According to a study by professors at The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), people who experience high subjective well-being (SWB) live longer lives. Additionally, they enjoy better health than those who do not.
Simply put, people’s emotions and judgments ultimately impact how long they stay around and their quality of life. In fact, people with positive SWB lived nearly eight years longer than those with negative SWB. Additionally, they experienced reduced physical ailments, including cardiovascular disease and depression!
What is SWB? Simple: It’s positivity.
SWB is a combination of various emotions, mainly: life satisfaction, having positive emotions, optimism, and avoiding negative emotions. The research cites numerous studies, including cases in which they followed people around over an extended period. In some cases, they studied subjects for thirty years. In each of these studies, participants were evaluated according to their initial SWB assessment. Ultimately, those people with positivity had better health and outlived longer than their counterparts.
What is the evidence?
The report cites a couple of very interesting studies:
Photographs of professional baseball players taken in 1952 were evaluated, judged, and given a rating. They found that players who had authentic smiles lived longer than those who were only partially smiling, or not grinning at all. Furthermore, these ratings predicted the mortality that had occurred by 2009.
In addition, we found another example. Over an average period of 12 years, researchers followed nearly 88,200 Japanese adults aged 50 to 69 after an initial study. The enjoyment of their lives directly related to a decreased risk in cardiovascular disease, stroke, and mortality rate.
Upon admission at a nurse’s health cohort, researchers followed 63,469 nurses aged 30 to 55 every 2 years for 30 years. Consequently, they noted that the presence of depression directly correlated with increased cardiovascular death.
Total, there are a total of 26 scientific case studies within the research that directly link longevity and positivity. Further, there are seventeen case studies that directly link low positivity and the increased rates of illness, including cancer. The links between cancer and positive thinking prove inconclusive at this time. But researchers continue to study the connection.
How does this happen?
Scientists and doctors attribute these amazing results to two main factors: improved resilience and insightful living. Researchers believe that positive people with an optimistic outlook towards life have an increased will to live. And that results in a proactive mindset about health and prevention. Therefore, living a positive lifestyle results in a large decrease in illness and death.
In addition, positivity results in maturity and insight. That wisdom allows people to connect with their spiritual nature and live healthy, long, meaningful lives of simplicity and happiness. People who remember what is important live happier and longer lives.
So what’s next?
Research scientists and physicians continue to examine this incredible relationship between positivity and longevity. This evidence clearly points to a direct link between having a positive mindset and a rosy outlook on life with health and longevity.
The biggest takeaway from this incredible evidence is simply this:
Remember to live with a positive mindset. Also, be mindful of what is truly important. In fact, we all have negative experiences at times. However, let’s win the battle armed with positive action. After reading this article, does someone you know come to mind? Tag them and other positive people in your life!
Source: Diener, E., Chan, M.Y. (2011). Happy People Live Longer: Subjective Well-Being Contributes to Health and Longevity. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 3(1), pp. 1-43.
I have experienced this too, coz when I tend to be stressed or tense I felt so sick… and pains all over my body. But when I am relaxed and think of positive things, I don't feel any pains.
Our passion is to serve and bring the best possible positive information, news, expertise and opinions to this page. We want to help our community find and shine their inner light - the truth of love, light, and positivity that is within us all! Read more about Power of Positivity...
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
I would like to know more information
I have experienced this too, coz when I tend to be stressed or tense I felt so sick… and pains all over my body. But when I am relaxed and think of positive things, I don't feel any pains.
I hope to grow old gracefully, and I believe this positive works
great article
Do positive people really live longer? The results might actually surprise you!
Thank you! Yes it is 🙂
Great article! Positivity that is the key:)