Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A person's life and death are God's secrets. However, there are consistent efforts that humans can make to live long.

If we refer to United Nations (UN) data, global life expectancy in 2023 will reach 73.4 years. This means that the average human on earth lives up to 73.4 years.

Who would have thought, there are several people on earth who reach the age of 100 years or more. This group is called centenarians. In 2021, there will be an estimated 573,000 100-year-olds worldwide. The UN estimates that number will increase rapidly, with an estimated 3.7 million people by 2050.

One of the secrets of longevity that has been proven by many studies lies in two seemingly simple traits. These traits are always thinking positively and optimistically.

The “power of positive thinking” benefits overall mental health. But previous research shows that a positive attitude can even help people live longer.

A study published in August 2019 found that an optimistic attitude was associated with someone living 11-15% longer and being more likely to live to age 85 or older.

Another study published in October 2022 showed that women who thought positively in an ethnically diverse population of the United States lived an average of 4.4 years longer than those who did not think positively.

“Having a positive, optimistic outlook reduces our risk of chronic disease and gives us a greater chance of living past age 85,” says Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, certified neuropsychologist, as quoted from Medical News Today.

Apart from that, Dr. Karen Miller, a neuropsychologist, geropsychologist, and senior director of the Brain Health and Lifestyle Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California, notes that inflammation caused by stress is one of the causes of faster aging, physical problems, and cognitive impairment.

“So when we think positively and engage in positive behavior, such as meditation, yoga, participating in religious practices, getting out and walking, exercising, [atau] “enjoying fresh air, those are all things that lower our stress and lower our inflammation levels,” he explained.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(hsy/hsy)