Want to live forever? Please be optimistic about life!

September 23, 2019 / BIOON / - you don't have to be a fan of Monty Python, but you can whistle with Eric idle because he whispers "always see the bright side of life" when thinking about death on the cross Regardless of British satire, focusing on the positive aspects of life can easily become the theme song of studying a key factor of longevity: optimism Optimism doesn't mean ignoring the stress in life But when negative things happen, optimistic people are less likely to blame themselves, and more likely to see obstacles as temporary or even positive They also believe that they can control their own destiny and create opportunities for good things in the future Men and women with the highest levels of optimism live 11 to 15 percent longer on average than those who rarely think positively, according to a new study published in PNAS The optimists with the highest scores are also the most likely to live to 85 or older Photo source: https://edition.cnn.com research found that the results of the study were still valid even when factors such as socio-economic status, health status, depression, smoking, social interaction, poor diet and drinking were taken into account Lewina Lee, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of medicine and lead author of the study, said: "this is the first study to look at the impact of optimism on longevity Longevity is defined as living to 85 or older "The study found that women with the highest levels of optimism were 1.5 times more likely to live to 85 or older than women with the lowest levels of optimism Highly optimistic people are 1.7 times more likely to live to be over 85 than pessimistic people Again, even after adjusting for healthy behavior, these relationships still hold How will optimism help you live longer? "Optimistic people tend to have goals and have the confidence to achieve them," Lee said "These goals may include healthy habits that contribute to longevity "Previous studies have found a direct link between optimism and healthy eating and exercise behavior, as well as better heart health, a stronger immune system, better lung function and a lower risk of death "Optimism is an important psychological dimension that shows some very interesting connections with health," said Richard Davidson, a psychiatry professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison and founder and director of the center for healthy mind "Davidson added:" I would like to add some other positive factors, such as concentration, compassion, kindness and a strong sense of mission to life "Want to be more optimistic? Twin studies have found that only about 25% of our optimism is genetically determined The rest depends on ourselves and how we deal with lemons in our lives Don't worry if you are always worried about the stress in your life It turns out that you can train your brain to be more active "Studies have shown that optimism can actually be enhanced or nurtured through some kind of training," Davidson said As a result, fostering optimism and other positive qualities does have the potential to significantly improve health-related outcomes, including longevity "Source: https://cn.bing.com at Davidson's Center for healthy mind, researchers studied the brains of Tibetan Buddhist monks recruited by the Dalai Lama and found amazing results: tens of thousands of hours of meditation permanently changed the structure and function of monks' brains But you don't need to put your life into meditation to see change, Davidson said He pointed out the results of a randomized controlled trial of people who had never meditated Through direct measurement of brain function and structure, Davidson found that in two weeks, only 30 minutes of meditation practice a day, the brain will undergo measurable changes "When these mental exercises are taught to people, they actually change the function and structure of their brain, which we think supports these positive qualities," Davidson said This may be the key to downstream effects on the body "To train a more active brain, anyone can do some simple psychological exercises to cultivate an optimistic attitude Imagine your best self one of the most effective ways to increase optimism based on a meta-analysis of existing research is called the "best possible self" approach Using this method of intervention will let you imagine that you have achieved all your life goals in the future, and all the problems have been solved For example, a trick is to take 15 minutes to write down your future day, in which you have done all the things you want to do Then take five minutes to imagine this reality Doing so every day can significantly improve your positive emotions In a 2011 study, students did the best self exercise possible for 15 minutes a week for eight weeks Not only did they feel more positive, but it lasted about six months To record positive things, many of us can easily recite a series of negative things that happen to us every day But if you ask what goes well, we may make mistakes That's why keeping a diary and listing your positive experiences every day can help you shape your outlook on life Photo source: https://cn.bing.com thank you for taking a few minutes every day to write down what makes you grateful can improve your outlook on life Many studies have shown that practice gratitude can improve positive coping skills by breaking down typical negative thinking patterns and replacing them with optimism Blessing even reduces teenagers' problem behaviors One of Davidson's favorite mindfulness exercises is developing appreciation Davidson said: "it's just to remind us of people who have some help in our lives Keep them in mind and thank them for their care and support, no matter what they offer "You can spend a minute doing it every morning and night," he said "This appreciation fosters optimism about the future "Mindfulness, like exercise, requires constant practice to keep the brain active, Davidson said But it's definitely worth the effort "It's really developing ideas," he said "There is ample evidence that it is indeed good for mental and physical health (BIOON Com) reference: [1] lewina O Lee El Al., "optimization is associated with exceptional longevity in 2 epinomic cohorts of men and women," PNAs (2019) Doi: 10.1073/pnas.1900712116 [2] optimists live long [3] new evidence that optimists live long [4] David Shultz Cher up! Optimists live long Science 2019 【5】John M Malouff et al Can psychological interventions increase optimism? A meta-analysis .The Journal of Positive Psychology DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1221122 【6】Sonja Lyubomirsky et al Becoming Happier Takes Both a Will and a Proper Way: An Experimental Longitudinal Intervention to Boost Well-Being . Emotion 2011 Apr; 11(2): 391–402 doi: 10.1037/a0022575 【7】 The best place to meditate? At work 【8】O.L Carter et al Meditation alters perceptual rivalry in Tibetan Buddhist monks Current Biology. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2005.05.043 【9】 Want to live longer? Be an optimist, study says