[00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
[00:06.36]Prince Bhojwani never thought of himself as a negative person.
[00:14.17]But three trips to the hospital in one month led him to reconsider his thoughts, or mindset, toward life.
[00:25.12]Before May of 2018, he was healthy.
[00:30.03]He was living in New York City, working at a startup company he founded.
[00:36.54]He found time to ride his bicycle each day.
[00:40.93]Yet Bhojwani always felt worried.
[00:44.69]One day, his health began to suffer.
[00:48.38]He could barely walk.
[00:50.79]He could not see clearly.
[00:53.48]And his blood pressure suddenly increased greatly.
[00:58.50]At a hospital emergency room, doctors suspected he had had a stroke.
[01:05.39]But they never could find the cause of his illness.
[01:09.74]A close friend pointed out that Bhojwani had a negative mindset.
[01:17.37]He often lacked the belief that things would go well.
[01:22.46]The friend suggested that Bhojwani might be burned out.
[01:27.81]Bhojwani describes this friend as "one of the most optimistic people" he knows.
[01:36.12]Bhojwani said that he "started looking at the world very differently..." as soon as recovered.
[01:44.76]He started deep, calm, purposeful breathing.
[01:48.51]He started taking time every morning to feel thankful to be alive.
[01:54.23]And he also found purpose in his life by co-founding a nonprofit, Asana Voices, a South Asian support organization.
[02:06.17]In the years since, he has not had any similar health problems.
[02:11.97]He credits his new positive mindset.
[02:15.90]"After there was a life-changing event," he said, "it kind of forced me to become optimistic. I can't even imagine living life the way I did back then."
A longer, healthier life?
[02:31.27]Numerous studies over the years have shown a link between a positive mindset and good health.
[02:37.68]Experts say a standard for measuring someone's optimism has long been the 10-question Life Orientation Test (Revised), published in 1994.
[02:51.50]Questions from that test include:
[02:54.86]In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.
[02:59.51]It's easy for me to relax.
[03:02.63]I rarely count on good things happening to me.
[03:07.51]Respondents answer using a scale of zero to four.
[03:12.77]Zero means you "strongly disagree" with the statement and 4 means you "strongly agree" with the statement.
[03:21.81]"Optimism means the "expectation that good things will happen, or believing the future will be favorable because we can control important outcomes," said Hayami Koga.
[03:35.29]She is a researcher at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.
[03:41.41]She was the lead writer on a 2022 study that found optimism was linked to longer lives and a greater chance of living past the age of 90.
[03:50.73]In another study, published in May in JAMA Psychiatry, Koga and other researchers found that optimists generally stayed in better physical health as they aged.
[04:08.38]Over a six-year period, the researchers looked at 5,930 women who had all gone through menopause.
[04:17.46]"We know that more optimistic people are more likely to live a healthier life, with healthier habits, eating healthier, having more exercise," Koga said.
[04:30.34]Some people are born more optimistic.
[04:34.69]However, it can be learned, said Sue Varma.
[04:40.19]She is a professor of psychiatry at New York University.
[04:45.54]She also wrote the book "Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being."
[04:56.07]Varma noted that her book builds upon the work of Martin Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology.
[05:07.97]Optimism training, Varma said, can improve life satisfaction and reduce worry.
[05:16.95]She told the Associated Press that some people are not naturally positive. They are more pessimistic.
[05:26.78]However, they can learn skills to help see the world more in a more positive way.
[05:34.09]Varma said that even for people who do not naturally "see the glass half full, there are skills that you can learn."
[05:43.81]Someone who "sees the glass half full" views a situation with hope or optimism.
[05:51.35]Someone who "sees the glass half empty" is more negative or pessimistic about a situation.
[06:00.41]So, what skills should glass half-empty people learn to become more optimistic?
[06:10.58]Begin by noticing how you deal with uncertainty, Varma said.
[06:15.68]Do you worry and wait for the worst to happen?
[06:19.87]If you do, then try to re-think the situation in a different way.
[06:26.39]Varman suggests asking yourself some questions.
[06:30.78]Is there a silver lining, or something good about the situation?
[06:35.87]Is this a problem to be solved or a truth to be accepted?"
[06:40.91]Varma then suggests imagining the best possible result and a step-by-step path to get there.
[06:50.11]Varma asks her patients to describe those steps in detail until the problem is resolved.
[06:57.52]Then she tells her patients to celebrate their success.
[07:02.90]The result is that people may become more positive and better prepared to deal with difficulties and struggles.
[07:12.29]Finding a sense of purpose can also help. Volunteering is a good choice for some.
[07:20.06]For those who may not have the time for volunteering, Varma suggests bringing your interests to your day job.
[07:28.89]That could be as simple as organizing outings with co-workers.
[07:34.93]Another suggestion is to learn something new.
[07:39.59]Whether it is a sport, musical instrument or a language, learning a new skill can help keep your mind from thinking too much about negative situations or possibilities.
[07:55.27]Even with these and other methods, Varma noted that changing your mindset is not easy.
[08:03.57]But practice helps.
[08:05.66]"It's a toolset. It's a mindset," she said, adding that it is something she practices every day.
[08:15.30]And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Dan Friedell.
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Words in This Story
negative - adj. not positive or helpful
mindset - n. a mental inclination, tendency, or habit
burned out - phrasal verb worn out
optimistic - adj. expecting everything to come out all right : hopeful
menopause - n. the natural cessation of menstruation that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55
habit - n. a way of behaving that has become fixed by being repeated often
psychiatry - n. a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders
pessimistic - adj. expecting everything to NOT come out all right : not hopeful
glass half full - idiom viewing the situation optimistically or hopefully : glass half empty (opposite) viewing the situation pessimistically or without hope
silver lining - n. a consoling or hopeful prospect
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