Optimism May Promote Emotional Well-Being by Limiting How Often One Experiences Stressful Situations

upstart writes:

Optimism may promote emotional well-being by limiting how often one experiences stressful situations: Identifying psychosocial factors that could serve as treatment targets to promote living longer and in good health:

When it comes to dealing with day-to-day stressors, such as household chores or arguments with others, a new study has found that being more or less optimistic did not make a difference in how older men emotionally reacted to or recovered from these stressors. However, optimism appeared to promote emotional well-being by limiting how often older men experience stressful situations or changing the way they interpret situations as stressful.

[...] The researchers found more optimistic men reported not only lower negative mood but also more positive mood (beyond simply not feeling negative). They also reported having fewer stressors which was unrelated to their higher positive mood but explained their lower levels of negative mood.

[...] "Stress, on the other hand, is known to have a negative impact on our health. By looking at whether optimistic people handle day-to-day stressors differently, our findings add to knowledge about how optimism may promote good health as people age," says Lee.

Journal Reference:
Lewina O Lee, PhD; Francine Grodstein, ScD; Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald, PhD; et al. Optimism, Daily Stressors, and Emotional Well-Being Over Two Decades in a Cohort of Aging Men [open], The Journals of Gerontology: Series B (DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac025)

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