We have good news, and it’s that the action of embracing good news itself can have some incredible effects. The power of positive thinking is more than just a sunny expression, according to a paper in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society1. The authors, a team from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that optimistic people were 15 percent less likely to develop dementia later in life — regardless of race, gender, and habits like exercise or smoking habits, both of which have been correlated with effects on late-life cognition.
New Research Breaks Ground in Showing the Impact of a Positive Mindset
According to experts not involved in the study, the link between positive thinking and improved cognitive aging isn’t a shock.
“I can’t say I’m surprised by any of this,” says Valentina Lipskaia, a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Dzeny, a 24/7 AI mental health platform built with clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, and AI specialists.
“There is value in having it put to paper with such rigor, don’t get me wrong,” she continues, “But out in the clinic you don’t have to be a theorist to see the mind-body link.”
Indeed, the study authors write, the results are “fairly consistent with previous studies.” They echo the findings of a 2023 study published in Aging & Mental Health showcasing the relationship between optimism and risk of dementia among postmenopausal women2.
The research does, nevertheless, break ground in a few essential ways. Not only does it assess a wide range of adults from a number of different racial backgrounds, but the 14-year follow-up was far longer than that of most similar studies.
This study is also one of the first to directly address reverse causation, a common issue in medical science when the perceived effect of something could actually be its cause. This, they write, is “a significant issue as psychological symptoms, such as low mood, have been observed to represent early symptoms of dementia.” They further note that observed association “could be driven by decreased optimism being caused by early stages of dementia.”
To account for these and other variables, the study authors measured optimism and cognitive health in a nationally representative sample of 9071 older individuals, relying on Health and Retirement Study data and the validated Life Orientation Test-Revised as a self-reported measure of optimism. Crucially, they excluded individuals who had developed dementia within the first two years of follow-up before analyzing the results, finding that those who had reported the higher levels of dispositional optimism at the outset had a 15% lower risk of developing dementia.
How Optimism Contributes to Better Mental Health
As for how optimism affects cognition, there are a number of potential factors at play. The authors themselves cite “several processes” that could contribute to the influence of optimism on dementia risk, notably the association between optimism and healthier immune responses. This association was identified in a 2010 study in Psychological Science, which could provide a buffer against immune dysregulation, and thus the emergence of Alzheimer-related dementia3.
The beneficial effects of optimism on general inflammation may also play a role, according to Lipskaia.
“Optimists have a way of blunting their cortisol response when under stress, which does wonders for keeping systemic inflammation down,” she explains. “That is of no small consequence for cardiovascular health or immune function, not to mention how fast we age. And behaviourally, you will see the correlation: better sleep, regular exercise, less substance use.”
Matt Grammer, LPCC-S, a mental health expert, clinical counselor, and founder of Therapy Trainings, agrees.
“The more optimistic a person is, the less likely they are to exist in a state of chronic threat,” he says. “This contributes to changes in cortisol, inflammation, and other bodily systems that impact sleep, blood pressure, and immune function.”
Chloë Bean, LMFT, a somatic trauma therapist in Los Angeles, echoes this impact of optimism on the body, specifically the nervous system. “When a body has spent years bracing for the next bad thing to happen, it’s running survival mode chemistry and that takes a toll,” she says. “Chronically elevated stress hormones keep the immune system inflamed, and the brain has to work harder to keep you regulated. A person who can actually settle, who feels safe enough to relax, is giving every system a chance to recover, including the brain. That’s the part I think these numbers are also showing us.”
Another Indirect Layer to Consider When It Comes to Optimism
But Dr. Lauren Grawert, MD, FASAM, a double board-certified addiction psychiatrist and the Clinical Advisor of The Garden Recovery & Wellness, a licensed outpatient treatment center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, believes there is more to the story. While “optimism may have a physiological protective role against the body’s stress response,” she says there’s another piece of this puzzle to consider.
“While optimism itself is likely to have an indirect effect on health via behavior, behavior likely represents the primary mechanism by which the effects of optimism on health occur,” she says.
Indeed, the study authors cite “indirect mechanisms” such as the potential link between optimism and both stronger social networks and lower stress levels, which could also reduce the risk of developing dementia. An optimistic patient, Lipskaia says, “is invariably more compliant with treatment and has an easier time bouncing back; they also don’t have the same comorbid depression to contend with.”
“Optimists may practice behaviors that promote good health such as regular exercise, taking prescribed medications regularly, developing and maintaining relationships with friends and family members, and utilizing preventative health services; all of which can ultimately contribute to improving long term outcomes,” explains Dr. Allen Masry, MD, DFAPA, FASM, DAAP, the Medical Director of All in Solutions, a network of treatment centers located in Florida, New Jersey, and California.
Grammar agrees. “In my clinical work, I find that optimism is more than the presence of positive thoughts,” he says. “It describes the belief that challenges can be addressed, that one can access help, and that failures are not the end of the story. That belief can mold behavior over the long run.”
