Is this glass half empty… or half full?
After news that optimists live longer, Kate Wills asks: can a pessimist learn to see the bright side?
LAST WEEK THERE was good news for optimists (although maybe there isn’t any other kind?). A study found that positive people were more likely to achieve ‘exceptional longevity’ – that’s living to 85 or older. After decades of research, scientists at Boston University concluded that a positive outlook enables healthy ageing, and is associated with a 11-15% longer life span.
‘More optimistic people tend to have goals and the confidence to reach them, are more effective at problem-solving, and they may be better at regulating their emotions during stressful situations,’ says Professor Lewina Lee, associate professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. ‘Evidence suggests that interventions, such as imagining a future in which everything has turned out well, or more intensive cognitivebehavioural therapy, can increase levels of optimism.’
It’s not the first time optimism has been linked to health benefits. People of an upbeat disposition have previously been found to have a lower risk of heart conditions and premature death. A recent paper found that optimists were less likely than pessimists to die from cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung conditions or infections, during the eight-year study period. In people with head and neck cancer, the more optimistic reported a better quality of life, regardless of the stage of the illness. Optimism has also been linked with improved recovery rates after surgery and improved cancer survival rates.
That’s all well and good, but if you are one of life’s Eeyores, can you train yourself to be more Tigger? ‘Studies have shown that there is a genetic basis for how positive you feel, but there are things you can do to train yourself to be more optimistic,’ says psychologist Linda Blair. ‘I practise something called “positive reframing”. Every time you catch yourself imagining the worst, make a conscious effort to picture two other outcomes: one neutral and one positive. The more we fire up our brain in a positive way, the more natural it starts to seem.’
Research suggests that you might also want to start thinking your best life, not just living it on Instagram. A study from Maastricht University in the Netherlands asked some participants to spend five minutes each evening imagining their best possible self, and others to think generally about their daily activities. After two weeks, those who imagined their best possible self reported significant increases in optimism compared to the others.
‘Optimism and pessimism are two ends of a continuum, with about 80% of the [global] population mildly to relentlessly optimistic,’ says Suzanne Segerstrom, an optimism researcher at the University of Kentucky. ‘But research reveals that if you’re stuck down on the other end, you can slide over, or at least get some of the benefits that usually cluster on the optimistic side of the scale. One relatively simple way is to have a positive partner or optimists in your friendship group. Research has found that happiness may be a collective phenomenon, and being around happy people appears to increase the probability that you’ll be happy too.’
But don’t worry if you don’t walk around with rose-tinted glasses on the whole time. Although it might be better for our life spans to be ‘glass half full’, being blindly optimistic can have its downsides. ‘Optimism can be detrimental if it keeps you locked into fantasy and you are in denial about your current reality,’ explains Segerstrom. ‘You may be optimistic about finding a better job or loving relationship, but if you don’t address the issues keeping you from those goals, you won’t be able to create what you want. It’s a combination of optimism and realistic thinking that helps people navigate through life.’ However long it is.