1) Take ownership and recognize
that your health is your own. To achieve
your best health, you need to set personal
goals — just for you.
2) Engage with your doctor or other
health care professional and build a trust-
ing relationship.
3) Find a higher purpose that makes
you excited to get up in the morning. Hu-
mana’s survey found that the majority of
respondents (86 percent) who identify as
optimists also rank a sense of purpose as
an important attribute for aging.
Aging With Optimism
H
aving a “glass half full” ap-
proach to life has long been
considered important for
overall wellness. But evidence suggests
that there may be truth in this folk wis-
dom.
Humana recently surveyed 2,000
people aged 60 and over, and found that
87 percent of seniors who identify them-
selves as “most optimistic” reported their
health as good to excellent. This is com-
pared to 44 percent for those who said
they’re “least optimistic.”
Also, the most optimistic people re-
ported nine fewer physically unhealthy
and seven fewer mentally unhealthy
days per month than their least optimistic
counterparts.
Seniors who rated themselves as
most optimistic also reported positively
on other attributes linked to health, in-
cluding sleep, confidence and overall
happiness.
• 91 percent of the most optimistic
respondents reported feeling confident in
the past week, while only 52 percent of
the least optimistic respondents did, a dif-
ference of 39 percentage points.
• 90 percent of the most optimistic
respondents reported feeling happy in the
32 WNY Family March 2020
(NewsUSA)
past week, compared to 44 percent of the
least optimistic respondents, a difference
of 46 percentage points.
• And only 31 percent of
the most optimistic re-
spondents reported
getting a rest-
less night’s
sleep in the
past week,
while 62
percent
of
the
least op-
timistic
respon-
dents did,
another dif-
ference of 31
percentage points.
Despite these im-
pressive numbers, having an op-
timistic mindset is often easier said than
done. The stresses of life, social stereo-
types and one’s natural temperament can
all impede approaching aging with opti-
mism. Dr. Yolangel Hernandez Suarez,
Humana vice president and chief medical
officer for care delivery, has the follow-
ing advice for anyone struggling to stay
on the sunny side of life:
4) Remain socially engaged, not
isolated, and nurture close relationships.
The importance of social engagement is
recognized by the 71 percent of Humana
survey respondents who identify as opti-
mists and get together with friends or rel-
atives either monthly or weekly. Further,
80 percent of optimists say maintaining
an active social life is an important moti-
vator to stay healthy.
5) Stay active and remember that
physical activity is important. Find some-
thing that’s right for you and that
you like to do. Almost all of
the most optimistic sur-
vey respondents (97
percent) say re-
maining physi-
cally active is
a major moti-
vator for re-
taining good
health.
6) Prac-
tice gratitude
and make it a
habit to look for
and appreciate every-
thing you’re thankful for
in life.
“As a boomer myself, I know that
the majority of the decisions about my
own health take place outside of a doc-
tor’s office,” said Dr. Hernandez Suarez.
“With the knowledge that optimism may
be linked to health and well-being, I’m
focused on making positive health deci-
sions through all aspects of my life. Our
goal at Humana is to empower everyone
to approach health in the same way.”