Be an Optimist!

Studies show that your mental health directly affects your physical health. Certain opposing personality traits - optimism and pessimism - can influence not only your quality of life, but the length of it as well.

Individuals (without psychiatric problems) who scored very high on a personality test pessimism scale had a 30% increased risk of developing dementia several decades later. Those who reported optimism had a 55% lower risk of death from all causes and a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular death than their pessimistic counterparts.

Negative thoughts, or “negative” brain activity can be linked to a weakened immune system. People with high levels of brain activity in a region connected to negative thoughts responded the worst to a flu vaccine. Although it remains unclear how emotional health could affect mortality, positive feeling may give a boost to the immune system, or encourage healthy behaviours.

Expecting to live a long life filled with physical vitality, humor and social connections can shape your future for the better. On the other hand, if you are convinced that old age will be a time of emptiness, depression and sickness, you’ll probably find yourself experiencing mental and physical deterioration. This is a classic example of the self-fulfilling prophecy. The August 2002 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reported that older individuals who viewed aging in a positive light lived 7.5 years longer than those who had a negative view. While marriage, exercise, higher social class, not smoking and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may decrease your risk of early death, the actual feeling of being satisfied may also play an important role in living longer.

Exercise, eat well, get plenty of rest, reduce stress and detoxify your body and mind. Consider implementing positive affirmations into your daily routine, take a step back and appreciate all the things you have accomplished. Be positive! Your life depends on it.