¿Quieres vivir más tiempo? Intenta ser optimista

Ser optimista puede capacitarlo para enfrentar los desafíos y avanzar hacia la felicidad y el éxito. Pero, ¿y si el optimismo pudiera ser nuestra fuente de la juventud y permitirnos vivir más tiempo y con más salud?

Longevity, defined as living to the age of 85 or more, has been studied for decades and it is affected by many factors. New research suggests that psychological factors — like optimism — can predict longer life, promote optimal functioning and improve health.

Por qué el optimismo es bueno para la salud

“Un pesimista ve la dificultad en cada oportunidad; un optimista ve la oportunidad en cada dificultad.” –Winston Churchill

Los hombres y las mujeres con el nivel más alto de optimismo tenían un 11-15 por ciento más de esperanza de vida en promedio que aquellos que tenían poco optimismo, según una investigación de Lewina Lee y el equipo de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Boston.

“El optimismo tiene algunas de las asociaciones más fuertes y consistentes con una amplia gama de resultados de salud”. –Lewina Lee

“El optimismo tiene algunas de las asociaciones más fuertes y consistentes con una amplia gama de resultados de salud”, dijo Lee. “Incluyendo un riesgo reducido de eventos cardiovasculares, disminución de la función pulmonar y mortalidad prematura; y asociaciones que son independientes de otros factores psicológicos como la depresión, la ansiedad y la ira”.

El optimismo también está relacionado con una menor inflamación, niveles de lípidos más saludables y más antioxidantes.

In addition, healthier people tend to act in healthier ways — they exercise more, eat more balanced diets and have higher qualities of sleep. Healthier behaviors can also help you feel optimism, open you up for greater gratitude and create more energy for deeper relationships and professional satisfaction.

Related: How nature can improve your mental health

Cómo ser más optimista

Las personas optimistas no solo tienen objetivos, sino que también creen que pueden alcanzarlos. Este pensamiento positivo puede promover mejores hábitos y ayudarlo a evitar los impulsos, así como a mejorar la capacidad para resolver problemas y reajustarse.

Con frecuencia, las buenas experiencias rebotan en nuestro cerebro mientras que las malas se hunden. Esto se debe a que tenemos un "cerebro de supervivencia de 2000 años" entrenado para hacernos conscientes del peligro inminente. Pero la mayoría de nosotros ya no vivimos en cuevas ni tenemos que buscar comida.

Sin embargo, hemos entrenado a nuestro cerebro para que sea más sensible al estrés. La buena noticia es que podemos aprender a asimilar lo bueno e internalizarlo en nuestro cerebro. Aproximadamente el 25 por ciento del optimismo está predeterminado por nuestros genes, pero no se preocupe, podemos entrenar nuestro cerebro para que sea más positivo y cree nuevas conexiones cerebrales.

¿Listo para volver a entrenar tu cerebro y ver cómo se transforma tu vida? Aquí le mostramos cómo comenzar a llenar su cerebro con pensamientos positivos.

1. Imagery: Think of someone who cares about you. Feel their love, create an image with them in your brain, with details, and hold it for about 10-15 seconds. This is roughly the time it takes to change from short term memory to long term memory.
2. Best self exercise: Imagine who you want to be in the future. Imagine it in detail and as if there were no limitations. Now, write it down. The simple act of writing down best possible outcomes for careers, friendships and other areas of lie could generate optimism and healthier futures.
3. Gratefulness: We have scientific evidence to how a daily practice of gratitude can help our health and improve our mental state. Every day, write down five things that you are grateful for, big and small. You can also write down the acts of kindness you do or that you witness throughout the day.
4. More positivity: Look for positives even in tough situations. Laugh regularly so that you activate the happy parts of your brain. Relate regularly in positive and nurturing activities which will also improve your mood. Block time weekly to do more things that make you happy.
5. Volunteer and serve: Giving or doing something for someone else makes us happier and helps us stay optimistic. These acts can activate the reward centers of our brain almost with the same intensity as if someone had done something special for us. Enjoy the process so it becomes a part of you.
6. Stay connected: Humans are meant to be social. We all need to feel a sense of community. Loneliness has been shown to be detrimental of our long-term health in the same way as obesity and smoking.
7. Mindful awareness and meditation: In one study, meditating for 30 minutes a day for two weeks produced measurable changes in the brain beneficial to our health. Use a guided meditation app in your phone if your brain tends to wander. You can also sit quietly, focus on your breathing and think about kindness and compassion for 15-30 minutes a day for similar brain changes.
8. Goals: It is not just about achieving goals — planning and working toward them also creates a sense of fulfillment. Feeling a sense of progress will increase optimism. Goals are how happiness happens. Be clear about your goals and why you want to accomplish them; the how will come later. Visualize yourself accomplishing your goals, be as detailed as you can and feel all the emotions that will come with it all.
9. Exercise your body and brain: The brain and mood benefits of exercise have been shown over and over. But do not forget your brain. Learn new things, find new hobbies and try new experiences that will add to your creativity and diversity.
10. Resilience: Our thoughts bounce our emotions and we need to find more ways to bounce back. In many situations or problem scenarios, we need to pause and evaluate our automatic interpretations for accuracy, as our assumptions might not be correct. Try to filter your thoughts through a positive filter.

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