Dr David Hamilton Home Page

Positive People Live Longer
(www.drdavidhamilton.com)

Do you see the glass as half full or half empty? Recent research is now revealing that how we see the world - our attitude - affects our health, and even how long we live.

In a 2006 study by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University, 193 people were exposed to the common cold or influenza viruses through nasal drops. Prior to this they filled out questionnaires that revealed whether they were half-full or half-empty people.

It turned out that the people with the most positive attitudes were much more resistant to the viruses than those who were most negative.

This startling fact means that, in general, our health is affected by our attitudes. Indeed, in a 30-year study by scientists at the Mayo Clinic that involved 447 people, it was found that optimists had around a 50% lower risk of early death than pessimists. The scientists even concluded that "... mind and body are linked and attitude has an impact on the final outcome - death ."

Another recent study asked elderly people whether they believed that they become less useful or not. Those who disagreed, and therefore, had the most positive attitude about aging lived, on average, about 7.5 years longer than those with the most negative attitudes.

As more and more research reveals the connection between the mind and body we are now learning how we can create illness with the mind and also how we can cure illness with the mind. The most basic thing we can do is try to see the world more positively.

A simple suggestions is to try to become complaint-free. As I suggested in a previous newsletter, I would recommend Will Bowen's excellent book, 'A Complaint Free World', where he challenges us to go 21 days without complaining. Within that time it is easy to permanently get out of the habit of complaining. Amazingly, neuroscience research is showing us that around 21 days of a new way of thinking or behaving neurologically wires it into our brain so that the new way of thinking or behaving becomes second nature for us. Through the mind-body connection it may even help you live longer.