Page 78 - Javanan Magazine Issue #1887

PSYCHOLOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE No. 1887
ISSUE No. 1856
PERSPECTIVES JAVANAN
PERSPECTIVES
JAVANAN
Dr. Alan A.
Modarressi LOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Clinical and A SOCIOCULTURAL AND MIND AND BODY OUTLOOK
Neuro-Psychologyst
In this column, we examine the mental health issues in the context
of social, culture, and physiological concerns of the Iranian community
WHICH PERSONALITY TYPE LIVES THE LONGEST

The Personality Traits that Boost Your Longevity

hen it comes to strate- ality, it’s helpful to look at the “Conscientious people don’t things.”
gies for slowing down Five Factor Model, a personal- do stupid things, so they have This doesn’t mean a positive
Wthe aging process, ex- ity theory that suggests most lower rates of accidents and bet- attitude does nothing, he adds.
ercise and nutrition are the usual people’s traits can be grouped ter health behaviors,” he says. Agreeableness can play a part
suspects—but don’t ignore the into five categories: openness, Don’t miss: 100-year-old sis- in longevity, too, especially when
power of mind over matter. conscientiousness, extroversion, ters share 5 simple tips for lead- it comes to weathering stressful
Recent research shows that agreeableness, and neuroticism. ing a long, happy life situations.
several personality traits predict Conscientiousness, or how or- The good news is you can in- “Psychologically healthy
who will enjoy health into their ganized and disciplined you are, crease your conscientiousness people have a quicker recovery
80s and beyond. According to is the most related to longevity, with age. There are even consci- time,” he says. “They are able to
some studies, the link between Watson says. entiousness workshops that seek tell themselves, ‘This is not that
personality and longevity is as This is likely because people to increase a person’s ability to big of a deal.’ They find ways to
strong as intelligence or how with high degrees of conscien- self-regulate, Watson says. bring themselves back into that
much money you have, both of tiousness are better at taking “The basic idea is if you want equilibrium.”
which are correlated with longer care of themselves. Conscien- to increase your conscientious- If you’re living a healthy life-
lifespans. The number of people tious people, for example, tend ness, act more conscientious, and style and able to bounce back
who are living to at least 100 to drink alcohol in moderation the attitude follows the behav- from hardship, that, Watson says,
years old in the U.S. has doubled and eat more balanced meals, he ior,” he says. “Try to be on time could lead to having a longer,
over the past decade. says. for things. Follow through on much more satisfying life.
Many centenarians credit their
longevity, at least in part, to their
positive attitude.
Roslyn Menaker age 103, told
The Guardian magazine that
“happiness, joy, appreciation …
a positive outlook,” are why she
has lived so long. Ruth Sweedler,
103, told CNBC Make It that she
was always praised for her good
attitude growing up. “When I
walked into a classroom, my
teacher would say, ‘Good morn-
ing, sunshine!’ Because I was so
cheerful,” she said.
While seniors might feel be-
ing positive has played a role in
their longevity, the relationship
between personality and aging is
more nuanced, says David Wat-
son, a former professor of per-
sonality psychology at the Uni-
versity of Notre Dame.
“I think the effects of just be-
ing positive are overstated,” he
says. But there are other traits he
believes are closely linked to lon-
gevity.
When breaking down person-

DANESH FOROUGHI, PH.D. Alan Modarressi, PhD, QME
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PSY13680 Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage, Family & Child Psychotherapist, MFC23455 Qualified Medical Evaluator
Certified National Board of Addiction Examiners #4974 Certified Psychophsychologist
Tel: (310) 940-3642 Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management
15720 Ventura Blvd., Second Fl. #224 Encino CA 91436 (818) 501-6080 (562) 861-7226

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