Eat right. Exercise often. Stay mentally active. Take the medication your doctor has prescribed. These are the bits of advice Portland home care clients hear on a regular basis from caregivers and physicians; all very sound. In fact, it seems a resurgence of healthy, “natural” living has been occurring over the past few years for people of every age group. However, sometimes many of us forget one of the most important keys to a long, healthy life: a positive outlook.

Your attitude actually has a lot to do with how you feel physically!

One study shows that patients who maintain a positive attitude are more likely to have increased physical activity in comparison to their peers and also have extended longevity. The chance of being hospitalized also drops. Adding to the examples of how your perception aids your health is the notion that keeping away negative feelings may be good for the heart since a sunny outlook lowers stress, which can help to lower blood pressure.

Another study out of Harvard, which has been ongoing for the past 75 years, has followed 268 people who were sophomores at the university in 1938 and 456 inner-city men from Boston. 200 out of the 724 original participants are still alive and now in their 80s and 90s. Over the course of time, questionnaires, interviews, physical exams, and family history have been used to evaluate their physical and emotional health. The results have yielded some interesting insights into what leads to long and happy life.

Some of their findings include:

• Having enjoyable vacations as a child can predict happiness in later life; more than income.
• Love is all you need. People with successful careers, money, and good health are not as fulfilled as those that are in supportive and loving relationships.
• Even the most disheartening experiences in childhood can be overcome with a positive outlook and lead to great happiness down the road.
• People who are happy and healthy when they are middle-aged are likely to remain that way when they are older.

Both of these studies together indicate that shedding the “grumps” can improve health, happiness, and lead to a long life. Everyone has life circumstances and/or medical conditions that can lead to feelings of sadness or anger, but a look on the bright side of things could be the answer to turning it around.

MAS Home Care of Maine serves clients across the state. Contact us today!