Always look on the bright side – and enjoy a longer life

 Looking on the bright side can boost the chances of having an “exceptionally” long life, say scientists.

Researchers said people with greater optimism are more likely to live to 85 or older, suggesting a positive mindset has the potential to extend lifespans.

The study by the Boston University School of Medicine was based on 69,744 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 1,429 men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. The women were aged between 58 and 86 when they completed an optimism assessment in 2004, and their mortality status was tracked through to 2014. The men’s age range was 41 to 90 when they completed an assessment in 1986, and their mortality status was tracked through to 2016.

When researchers compared the participants, based on their initial levels of optimism, they found that the most optimistic men and women had an 11 per cent to 15 per cent longer lifespan.