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Guidelines for dealing with life’s frustrations are often some version of “having a positive attitude.”
If you can’t reach any dates, stop being so critical. Are you struggling after moving across borders? Try being more open and practicing gratitude.
Staying positive is also important advice for anyone who wants to live a long and healthy life.
Centenarians, or people who reach the age of 100, often attribute their longevity to a positive attitude.
Ruth Sweedler, 103, told CNBC Make It that she was always praised for her good attitude as a child. “When I walked into the classroom, my teacher would say, ‘Good morning, sunshine!’ because she was so cheerful,” she said. Madeline Pardo, 100, said she doesn’t feel too stressed because “everything can be fixed.”
Petr Sramek, CEO of Healthy Longevity Clinic, a medical practice aimed at extending the lives of patients, says personality can be a “huge factor” when it comes to longevity.
But it’s more about taking care of yourself than being positive. People who live longer than average are usually more conscientious and willing to listen to doctors’ advice.
Part of the Healthy Longevity Clinic’s treatment is creating a “roadmap” of a client’s habits and steps based on a variety of biomarkers, such as blood pressure and DNA. However, for a roadmap to work, clients must be willing to make changes.
“If someone feels like they don’t have control over their health, there’s nothing we can do because they won’t follow guidance,” Sramek says.
If someone is willing to change, they may feel better and be more open to other guidance if treatment is successful.
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Let’s say a client has chronic inflammation, Sramek said.
“When inflammation levels are high, your body goes into battle mode, which affects your mood,” he says. “Even if it’s part of biology, the person is still fighting something.”
If you find a way to reduce inflammation to some extent, you may become a more likable person. But they must have the type of personality that is willing to ask for and accept help.
“You can’t solve a psychological problem without solving a biological problem, and vice versa. You can’t solve a biological problem without solving a psychological problem.” he says.
This does not mean that positivity has no effect on longevity.
“Stress can be detrimental to your health,” says David Watson, a professor of personality psychology at the University of Notre Dame.
Positive people are likely to be better able to cope with stressful situations.
“People who are mentally healthy have a faster recovery time,” he says. “They can tell themselves, ‘This is no big deal.’ They find a way to get themselves back into that equilibrium.”
But the personality trait more associated with longevity is conscientiousness, the ability to be organized and hardworking.
Conscientious people are better at taking care of themselves and are more likely to keep medical appointments and curb bad habits. For example, they tend to drink alcohol in moderation and eat a more balanced diet, Watson says.
“Conscientious people don’t do stupid things, so they have lower accident rates and better health behaviors,” he says.
As you get older, you can become more honest. Watson says there are even conscience workshops aimed at increasing an individual’s ability to self-regulate.
“The basic idea is that if you want to increase your integrity, you act more authentically, and your attitude follows your actions,” he says. “Be punctual. See things through to the end.”
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