were told they were to receive mild, moderate or severe pain stimuli after different signals. Some of the more painful stimuli were signalled as only moderate, making the subjects expect less pain.
As a result, all of the participants said they experienced less pain when they expected a lower level of stimuli.
This reminds me of a visit to the dentist. Before he gives you an injection the dentist always warns, You are going to feel a little prick. When you feel the prick of the needle you are anticipating only a little bit of pain and can cope.
If the dentist said, You are going to feel an intensely sharp pain, imagine how high you would jump when you felt the small prick of the injection!
Basically, the study suggests that if you tell yourself the pain isnt going to be that bad it will feel less painful.
In my experience having a positive attitude can also ward off any bugs or lurgey doing the rounds. I dont have any research data how optimism improves immunity, but Ill definitely be keeping my eyes open for some.
Steps to stay positive
With the pressures of work and family problems its not always easy to keep your chin up. The UK charity Age Concern offers the following tips on how to stay happy and healthy:
* Have a lie in late risers think quicker and have less stress
* Keep your mind active with word puzzles and games
* Read a book to help you relax and sleep better
* Keep physically active a brisk walk can do wonders
* Sing the breathing helps to combat stress
These tips are relevant to people of all ages.
Ask yourself, is the glass half full or half empty? If you answered half full you may have the right attitude to live a healthy, happy and LONG life.
Think of it this way, each year we become wiser, more experienced and more knowledgeable. How can that possibly be a bad thing?
As Helen Carrall said; Youth is a gift of nature, Age is a work of art.
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