Could you lower your risk of death due to a disease or cancer right now? Could it really be as simple as changing one’s attitude and perspective on life?
According to new research presented at the American Psychosomatic Society’s annual meeting last week, you may be able to do just that.
In a study of 97,000 women, the researchers found that after 8 years, women who had a more optimistic attitude at the start of the study had a 14 percent lower risk of dying from any cause than their pessimistic counterparts. Since men were not studied, one cannot say whether these results also apply to men.
People who are optimistic tend to expect good things will happen to them, while those who were pessimistic tended to mistrust others.
While the study could not say that optimism directly causes a longer, healthier life, there was a significant correlation between the two. (Perhaps those who live a healthier lifestyle are naturally more relaxed and optimistic as a result of their lifestyle.)
But the association shows the importance of attitude and your mental health once again. So if you want a longer life, adopt a healthier, more optimistic attitude today.
Read the full article: Trust me — the glass is half full
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5 Comments to
“Lower Your Risk of Death by 14 Percent Right Now”
You can’t just turn pessimism/optimism on and off at will, especially “right now”. We have armies of therapists trying to change clients’ outlooks. The title and first paragraph of this article is misleading since basic attitudinal change is one of the hardest to accomplish. BTW I have a 14% higher risk of death according to this article.
Psychologists need to understand that what we are trained to believe would make a good life for us, and bring us happiness, may very well not work. I see little evidence of research designed to find out if what our society teaches, and most of us accept, may not work for anyone. My life changed when my therapist helped me to realize what I was doing, which was the same most people were doing, was not working for me. It was such a relief to stop working at fixing myself.
Easier said than done! Thanks for the bad news!
Pessimists may have reasons for their outlook, and a hard and unpleasant life is sure to knock a few years off you. This is bullshit.
What about men? it all women it addresses.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 9 Mar 2009
