Wednesday 8 June 2022 11:04 PM Being an optimist can extend your lifespan by more than four years trends now
There are real benefits to being optimistic, a new study finds, as it can extend your life span and significantly increase your likelihood of reaching age 90.
A Harvard University research team found that women who are more optimistic live an average of 54 percent longer - or more than four years of life - when compared to their more pessimistic peers.
Those who are the most optimistic also have a ten percent greater chance to reach 90 years of age than the most pessimistic women. The average life expectancy in the U.S. in just under 80 years old.
While this study did not determine an exact mechanism behind the shifts in lifespan, experts have long known there is a link between more positive thinking and a healthier life.
Researchers found that women who are more optimistic enjoy an extra four years of life on average, and are more likely to reach age 90 (file photo)
'A lot of previous work has focused on deficits or risk factors that increase the risks for diseases and premature death,' Dr Hayami Koga, the study's lead author and a post-doctoral student at Harvard, said in a statement.
'Our findings suggest that there's value to focusing on positive psychological factors, like optimism, as possible new ways of promoting longevity and healthy aging across diverse groups.'
Researchers, who published their findings Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, build on findings from a previous study.
It found that optimism increased a person's likelihood of 'exceptional longevity', or living until at least 85 years old.
That study was criticized for only looking at mostly white populations, not a representative sample of the United States.
There are also known
