Optimism is simply the zest
when it comes to living longer
Newly published research by Harvard that studied different racial groups found that higher levels of optimism were associated with longer life spans.
The paper published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (June, 2022) reported:
“Although optimism itself may be affected by social structural factors, such as race and ethnicity, our research suggests that the benefits of optimism may hold across diverse groups,” said the study’s lead author, Hayami Koga, a Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences studying in the Population Health Sciences program in partnership with Harvard Chan School.
A lot of previous work has focused on deficits or risk
factors that increase the risks for diseases and premature death. Our
findings suggest that there’s value in focusing on positive psychological
factors, like optimism, as possible new ways of promoting longevity
and healthy ageing across diverse groups.
So, even though you can’t feel lemon zesty all the time, it’s nice to know that an optimistic outlook can help us squeeze a little more out of life.
