The Healing Power of Positive Thinking: How Optimism Transforms Your Health and Happiness | Health

Prince Bhojwani never thought of himself as a negative person until three trips to the hospital in one month caused him to reconsider. Before May 2018, he was a healthy but anxious startup founder who regularly cycled 20 miles (32 km) to work. When his vision suddenly blurred, his blood pressure soared and he could barely walk, emergency room doctors suspected a stroke but couldn’t pinpoint the cause of his illness. But a close friend (who he describes as “one of the most optimistic people I know”) suggested Bhojwani often lacked the belief that things would work out, which may have led to burnout.

“Literally the next day, my whole outlook on the world changed,” says Bhojwani, who lives in New York City. He started meditating and taking time each morning to be grateful for being alive. He also co-founded Asana Voices, a nonprofit that advocates for South Asians, and has found purpose in life. Since then, despite working long hours, he hasn’t had a similar health crisis, which he attributes to his newfound positive mindset. “I had a life-changing experience that forced me to be optimistic,” he says. “I can’t imagine life being the way it was.”

While optimism itself is no panacea, numerous studies over the decades have demonstrated a link between a positive outlook and better health.

A longer, healthier life?

Experts say the long-used measure of relative optimism is the 10-question “Revised Life Orientation Test,” published in 1994. (Example question: On a scale of 1 to 5, respondents are asked to indicate how much they agree with the statement, “In uncertain times, I usually hope for the best.”) Optimism is generally defined as “the expectation that good things will happen, or the belief that the future will be favorable because you have control over important outcomes,” said Hayami Koga, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University’s Center for Population and Development Research.

Koga is lead author of a 2022 study that found optimism is associated with longer lifespan and a higher chance of living beyond age 90. In another study published in JAMA Psychiatry in May, optimists generally have better physical function as they age, Koga and his colleagues said. They surveyed 5,930 postmenopausal women over a six-year period. “We know that people who are more optimistic are more likely to lead healthier lives, including having healthy habits, eating healthy foods, and exercising more,” Koga said.

Is it possible to be an optimist?

While some people are born optimistic, optimism can definitely be learned, says Sue Varma, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University and author of Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Happiness. Practicing optimism can increase life satisfaction and reduce anxiety, Varma says. “Even if you’re not born with the natural tendency to expect favorable outcomes and see things optimistically, it’s a skill you can learn,” Varma says.

Varma said you should start by noticing how you handle uncertainty. Do you tend to worry? Do you assume the worst? Try to reframe your thoughts in an objective way. “Is there a silver lining? Is this a problem to be solved or a truth to be embraced?” Varma said, noting that his book is based on the work of Martin Seligman, one of the fathers of positive psychology. Visualize the best outcome and the step-by-step path to get there. Varma asks his clients to detail the path to solving the problem and encourages them to celebrate their successes.

“That way you can approach your day-to-day life as if things were going well,” she says. “And you tend to be more proactive, more positive, more resilient, and more energized in the face of obstacles.” Finding a sense of purpose can also help. Volunteering can be beneficial, but for those who don’t have the time, Varma suggests reworking your role at work to better fit your interests. That could be as simple as a highly social person organizing an outing with colleagues.

Trying to learn a skill — a sport, an instrument, a language, a hobby like knitting or chess — can help keep you from continuing to dwell on negative possibilities. Even with these and other interventions, changing your mindset isn’t easy, Varma notes. But practice helps. “It’s a toolset, it’s a mindset,” she says. “You have to practice it in your mind every day.”

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