Good news, ladies! The Harvard Gazette reports that a study conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found a significantly decreased risk of dying from several major causes in women who are optimistic. The eight-year study indicated an overall 30 percent lower risk of dying from diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection in the most optimistic women compared to the least optimistic women.
The researchers note that people with more positive attitudes are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and to deal with life’s challenges in healthier ways. In addition, optimism may be beneficial to the body’s biological systems.
So the next time you find yourself expecting good things to happen, give yourself a pat on the back for doing something good for your health!