Can Pessimism Hasten Aging?

There is much that can be done physically to help slow down how fast we age.  What we eat and drink, how much regular physical activity we get and our lifestyle choices can all influence how well we age as older adults.  But how much do our thoughts influence our well being? 

Our genes have a lot to do with how long we live but recent research has also found our social relationships as well as our lifestyles and the environment in which we live play a significant role in whether we age slowly and gracefully or if aging is hastened more quickly.

Research published in the book The Telomere Effect:  A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer by Elizabeth Blackburn and Ellissa Epel takes a close look at behaviors that can result in the shortening of telomeres, which in turn causes cells to grow old.   

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, telomeres are structures containing repetitive stretches of DNA that cap the end of chromosomes, keeping the genetic material from unraveling.  These telomeres shorten each time a cell divides until the cell stops dividing.  Research has found that this shortening can be reversed and telomeres can lengthen with a healthy diet, exercise and changes in responses to stress. 

For example, people who experience high levels of hostility often die at a younger age and have shorter telomeres.  In cases of high “cynical hostility,” stress levels remain elevated long after the incident causing the stress and as a result blood pressure and cortisol levels remains high, leading to more chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis and a weakened immune system.   This type of unhealthy reaction to stress tends to occur more frequently in men.

Women, on the other hand, are often more prone to excess worry which is no better for health in aging.  Rehashing problems over and over in the mind can lead to depression and yet again, shorter telomeres.   Pessimism and negative thought patterns that lead to no resolution also elevate blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels leaving women with more anxiety and depression and a greater risk for heart disease, cancer and other age-related illnesses. 

How can older adults break these patterns of hostility or rumination?  Being aware of the tendency to remain under stress long past it’s usefulness is half the battle.  And rather than going down the rabbit hole of rehashing past events, try to find happiness by immersing yourself in what you are currently doing.   Having greater clarity and understanding of thoughts gives the individuals more control over wandering, negative thoughts.  When an unproductive thought enters the mind, with more awareness, we can simple allow it to pass through and move on. 

To learn more about how to stay in the moment and find greater happiness, listen to this TED talk by happiness researcher Matt Killingsworth.   

To learn more about the role telomeres play in disease follow this link to the journal TheScientist.