The Long Haul: The Science of Optimism

Welcome to issue 4! Every week, I’ll explore a longevity topic and then give a roundup of the big news in Longevity.

We’re focused on condensing the main topic this week—let me know if you think it’s too long (or short)!

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Today's Topic: The Science of Optimism

We’ve discussed the power of little treats - Gen Z also believes in “being delulu”

In scientific terms, they don’t mean delusion (deeply held beliefs that are impervious to logic) - they mean optimism, the extent to which people hold generalized favorable expectancies for their future. [1,2]

And they’re onto something. A review of 83 studies found that optimism is a significant predictor of positive physical health outcomes. [3]

Genetics only account for 25% of our optimism, and we can change the rest. [2]

What is optimism

Optimism isn’t just “looking on the bright side”. Optimists tend to have:

Proactive attitudes
Stress resilience
Appropriate coping strategies
Flexibility in problem-solving
Efficient reframing of negative information [4]

People become “glass half full” through a handful of learned skills that make them believe they’re more likely to succeed.

Optimism & longevity

There’s a mountain of evidence that optimists have better health & life outcomes.

In health

Optimists are 30% less likely to die from coronary heart disease, according to an 8-year study of 95,000 women. [2]
Higher levels of pessimism significantly predicted premature death in young breast cancer patients. [4].
Higher levels of pessimism increase the risk of depression. [5]

In life

Optimists have stronger social ties, which is crucial to longevity. [2]
Optimism is associated with better performance at work. [4]

How to be more optimistic

Optimism is a learned skill. So you can change it.

Here are some science-backed tactics you can use to improve your coping strategies (and therefore your optimism):

Self-talk

Positive self-talk can influence your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It reduces anxiety and increases your ability to learn new skills. [6]

Self-talk doesn’t have to be out loud. It’s usually internal but works best when you refer to yourself in the first person (e.g., “I can”). [7]

When we’re anxious, using motivational self-talk is best. Talking through the instructions helps solidify the new skill when we're learning something new. [6]

2. Positive reframing

Reframing involves finding the bright side of the big-picture situation. This includes:

Thinking of potential upsides to a negative event
Identifying lessons that can be learned
Reducing extreme language (e.g. “I’m going to feel like this forever”) [8]

3. Self-compassion

Self-compassion is forgiving and accepting of ourselves when situations are less than optimal. There are three parts:

Self-kindness: Exercising patience with ourselves (maybe some free time?)
Common humanity: Understanding what we’re going through as a natural part of the human experience
Mindfulness: Acknowledging and labeling thoughts

How to put these into practice

Putting self-talk, positive reframing, and self-compassion into practice takes time.

You can ease yourself into it by targeting specific circumstances first.

Consider something specific you’re not-so-optimistic about, like randomly scheduled meetings with your boss. You probably have what are called domain-specific beliefs.

Practice some self-talk about that specific circumstance. Try some positive reframing. See if you can find some self-compassion.

With practice, we can move from more optimistic domain-specific beliefs to a more optimistic generalized belief. [2]

The Haul: What you can’t miss in longevity this week

Podcasts

ZOE Science & Nutrition tells us why coffee is good for us.
- 05:14: Coffee is high in fiber - 3 cups is a quarter of your daily recommended fiber intake
- 05:14: Coffee can reduce heart attacks by 25%
- 07:26: Decaf offers the same health benefits as caffeinated coffee
- 21:37: Consumption creates quinic acid, which helps reduce blood pressure & encourages the release of insulin
Huberman Lab answers questions on bloodwork for health maintenance
- 41:06: He recommends doing bloodwork once in your mid-20s, once in 30’s and once per year in your 40’s
- 44:22: Recommends testing IGF1, testosterone, estrogen, free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, cortisol, creatine levels, LDL, apoB, globulin
  - Progesterone and prolactin as well for women

Research

Dietary sugar intake is positively associated with depression - so eat less sugar and be happier!
Stress makes you look and feel older - work those optimism muscles to Benjamin Button yourself

Twitter

FDA clears the first OTC continuous glucose monitor: Huge for managing glucose intake and ultimately reducing the risk of diabetes

News

Understanding the genetics of happiness: Matter Neuroscience has raised $26mm to look for the “biomarker of happiness” to combat mental health disorders
You can measure your age like Bryan Johnson: A new product lets you determine your genetic age with just a cheek swab and provides interventions to reduce it.

Thanks for reading.

– Robyn

We’ve been updating weekly from great feedback! Reply and let us know how you’re feeling about the main topic.

Interested in advertising in The Long Haul? Email robyn@girdley.com today.

SOURCES

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4115405/#R13

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161121/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941870/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2894461/

[5] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699931.2014.992394

[6] https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/6/148

[7] https://selfcontrol.psych.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/KrossJ_Pers_Soc_Psychol2014Self-talk_as_a_regulatory_mechanism_How_you_do_it_matters.pdf