Want to live longer? Think positively. We get that you might think we’re crazy when we tell you optimism is one of the contributing factors for a long, healthy life, but we promise that it’s totally true. In fact, we’ve got the science to back it up.

We aren’t promising that you’re going to go all Nicolas Flamel and the sorcerer’s stone on you, but some comprehensive studies have shown that optimists have 11 to 15 percent longer life spans than those who are all doom and gloom. Optimism, it turns out, is super important for improving your odds of achieving exceptional longevity. You don’t have to tell us twice to look at the bright side!

But what if you’re not a sunny eternal optimist? These stats are likely making you feel even worse, right? So the world isn’t filled with sunshine and rainbows for you and now you also find out you’re not going to live as long? WTF?!

Luckily, even the most fervent pessimists can work toward achieving a more positive mind-set. With a few strategies, you can transform yourself into someone who at least doesn’t always see the glass basically totally empty, if not someone who is chanting about “turning that frown upside down” on a regular basis.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to start looking on the bright side a bit more often is to actually take the time to consider whether a negative thought is serving you or not. It’s all too easy to get sucked into negative spirals or unhappy predictions for the future, but we want to encourage you to pause and step back. That gives you the chance to really evaluate the situation.

It may sound crazy, but negative thinking can actually be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you go into a date thinking ‘there’s no way in hell this is going to work out,’ the other person will read your negative energy, and it likely won’t work! Same goes for job interviews. We don’t think setting unrealistic expectations is wise either, but it’s good to at least give yourself the benefit of the doubt. 

Another great tool is to encourage yourself to hone in on the reality of your situation. Are you often brooding about how you’re going to spend all your money and go broke? Do you frequently worry yourself sick about losing all your friends? Well, you should take a deep breath and relax. So many of us are plagued by these types of day-to-day anxieties that are, in fact, quite unlikely to ever transpire. Look at the situation and see if there is any real possibility of it transpiring, if not, try and rest easy. If there is something that really could indicate impending doom, take the moment to remedy it! Reach out to an old friend! Start a savings account or start babysitting at the weekend! Everything is in your control.

And the last and possibly most important way to become more of an optimist? Well, you might have guessed it: gratitude. Finding even one thing to be grateful for will show you that not all is dark in the world. Finding these small, bright spots can show you that there is always something to be happy and positive about, even in the darkest times. Starting a gratitude journal will help make this a daily practice and, eventually, a habit for you.

So grab one of our amazing juices and pour it right to the tippy top of your glass. Optimism is just around the corner!