Do positive thinkers really live longer and can positive thinking change your life in a meaningful way? Do positive thinkers age slower? These are all questions that are being researched extensively at the moment.

So if you are wondering can positive thinking change your life and do positive thinkers live longer, let’s look at some facts.

Although you may not have realized this, positive thoughts have been found to have a variety of health benefits. Not only do those positive thoughts help you fight stress, but they also improve your immune system and reduce your risks of heart disease.

In fact, researchers are finding that positive thinking may be just the tool to change your life and help you live longer.

Can Positive Thinking Change Your Life As We Age?

Although we live in a society that places value on beauty and youth, we mustn’t forget that with age also comes insight, which is priceless.

It is safe to say that the older we get the wiser we are (with a few exceptions) and that the maturity that we gain helps us age just like fine red wine would.

As we age we tend to be more in touch with who we are and understand just how important life is, and how living healthily can not only extend our lifespan but preserve our health.

What we do know is that the people who are looking forward to aging (instead of dreading it) are giving themselves the best chance to live a longer life.

Next Birthday, instead of dreading it, look forward to making more memories and enjoying the feeling that you are wiser now than you were a year ago. Believe it or not, there are many things to look forward to in our future, and a great retirement is one of them.

According to Yale University, being able to change your perception of aging while you’re still young can have an incredible effect on your lifespan.

We may not yet know why or how a positive attitude has such an effect on life expectancy, but researchers believe it may have to do with positive thinking increasing a person’s will to live.

This means that they are more resilient when it comes to illnesses and more mindful of looking after their own health and wellness.

Of course, it may also be something to do with their positive thinking relieving the mental stress that tends to come with the ageing process.

Did you know that researchers have discovered that how you view your aging process impacts just how long you will live? So can positive thinking change your life? Well in this aspect it definitely can.

A Harvard study with 660 participants found that the people who were positive about their ageing lived almost 8 years longer than everyone else. That alone is life-changing information.

This discovery stood even after factoring in health status, loneliness, age, income, and gender.

Of course, there are other factors that improve the aging process, including low cholesterol, regular exercise, healthy weight, low blood pressure, and not smoking.

Still, researchers from Harvard University have discovered that positive thinking is equally as powerful (if not more so, in certain cases) in extending one’s life.

When comparing optimistic participants to the least optimistic participants, the former had a lower risk of lung disease, cancer, heart disease, infections, and strokes.

Harvard researchers reviewed data covering over eight years and by using 70,000 women. The positive thinkers were 30% less likely to die.

So How Positive Are You?

Do you look at a glass as half full or half empty?

If your answer is the former, then you are likely to live longer than those answering half empty.

If you see the glass as half empty, well, it isn’t too late to change your perception and start working on your positivity.

Not only will it help you improve your coping skills, but positive thinkers tend to have healthier habits as well.

How Can You Take Steps To Improve Your Positivity?

Start by taking a look at your life, and considering each aspect of it separately (romantic, social, career, spiritual, etc.)

Now consider what you believe the best possible outcome could be in each of these areas.

So many of us are guilty of thinking about the worst-case scenarios, and it’s incredibly rare that the worst-case scenario actually comes true in the end.

Another helpful way to boost your positivity is to record three things that you feel grateful for. This is something you can do every day, whether it’s something specific about your day or more general.

Meditation is another useful tool you can use to live a more positive life. Mindful thinking and living in the moment are really liberating.

Think and make notes of what kindnesses you did for others. It’s much easier to be a positive thinker when you have a positive sense of self.

Positive affirmations are also an effective way to help with that.

When you feel good about yourself, you will know what you have to be grateful for.

You will soon start to see the world in a more positive and rosy light.

Unfortunately, we live in a world of cynics and that has clouded our ability to remain positive, and only you can learn to protect yourself from it as much as you can.

The Importance Of Positive Thinking For Life

Generally speaking, there are two very different approaches to one’s mentality and the results yielded from either one are usually going to be at opposite ends of the spectrum.  

One way of approaching things is known as a “fixed mindset”, and the other is referred to as a “growth mindset.”

Overwhelmingly, those with a growth mindset are often more successful in whatever venture in which they choose to participate.  

Those with the “fixed mindset” frame of mind tend to feel that their skills, potential, and abilities are pre-determined and are not able to be improved upon, whereas those with the latter mentality are open to the idea that there is always room for improvement if they are willing to work enough at it.  

Those in the “fixed” category tend to feel powerless over any ability to manipulate their pre-ordained, possibly genetic skills and talents. They are apt to become easily discouraged by impediments and are far more likely to throw in the towel.

Those in the growth category are far more optimistic about who is calling the shots concerning their own aptitude and competence.  They are more optimistic in their outlook and adopt a more opportunistic approach to any problems. They turn negativity into a chance to learn and grow.

Given what is already understood about the two opposite approaches to mindset, clearly, the fixed mindset does not leave much room for growth, learning or personal prosperity, while the growth mindset is the healthier, more positive option that is most likely to maximize an individual’s success and subsequent overall happiness in life. 

So can positive thinking change your life – well you can clearly see how it can in the research above.

It is also important when discussing this particular topic to consider how our mindset can affect us other than in our ability to grow, prosper, and be successful. 

For one, there is the knowledge, as stated above that our mindset can have a major impact on our health and physical well-being, in that a person who tends to consistently be discouraged or depressed is far more likely to have that morose mentality suppress their immune system. This means that those with a fixed mindset are more prone to illnesses and tend to take longer to recover from whatever ailment to which their defeated attitude has subjected them.  

People with a growth mindset tend to become sick less often and most certainly tend to be happier and healthier overall.

Can Positive Thinking Change Your Life?

It is generally agreed upon among psychology and other professional experts on the subject that any person ultimately does have control over which mentality they choose to foster.

This means that simply because someone has been operating with the fixed mindset for any part or all of their lives, this in no way means that they can’t choose to make the transition to a far more positive growth mindset, no matter what phase of their life they are in. 

That means that there is hopeful news for those who find themselves stuck in the pessimistic fixed mindset in that their fatalistic attitude toward their accomplishments and success need not be permanent and can always be improved upon.

So if you are still wondering can positive thinking change your life, the answer is a resounding yes.