A friend’s father recently passed away at the ripe old age of 98. He did not lead a particularly healthy lifestyle; He smoked and drank heavily in his youth and fought in tanks in World War II. He attributed his long life to his wife’s support and a particularly positive outlook on life.
So was he right? In fact, there is a wealth of evidence that a positive outlook on one’s life and aging has a significant impact on longevity.
And now a study just published in the Journal of Happiness Studies has identified six additional aspects of personality that are linked to exceptional aging. The study is based on data from Spanish centenarians aged 100 to 107: in addition to positivity – gratitude for life and celebrating the good things that happen – all centenarians exuded vitality, enjoyed learning new things and were conscientious and sociable . , intellectually curious, independent and resilient.
I am an Eeyore type of person and tend to expect the worst and look at the dark side of life. That is why I have long been interested in researching the influence of personality on life expectancy.
Ten years ago I made a documentary about the science behind such claims and came across a social experiment with really fascinating implications for longevity.
There is enough evidence that a positive attitude towards life and aging has a remarkable influence on longevity, writes dr. MICHAEL MOSLEY
In a study that began in the small Midwest Ohio town of Oxford in the 1970s, all residents over 50 were asked to fill out questionnaires about their work, health, family and attitudes toward aging.
Decades later, researchers at Yale University went back to these people and found that optimism was a strong predictor of how long they were likely to live. The mortality data showed that those who were most optimistic about their lives and aging lived an average of seven and a half years longer than those who were not.
To put these results into context, if we could cure cancer tomorrow, it would increase life expectancy by half (three to four years) on average.
Why “being positive” leads to a longer life is not clear, but it may be that optimistic people seek and receive more social support from others and are less likely to suffer from chronic stress, which we know can weaken your immune system and weakened. your life Further evidence of the role of the immune system in the relationship between personality type and longevity was provided by a study published in 2021 in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Researchers at the University of Limerick compared personality test results with blood samples from more than 900 older adults over a 14-year period – surprisingly, as in the Spanish study, those who scored higher on conscientiousness lived an average of 35 per cent longer. longer. In addition, they had significantly lower levels of interleukin-6, a measure of chronic inflammation that is in turn linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, depression and dementia.
As for the other personality traits associated with longevity, researchers believe that social and intellectual curiosity makes you more likely to care about your health; And when you’re resilient, you have a greater sense of purpose – in other words, a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Why “being positive” leads to a longer life is not clear, but it may be that optimistic people seek and receive more social support from others and are less likely to suffer from chronic stress, which can weaken your immune system and make you life can shorten expectation. Life
If, like me, you are not a naturally positive, conscientious and happy person, here are a few things I have found helpful:
- Set small, simple goals and give yourself a pat on the back when you achieve them. This is the basis of my podcast series, “Just One Thing,” because there is ample evidence that in addition to the benefits you get from “doing something,” you also get a sense of satisfaction from a small, positive thing that step took
- Practice gratitude meditations. My brother-in-law, who teaches at the Oxford Mindfulness Center, suggested that I take a few minutes each day to write down or simply think about everyday things I can be grateful for. I find it really helps me focus more on the positive.
- Keep your friends and family close and expand your social network. I know it’s easier said than done, but there is ample evidence that good friends are one of the most important forms of protection against stress and premature aging. One of the best things I did in this regard was to join a book club over twenty years ago because it gave me a very diverse social network.
- It’s also supposed to be good for striking up conversations with strangers on planes and trains, even standing in line to buy coffee, but I can’t quite bring myself to do that.
- Try to reframe situations: When I find myself having catastrophic thoughts about the future, I try to remind myself that these thoughts are not real and that everything will probably end well. Which they usually do.
- And laugh. I’ve noticed that I rarely smile when people take pictures of me out of the blue. But a study of nearly 4,000 people published last year in Nature Human Behavior found that even a smile actually had an effect on reducing stress and increasing happiness, albeit a small one. .
Only time will tell if such efforts to tweak my underlying Eeyore personality will help me live to be a hundred. But at least I’m more fun to be with.
Save YOUR marriage from divorce in your sleep
I was struck by the recent article in the Mail in which Susannah Constantine described her “sleep separation” from her husband: she moved into a separate bedroom because her loud snoring was having a terrible effect on her sleep.
“Sleep separation” is common. A survey last year found that five million British couples sleep in separate beds to improve their sleep, and more than half of us who currently share a bed are thinking about sleeping elsewhere.
Not surprisingly, the most common reason is your partner’s snoring. I have been thinking of moving to another room – not because my wife Clare snores, but because she tends to sleep and talk; She often gets up in the middle of the night, turns on the lights and searches the cupboards for hamsters, patients or other things she is convinced are missing.
A survey last year found that five million British couples sleep in separate beds to improve their sleep, and more than half of us who currently share a bed are thinking about sleeping elsewhere
While you are completely asleep. After a few minutes she goes back to bed without remembering it the next morning.
But I value the closeness (and warmth) too much to ask for a sleep separation. However, if you are on the verge of your own sleep separation, there are steps you can take to prevent it.
If snoring is the problem, solve it by losing weight, avoiding alcohol late at night, and (after consulting your dentist) invest in a mandibular appliance (a mouth guard that prevents your tongue from blocking your airway ).
And if your partner twitches or the duvet swells, try a bigger bed – and a second duvet.
If all else fails, make time for a chat and a few cuddles every night before you go to your separate bedroom. Staying intimate is one of the best ways to avoid a “real” divorce.
What do Jeremy Clarkson and I have in common? Besides being older men on TV sometimes, it turns out we both suffer from hearing loss; in his case, bad enough to require a hearing aid.
We know from research that it more than halves your risk of developing dementia. And now, thanks to a team at the University of California, San Diego, we also know why poor hearing is linked to dementia: It turns out that the extra effort involved in hearing causes changes in the brain, which in turn lead to increased hearing risk a dementia.
Maybe next time we meet, Jeremy and I will compare the latest hearing aids.
Jeremy Clarkson and I both suffer from hearing loss; in his case, bad enough to require a hearing aid
Who doesn’t secretly long for a pill that offers the benefits of exercise without the hassle of flatulence?
Now researchers at the University of Florida have had some success with this (at least in mouse studies) with a drug called SLU-PP-332.
It targets proteins, which in turn make energy-consuming tissues such as muscles more active.
The drug is an “exercise mimic” and does not replace exercise, but rather enhances its effects, leading to weight loss and better fitness. Researchers believe it can help maintain muscle mass as we age, when the effects of exercise normally wane.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
