How to Live Longer


How long we live is predetermined to a large degree by our genes.   Our life style however greatly affects our longevity.  We have all known that whether or not we eat well, exercise or smoke and drink excessively dramatically changes our odds.  Research has now also shown that our attitude can heal or kill us.

Health  Benefits  of  a  Positive  Attitude

The mere act of looking on the bright side of life has a profoundly positive effect on your body…

  • It keeps your blood pressure healthy.
  • A study found that over a four-year period, men who were pessimistic were three times more likely to develop hypertension than their positive peers.
  • It protects you from heart disease. Scientists from Harvard and Boston University tracked the health of their subjects over a 10 year period. 
  • They discovered that the optimistic men were a lot healthier than the pessimistic men.
  • Pessimistic men were twice as likely to develop heart disease.
  • It wards off infections. Maintaining a positive attitude has an extremely positive influence on your immune system.
  • It protects your mind from post-traumatic stress disorder
  • It balances your blood sugar. A 2015 study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois found that optimists had significantly healthier blood sugar levels than pessimists.
  • It lowers your body mass index. The same 2015 University of Illinois study also found that people with positive outlooks had a lower body mass index than people with a gloomier view of life.
  • It improves your recovery time. Whether you’re recovering from a minor surgery, a heart attack or cancer, optimism has been shown to help you heal quicker and better.
  • A 2015 study found that optimistic people were less likely to be readmitted to the hospital after a heart attack—they recovered quicker and more fully than pessimistic people.
How  to  Develop  A  Positive  Attitude

Having an optimistic outlook has been shown to help you live longer. A recent study from the University of Oxford found that optimism decreases your risk of dying. In fact, optimists had an 18 percent lower risk of dying from any cause over a four-year period.

How then can you teach yourself to be more optimistic?  Help change your attitude by trying the following : -

  • Surround yourself with positive people. Optimism can be contagious.
  • Keep a gratitude journal where you write down all of the positive things in your life daily.
  • Stay present. Avoid dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future.
  • Focus on the things you can change for the better in your life and be proactive about changing them
  • Learn to accept the things you can’t change.
  • Look for the good in every experience (even the ones that seem really bad)
  • Adopt a  healing  mantra  which can just be a positive phrase and make reciting it a habit.
  • Live in gratitude - Stop comparing yourself to others


                              God  grant  me     SERENITY

               to  accept  the  things  I  cannot  change,                               

                                              COURAGE         

                         to  change  the  things  I  can,  and

                                                WISDOM           

                                    to  know  the  difference       


                             

PERSONAL  EXPERIENCE

Into every life some storms will occur.  Sometimes it never just rains but pours.  One of the most pivotal lesson I learned early in life was when my father became very ill when I was just 15.  God was very kind and spared him but my life was forever changed.  I didn't go to high school though I qualified.  I felt it was imperative that I learn a marketable skill as quickly as possible and enrolled in secretarial school.  I was working full-time before I turned 17.

A tip I will share is to read books or listen to tapes about positive thinking.  Never waste time wallowing in self-pity.  Read about how others handled their storms and you will draw strength from sharing their experiences vicariously.

Another effective technique I use throughout my life to prevent myself from becoming pessimistic is to simply contemplate what is the worst scenario possible and then think through how to cope with the fallout.  This approach prepares you both mentally and emotionally before a traumatic event occurs.  Many widows and widowers would probably experience substantially less depression if they had adopted this approach. 

A positive attitude is like a magnet.  You will attract people into your life who will enrich both themselves and you.  Avoid those who look at life as being half full all the time.  Don't walk but run from those who blame everyone but themselves for whatever misfortunes they have.





                            Share  Your  Life  with  Others                                              Give  a  Gift  this  Xmas  that  is  Personalized