Happiness and positive living go hand in hand. Time and again, studies have shown that there is a huge link between our mental and physical health. Negativity, stress, depression, and worry can take a toll on your physical health. The most common example is how those suffering from stomach ulcers or gastric problems have their symptoms elevated in times of stress. Likewise, there are several benefits of positive thinking where adopting a positive approach to situations in life not just have you thinking better, it impacts your health making you live longer. This is what research says about how positive thinking can make you live longer.
Positive thinking increases your lifespan
Yes, according to studies, it is your attitude towards life and aging that can affect your longevity. One study in 2019 found that positive way of thought increases lifespan by 11-15% and one is more likely to live up to 85 and beyond. This fact was possible when things such as aging, income, gender, depression, health and stress were kept under control.
Looking Forward to Aging
The American Geriatrics Society Journal says that optimistic people with a generalized expectation of positive outcomes had a higher likelihood of living past 90. It means those who look at aging in a positive light even when young instead of fearing the fact of growing old increases their chances of living longer. It is all about adjusting your opinion of aging and not thinking that you are old and senile the moment you cross 45. Positivity increases your life span.
Improve Resiliency
Research says that positive thinking in respect to aging increases the will to live longer which makes a person more resilient and immune to sickness and improves health. Having a positive mind-set also reduces stress which in turn reduces the risk of chronic diseases and disorders.
Let your aging teach you new insight
Society has a bad habit of associating beauty and youth while aging is looked upon as a negative aspect of life. People like fine wine can age to look better. They grow wiser, learn to behave better, are more aware and of course are more experienced in the ways of life. Thus aging has so many positive side effects but we as a society have been programmed to think of aging as a step into the grave. People when they age gain more spiritual insight and learn to make better priorities in life. Adopting healthy and simple lifestyle can work wonders for your health and keeps you vitalized even in later years.
Other Markers of Healthy Aging
Factors of lifestyle can also impact your life by adding or reducing years from it. By positive thinking, exercising, weight control, avoiding processed food, alcohol and smoking, maintaining a good diet will easily increase your lifespan by 12-14 years. There are studies no doubt about living longer, but what they don’t discuss much is the good quality of life that accompanies people living longer because of a healthy lifestyle. Positive outlook and healthy emotions can greatly contribute to ones happiness to enjoy a fulfilling life.
How to embrace positivity
Positivity is also a frame of mind as well as a ritual or practice much like meditation, yoga or any self-care. What’s great about it is the tools that you need for the benefits are all with you and controlled at your own pace. You can cultivate positivity and a positive mind-set by following these below mentioned things.
Keep a journal of gratitude
Regardless of it being short entries in your phone or longer ones in a diary, your gratitude journal should be a strong way to connect with your own emotions to relieve stress. You can write whatever you wish as long as it cultivates and instigates positivity within you. However, you need to be consistent and practicing this daily will help you think in a new manner that helps you to weed out the negativity and stop negative thoughts right in its tracks.
Repeat positive affirmations
When you keep repeating something several things, you most probably end up believing it. This is the idea behind positive affirmations or statements repeated several times to make it a part of the way we think. Some examples are I am feeling more peaceful each day” or “I can handle whatever comes my way.” But, keep your affirmations to the ground and realistic. They should not be farfetched because that could again induce negativity inside you.
Practice loving-kindness meditation
Meditation by far is an amazing exercise that can help you rejuvenate and revitalize your self-including keeping your mind at peace. According to studies, loving kindness and meditation can increase your mental outlook to positive thinking. There can be variety of ways to do this but the phrases that can help you be self-compassionate and display empathy for others depends on your self-mood. You need to focus on positive phrases like “May I be happy” and “May you be safe.”
Spend time with other positive thinkers
“You are the company you keep.” The saying makes perfect sense because by spending time with optimistic people, you too feel the same way. You need to a make mental note of your own emotions when with friends and family and identify those who impact you negatively.
To be positive is your choice. It may not seem easy because people like worrying at the drop of a hat. But life’s problems too do not need to be taken on with a negative mind-set after all, they are always there like stepping stones that need to be navigated. With practice, you can slowly do away with negative thinking where a positive thinking and a positive attitude will help you manage life better, make better decisions and see opportunities that present themselves as solutions to your problems. It will also impact your mental and physical health in a better way to make you live longer.
All said and then, in the end, life is all about being practical and not ignoring your problems. There is such a thing as being pseudo positive, so true positivity is acknowledging negative feelings and bad situations. Just let them pass and work on the positive thoughts for a better future.