Ever wondered how it is your optimistic friend always seems to be unfazed by stress? Scientists may have pinpointed a possible reason for why.


Researchers from Concordia University found that optimists' stress hormone levels[1] remain more stable in the face of stressful moments compared with pessimists.


"On days where they experience higher than average stress, that's when we see that the pessimists' stress response is much elevated, and they have trouble bringing their cortisol levels back down," study researcher Joelle Jobin, who is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at the university, said in a statement. "Optimists, by contrast, were protected in these circumstances[2] ."


The small study, results of which are published in the journal Health Psychology[3] , included 135 people ages 60 and older who were followed for six years. During 12 different days throughout this time period, researchers collected saliva samples five times a day to measure their levels of the stress hormone cortisol. They also asked the participants how many times they felt stressed/overwhelmed in a day, what level of stress they thought they experienced typically, and whether they considered themselves optimists or pessimists.


Then, researchers compared the cortisol levels of the participants on individual days to the average cortisol levels they experienced throughout the years, in order to gauge how much levels fluctuated up or down. They found that the optimists' cortisol levels were less likely to rise significantly on stressful days compared to their average stress levels, while pessimists' cortisol levels were more likely to be elevated compared to their average stress levels.


There are a lot of other benefits to being the type of person who looks on the bright side[4] . Click through the slideshow to find out:



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  • ...Have Healthier Hearts


    Could a positive outlook be the key to a healthier ticker? Maybe so, according to a 2012 scientific review published in the journal <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/bul/index.aspx" target="_blank">Psychological Bulletin</a>. "Health is more than the absence of disease," co-author Julia Boehm, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/optimism-healthy-heart_n_1431458.html" target="_blank">told HuffPost's Catherine Pearson when the findings were released</a>. "So we looked at the positive side of things -- how optimism and happiness might protect against cardiovascular disease." The review suggests that psychological well-being, including optimism, is linked with a reduction in heart attacks and strokes, as well as other cardiovascular problems, <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/positive-emotions-cardiovascular-health/" target="_blank">according to HSPH News</a>. HuffPost's Pearson reported: <blockquote>The evidence suggests that people who are happy and optimistic are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, like doing physical activity, eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep. It also shows an association between positivity and measurable biological factors, like lower blood pressure and healthier lipid profiles. But the various studies do not reveal whether happiness or healthy behaviors come first. It could be that happier, more positive people are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, which in turn improves factors like blood pressure. It could also be that engaging in healthy behaviors and having a better biological profile helps boost psychological well-being.</blockquote>




  • ...Have Better Cholesterol


    A 2013 study, also from the Harvard School of Public Health, but this time published in <a href="http://www.ajconline.org/article/S0002-9149(13)00388-3/abstract" target="_blank">The American Journal of Cardiology</a>, found that middle-aged study participants who scored as optimistic on a test have higher levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and lower levels of triglycerides. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/07/good-cholesterol-middle-aged-optimism_n_2831773.html" target="_blank">Huff/Post 50 reported in March</a>: <blockquote>The study asked 990 male and female participants between the ages of 40 ad 70 years old if they agreed with a number of statements about life, such as: “I expect more good things to happen to me than bad” and "If something can go wrong for me it will." The participants with sunnier dispositions had better levels of good cholesterol, and often kept “a prudent diet and [had] a lower body mass index,” Julia Boehm, the study's lead author, told Huff/Post50 in an e-mail.</blockquote>




  • ...Handle Stress Smoothly


    It can seem particularly tricky to think positively when you're stressed out -- but that's <em>exactly</em> when optimism can help the most, according to "positivity" researcher Barbara Fredrickson. Her research shows that people who find meaning in stressful experiences -- <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/the-benefits-of-optimism-are-real/273306/">exhibiting a type of "silver lining" thinking</a> -- are also more likely to recover from the psychological pain of a bad event. What's more, according to Fredrickson's research <a href="http://www.unc.edu/peplab/publications/Fredrickson_AmSci_English_2003.pdf">upbeat thoughts had a positive effect on physical recovery</a> from an immediate stressor: According to one study, study participants who were subjected to public speaking had heart rates that returned to normal in a shorter time span if they watched a positive video beforehand. And in totally unrelated research, psychologists found that being optimistic about one’s own abilities -- and engaging in positive self-talk -- was enough to <a href=”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/self-affirmation-problem-solving-chronic-stress_n_3194437.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living”>improve problem solving during times of great stress</a>.




