According to this research, older individuals with a more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with less.
A positive attitude towards aging can definitely promote happiness, reduce stress and increase the person’s will to live.
Here’s how:
Strong Relationships
A positive attitude helps in building strong relationships with the people around you. Optimism and happiness are both contagious which means that social relationships can bring plenty of emotional positive reinforcement.
Stress Reduction
Having a negative mind always makes you feel worried, tensed and anxious all the time. This causes major stress which experts link to a decrease in life expectancy. Therefore, a positive mind reduces stress, thus resulting to a longer life span.
Positive Self Image
As you age, there are a lot of changes that happen in your body. Wrinkles start to show up and the skin may begin to sag. Senses and memory are affected too. These changes can sometimes put you down and make you feel anxious. But having a positive self-image allows you to accept and embrace the changes which results to a more enjoyable life.
Health and Safety Awareness
Being positive about aging means that you know and accept that your body may function less than how it used to. Some may feel embarrassed about it to the point that they don’t want to ask for help. But a person with a positive attitude is not afraid to seek help from others in order to have a safe environment and is not scared to have regular visits to the doctor.
Healthy Lifestyle
A positive person values life which means he/she will do everything to prolong life. And that is with healthier lifestyle choices. Aside from regular check-ups, a clean diet and exercise are prioritized too.
Sharing Emotions
Another positive approach is by being open to others about your feelings. Worries and fears are normal but some tend to bottle up their feelings which can cause emotional stress.