Dick Van Dyke celebrates 100 years on December 13th (image from 2013)
Science confirms: optimists live longer. Dick Van Dyke is an example of this. It turns 100 years old this Saturday and there will still be some more positivity ahead of it.
Anyone celebrating a birthday on a Saturday is happy… Dick Van Dyke will be even more – by nature and because it fulfills 100 years this December 13th.
The legendary American actor and comedian, who starred in classics such as Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, attributes his remarkable longevity to his positive outlook on life and never getting angry.
While longevity depends, of course, on many factors – including genetics and lifestyle – There is truth to Van Dyke’s claims.
Several studies cited by , in an article published this Thursday, showed that keeping stress levels low and a positive and optimistic outlook correlates with longevity.
For example, in the early 1930s, researchers asked a group of 678 novice nuns – most around 22 years old – to write an autobiography when they entered a convent.
Six decades later, researchers analyzed his texts. They also compared their analyzes with women’s long-term health outcomes.
Researchers found that women who expressed more positive emotion early in life (such as saying they felt grateful rather than resentful) lived, on average, ten years longer than those whose writing tended to be more negative.
A UK study also found that more optimistic people lived between 11% and 15% longer than their pessimistic counterparts.
And in 2022, a study that looked at nearly 160,000 women from various ethnic backgrounds found that those who reported being more optimistic were more likely to live to age 90, compared to those who were pessimistic.
A potential explanation for all these results is related to the effects that ‘anger’ has on our hearts.
Let us be angry with anger
People who tend to have a more positive or optimistic outlook on life seem to be better at managing or controlling their anger. This is important because anger can have several significant effects on the body.
Anger triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol, the body’s main stress hormones. – particularly in men. Even brief outbursts of anger can lead to a decline in cardiovascular health.
The additional pressure that chronic stress and anger place on the cardiovascular system has been associated with increased risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, Stroke and type 2 diabetes.
These diseases are responsible for around 75% of premature deaths. Although stress and anger are not the only causes of these illnesses, they contribute significantly to them.
In other words, when Dick Van Dyke says he doesn’t get angry, that could very well be one of the reasons for his longevity.
There is also a deeper explanation, at the cellular level, behind the influence of stress on longevity, which relates to our telomeres – which are protective covers found at the ends of our chromosomes (the DNA information packages present in our cells).
In young, healthy cells, telomeres remain long and robust. However, As we age, telomeres gradually shorten and wear out. When they become too worn out, cells have difficulty dividing and repairing themselves. This is one of the reasons why aging accelerates over time.
O Stress has been linked to faster telomere shorteningwhich makes cell communication and renewal difficult. In other words, stress-inducing emotions, like uncontrolled anger, can accelerate the aging process.
One study also found that meditation, which can help reduce stress, is positively associated with telomere length. Thus, a better Anger management can help support a longer life.
Added to this is the fact that optimists seem to be more likely to engage in healthy habitssuch as regular exercise or healthy eating, which can further support health and longevity by lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. Even his own Dick Van Dykesays The Conversation, is still trying to do exercise at least three times a week.
How to improve longevity
If you want to live as long as Dick Van Dyke, there are things you can do to manage your stress and anger levels.
Contrary to popular belief, trying to “release” anger by hitting a bag, yelling into a pillow, or running until the feeling passes doesn’t really help. These actions keep the body in an elevated state that affects the cardiovascular system and can prolong the stress response.
A calmer approach works best. Slow down your breathingcount it or use relaxation techniques (like doing yoga) it can help calm the cardiovascular system rather than overstimulating it. Over time, this reduces pressure on the heart, which can help you live longer. It’s important that you try to do this whenever you feel particularly stressed or angry.
Also You can increase positive emotions by setting aside time to play. For adults, play means doing something simply because it is enjoyable – not because it has any specific purpose. Playing will give us a boost of positive emotions, which in turn can benefit our health.
Dick Van Dyke’s advice may be correct. While we can’t control everything that impacts our health, learning to manage anger and creating space for a more positive outlook on life can help support both well-being and longevity.
