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Do positive affirmations make you live longer?

Susan was a friend of mine that was rarely happy. If you asked her how she was, she always came out with some negative event that had just taken place. Amongst her replies were:

• Someone nearly broke into my house and I had to drop out of college to deal with increasing my home’s security.
• A vandal scratched my car and this made me ill
• I’ve just found out that my daughter’s boyfriend has been in prison
• I drank too much wine last night and feel awful

These type of statements come from a very negative attitude to life.

Whilst I am not a great supporter of positive affirmations as they can often take the place of decisive actions, in Susan’s case they would certainly have helped re-frame her statements in more positive terms. Susan could have used positive affirmations to say:

• I feel secure with my new house alarm system
• The new door on my car is great.
• My daughter’s boyfriend has learnt from past mistakes and is now a better person.
• I look after my body by eating and drinking healthy things.

If Susan had used positive affirmations she would have become a happier person and this could have resulted in her living longer.

Recent research has shown that positive happy people have several health advantages over more negative people.  If you are a happy, positive person then some of the benefits are:

• You are less likely to suffer from colds. You may get the virus but somehow you will not develop full cold symptoms.
• You will on average live seven years longer than miserable people.
• You will have lower levels of some hormones that can be harmful to your health.

Researchers as the University of Pittsburgh found that positive people who had the cold virus were less likely to develop the symptoms of a cold.

Research done at Yale University  found that  people with a positive attitude about ageing,  lived more than seven years longer that those with a less positive attitude.

“Our study carries two messages. The discouraging one is that negative self-perceptions can diminish life expectancy; the encouraging one is that positive self-perceptions can prolong life expectancy,” says  study leader Dr Becca Lev.

At Miami University researchers found evidence that suggested that many hormones that play a key role in health are affected by emotions. These hormones include  cortisol, norepinephrine, dopamine, prolactin, and oxytocin.

A researcher said:

“Positive psychology factors have been associated with many of these hormones. For example, among people with HIV, spirituality and focusing on the positive have both been linked with lower levels of cortisol.”

Lower levels of cortisol have been shown to be linked to slower disease progression in HIV pateints.

For more information see the Independant Article

If you want to find out how to be happier then download the free book How to Manage Stress and you will also receive a bonus book on designing a happier life. Simply fill in your name and email address below and you can download your copy in a few minutes:

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• What is the Secret to Happiness? (ameliaburton.com.au)

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