These days, it might seem challenging to maintain a sunny outlook on life. We are still coping with the pandemic, and many people are struggling with the social and financial results.

It’s important to know that having a positive attitude can have a positive effect on our well-being. Optimism is worth the effort! What is optimism, exactly? Experts from Boston University school of Medicine define it as “a general expectation that good things will happen, or believing that the future will be favorable because we can control important outcomes.”

Benefits of a positive Attitude:

• People who are optimistic are more likely to practice health behaviors such as eating nutritious diet, getting enough exercise, and avoiding substance misuse.
• Optimistic people are more likely to have a network of social connections, which is too important for both emotional and physical health.
• Optimism is linked with longevity. People with positive attitude are likely to live to age 85 or longer.
• Optimism helps control our stress level by reducing harmful hormones that lead to inflammation.
• Optimists are more likely to have a good outcome after illness, injury or surgery.

Tips to nurture a more upbeat attitude about life, even as we grow older, when that might be a little harder:

1. Cultivate Optimism – Experts say pessimism is a habit we can unlearn, consciously shifting our thinking from glass half -empty to glass – half – full.
2. Practice Mindfulness – Mindfulness refers to the natural human ability to be aware of one’s experiences and to pay attention to the present moment in a purposeful, receptive and non -judgmental way
3. Evaluate your social media consumption – social media can be a mixed bag for the emotional health of older adults. It can keep older users connected with family and friends, and provide mental stimulation.
4. Smile! – The act of smiling can trick your mind into being more positive, simply by moving your facial muscles. Smiling stimulates the emotional center of the brain, which emits brain chemicals that induce a more positive emotional state.
5. Find ways to make a difference – Pessimism often springs from a sense of helplessness – a feeling that we have no influence upon what happens in the world. Serving as a volunteer is a good way to turn that around.
6. Finally, examine your attitude about aging – It makes sense that our attitude about growing older is intertwined with our overall outlook, because for most of us, aging is our future!

Cultivating a positive attitude not only raises our odds of staying healthy longer, but also provides us with the resilience to face the challenges of our late years. After all, “healthy aging” doesn’t mean avoiding all the almost inevitable health problems and losses that we may deal with. Instead, it means addressing these challenges so we can continue to do our best to live life to the fullest.

Sourced from https://www.rightathome.net/blog/optimism-is-good-for-your-health.