  • ...Have Stronger Immunity


    As if the glass-half-empty set doesn't have enough to fret about. A study found that keeping a positive outlook has an impact on the strength of your immune system. Researchers tracked first-year law students through the ups and downs of their school year. They found that individual students had different levels of immune response based on how positively they were thinking about things. When a student displayed optimistic thinking, he also showed <a href="http://www.livescience.com/8158-optimism-boosts-immune-system.html">greater cell-mediated immunity</a> -- a phenomenon in which immune cells cluster to respond to a perceived threat, in this case a harmless but provocative injection of a dead mumps virus. On the other hand, a gloomy outlook -- brought on by say, a missed internship or bad test score -- had an actual negative effect on the response of immune cells.




  • ...Have Lower Stroke Risk


    In the largest study of the <a href="http://www.webmd.com/stroke/news/20110721/being-optimistic-may-reduce-risk-of-stroke" target="_blank">link between positive thinking and stroke risk</a>, researchers observed 6,044 adults involved in the ongoing Health and Retirement Study who had not previously had a stroke, WebMD reported. Optimism was rated on a 16-point scale, and with every point increase in positivity, people exhibited a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDisease/attitude-adjustment-optimism-staves-off-stroke-older-patients/story?id=14125345#.UYliYis4UtQ" target="_blank">9 percent lower likelihood of having a stroke</a>, according to ABC News. Researchers haven't pinpointed whether that association is due to a <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/story/health/story/2011/07/Optimism-may-lower-stroke-risk/49602260/1" target="_blank">biological effect of optimism</a> or merely the fact that people who look on the bright side are likely to take more steps toward total health, USA Today reported.




  • ...Regulate Emotions Better


    In his studies of prisoners of war, U.S. Special Forces, earthquake victims and others surrounded by stress, Dr. Dennis Charney found that the people who bounced back more easily from trying and traumatic situations had a number of similar traits. At the top of the list? <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/12/qa-with-psychiatrists-on-how-to-bounce-back-after-severe-stress/" target="_blank">Having a positive attitude</a>. Optimistic war veterans were found to have <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/the-benefits-of-optimism-are-real/273306/" target="_blank">lower rates of depression and PTSD</a>, The Atlantic reported, because of their ability to say, <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/12/qa-with-psychiatrists-on-how-to-bounce-back-after-severe-stress/#ixzz2Sdu1SP2R" target="_blank">"This is a challenge, but I will prevail,"</a> Charney told Time.com. This realistic yet optimistic outlook is likely the key, since <a href="http://news.menshealth.com/failure-helps-career/2011/10/27/" target="_blank">being <em>overly</em> optimistic has been linked to <em>higher</em> rates of depression</a>, Men's Health reported.




  • ...Live Longer


    With protective effects against so many serious health concerns, it follows that <a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/05/29/optimism-laughter-may-bring-long-life" target="_blank">optimism has been linked to a longer life</a> in general. In a 2012 study of 243 centenarians, researchers found that most looked at life through rose-colored glasses. "When I started working with centenarians, I thought we'd find that they survived so long in part because they were mean and ornery," study author Dr. Nir Barzilai said in a statement. "But when we assessed the personalities of these 243 centenarians, we found qualities that clearly reflect a positive attitude towards life. <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/aeco-gm052412.php" target="_blank">Most were outgoing, optimistic and easygoing</a>."