What if you could think your way to a longer life?
According to the research you can.
Data from women in the Nurses Health Study and men in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study found that optimism is specifically related to an average 11-15% longer lifespan and to greater odds of achieving "exceptional longevity". Defined as living to the age of 85 or beyond.
Previous research has also found that more optimistic individuals are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases and die prematurely.
It's also worth noting that these associations were independent of socioeconomic status, health conditions, depression, social integration and health behaviors like smoking, diet and alcohol use.
UPDATED: 23.05.2024
