2023-12-20 06:42:24
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, the key to a long, happy life lies in your own personality. These characteristics are what matter!
Important character traits for a long life
A contented, happy and long life is what we all want. It is not without reason that scientists have always been concerned with the question of how we can live as long as possible – and with maximum quality of life. Not everything can be influenced and planned. However, everyone agrees on one point: lifestyle is a decisive factor for a healthy and long life. This includes a healthy diet, a good work-life balance, fresh air and enough exercise such as walks or sports. This is not only good for our bodies, but also for our mental health, which can also determine how old we get.
Scientists have now discovered that there is another important aspect of aging: our personality. According to a long-term study by the American Psychological Association, we can extend our lives with conscientiousness. The researchers examined the influence of personality on lifespan over a period of 75 years and found that those who were rated as very thorough and less risk-taking by their close environment lived significantly longer than others.
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The team led by scientist Lewina Lee, who conducts research at the Boston University School of Medicine, also investigated this connection. To do this, they evaluated the health data and questionnaires of nurses and veterans and also took into account the living conditions and previous illnesses of the test subjects. They concluded that attitude towards life directly affects lifespan and optimists live longer. According to the study, optimistic women have an average lifespan of 15 percent longer than pessimistic women. For men with a positive attitude it is around 11 percent. The attitude towards life is particularly noticeable in old age, as a full 50 percent of women and 70 percent of men had a higher chance of reaching at least 85 years of age.
The American Psychological Association also found that subjects who were particularly open and extroverted lived significantly longer. Of course, that doesn’t mean that introverts don’t have a chance of living long. It’s more about having a healthy lifestyle as well as a healthy and life-affirming attitude. Here we have a few tips on how to become happier and how, instead of holding on to toxic positivity, you can really influence your mindset for the better. You can now find out which other character traits give you a good chance of leading a long and happy life.
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conscientiousness
Going through life conscientiously means being thorough, reliable and determined in your relationships with others, your job, your personal life and the challenges of life. It helps maintain control and show others that they can rely on you. We know that this is not always easy. We have therefore collected a few tips for you that you can use to improve your conscientiousness:
- Set clear priorities and goals (both small and large).
- Bring structure into your life and use tools such as planners, notes, calendars, etc.
- Be self-reflective and regularly remind yourself of what really matters to you in life.
We are taught to be conscientious in our childhood through our close caregivers and social environment. However, it is possible to train them even in adulthood.
Emotional stability
Being emotionally stable is not a given. Life is full of small and large hurdles – only acceptance helps! If you are not feeling well mentally, think about what you can change in your life and seek help from your family, friends or even professional support. Your mental health is essential for a long life.
friendliness
Treat others as you would like to be treated and always be kind. This can sometimes be very challenging, especially due to the stress of everyday life. It becomes even more difficult when we regularly encounter people who do not treat us with the same kindness. However, that doesn’t matter. Keep your kindness for your own sake, as this will protect you from negative feelings that can be quite depressing. Being kind to yourself and others makes life so much better!
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emotionality
Learn to be open about your feelings. Share the beautiful but also the difficult things in life with those you care about, discuss problems, and show yourself vulnerable. This improves your interpersonal relationships, makes you more approachable, strengthens connections and has a liberating effect. Being emotional and expressing your feelings is a strength that can improve your entire life.
openness
Be open to life and all its surprises – both good and bad. It’s so easy to close yourself off to the unknown, to go through life with constant skepticism and to remain in your own comfort zone. If you open yourself up to new things, you also open yourself up to life. It has been proven that particularly open people have a longer life expectancy. It also brings fun into your everyday life and you can learn a lot from your experiences and encounters!
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