Individuals with a more optimistic view of the universe may live longer and healthier lives as a result of less stressful occurrences to contend with, a study reveals.
Although optimists behaved and recovered similarly to pessimists in unpleasant circumstances, they performed better emotionally as a result of having less stressful experiences in their regular lives.
Dr. Lewina Lee and her colleagues analyzed data from 233 males who were at least 21 years old when they joined the US Veterans Affairs Normative Ageing Study throughout 1961 and 1970. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, surveys examined men’s positivity.
The scientists hypothesized that optimists would recover more quickly than pessimists and revert to a positive attitude after a stressful incident. However, the evidence did not support this. They discovered that more optimistic males reported less everyday stresses, which accounted for a portion of their reduced negative mood levels.
This indicated that either relatively optimistic men avoided stressful circumstances or were less inclined to view or classify them as unpleasant. Even though the research featured in the Journals of Gerontology centered on elderly males, experts believe the results to be applicable to older women as well.
Although levels of optimism and pessimism tend to remain fairly consistent throughout the course of a person’s life, studies think that individuals who want may cultivate a more optimistic view. It may entail recognizing our abilities, prior successes, and aspects over which we possess power in order to develop a more optimistic and confident view.
There is data that suggests that increased optimism and decreased pessimism are associated with a decreased risk of eventual ill health.
That might be due to lifestyle factors – more physical exercise, a healthier diet, and reduced smoking – but optimism has biological correlations as well, such as decreased inflammation, which can be beneficial towards wellbeing.