Reaping the Benefits of Realistic Optimism
The link between positive thinking and improved cognitive function is clear, but that’s only the beginning of the takeaways we can reap from this study, according to Lipskaia. “The real question is not if optimism is a predictor of good health, but if it is something you can impart,” she says. “That is the clinically interesting part.”
And the experts have loads of advice to offer in this vein. For Masry, the goal here should be “optimistic realism.” Rather than avoiding dealing with reality or putting your head in the sand, he recommends learning how to develop “a realistic view of one’s situation, combined with a belief that things will get better.”
Grawert seconds this recommendation, noting that “realistic optimism” involves “acknowledging reality while continuing to believe you can manage your problems.”
Here are just a few ways the experts say you can put this into practice today.
1. Savor the positive.
It doesn’t take much to turn positive thinking into a habit. Our experts recommend taking small steps, like writing down three gratitudes per day. Grammer recommends taking some time every evening before bed to recognize what he calls “daily wins.”
“Write down three things that went well and the role you played to make them happen,” he suggests. This will help you develop the habit of mindfully savoring positive experiences and making them resonate more in the perception of your day.
2. See your friends.
Building and strengthening supportive relationships is crucial for mental health and optimism. A 2024 study in World Psychiatry showcased “robust evidence” of the impact of social connection on both mental and physical health and specifically on mortality4. Meanwhile, a 2024 meta-analysis of 11 studies published in International Psychogeriatrics identified strong evidence associating social engagement and social activities with a lower risk of cognitive decline, specifically as linked to Alzheimer’s5.
Since the strongest evidence was linked not to social network size, but rather to engagement and activities, this isn’t necessarily a sign to make a load of new friends. Instead, aim to strengthen the bonds you’ve already built. And given the lack of evidence supporting that technology-based social connections and activities improved cognition, real-life engagement matters.
Consider setting a regularly recurring friend date: Meet for a walk in the park on your lunch break every Thursday, for example, or take advantage of a shared love of yoga to attend the same class. Making your efforts low-impact and easily replicable means you’re more likely to continue them in the long run and transform them into real habits — with lasting positive consequences.
3. Establish small goals.
Creating and working towards goals is a great way of building optimism — especially when the goals you cultivate are “small but significant,” Grawert says.
“The goal is to provide yourself with a feeling of accomplishment and the perception of making forward progress,” she says. “Realistic optimism is not about ignoring or dismissing adversity — it is about adopting a more balanced and resilient perspective.”
Even smaller-scale goals, Masry says, can help you “perceive yourself making forward momentum.”
4. Engage in cognitive reframing.
Grammer suggests relying on cognitive reframing to turn perceived negatives in your life into a net positive.
“For people who are anxious, depressed, grieving, or burned out, the goal is more flexible thinking and emotional regulation rather than toxic positivity,” he explains. “This creates more optimism rather than the goal of simply ‘looking on the bright side.’”
The first step of this practice might not seem all that optimistic, for it involves looking the stressor in the face. “Meet it and name it,” says Grammer. He notes that after identifying the source of negativity and acknowledging its difficulty, you can then explore the choices you still have in your interpretation or management of it.
He suggests that you ask yourself: “What are the other possible interpretations to this?” or “Which parts of this are within my control?”
5. Start cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another great tool for paving the way for a more optimistic outlook.
“We have seen CBT yield very real results with our 48,000 users here at Dzeny,” Lipskaia explains. “Take the eight-week study we did with Synergy University Dubai: using cognitive reframing to train a more optimistic way of looking at things cut anxiety by 43%.”
While some resources are available online to help you explore tools used in CBT, you may also wish to work with a trained therapist to fully embrace the full benefits of the practice.
6. Practice body work.
For Bean, it’s essential not to discount the body’s role in all of this.
“You can’t think your way into optimism if your body still feels on edge constantly,” she explains. “Hope grows from a grounded nervous system, not the other way around.” She recommends starting, not with affirmations or mental work, but with the body. Taking time to practice resonance breathing, where exhales are longer than inhales, helps tell the body it’s safe, she says.
“Feeling your feet on the floor, orienting to your surroundings, letting your eyes land on something pleasant,” she suggests. “Small signs of safety, repeated, are what make a hopeful outlook feel real instead of forced.”
Future Research
The study, of course, is not without its weaknesses. Despite following a diverse cohort for over a decade, this is above all an observational study. The authors acknowledge that this means that “the possibility of residual or unmeasured confounding remains.”
“Although optimism is a complex construct, future research is needed to better understand whether optimism might be part of dementia prevention initiatives, including among Non-Hispanic Black adults who generally demonstrate higher rates of dementia,” the authors write.
“Even with rigorous modifications and sensitive tests, optimism may correlate with social engagement, education, health, and a lifetime of various coping strategies,” explains Grammer. “While this research is important, one cannot address the research and conclude that ‘thinking positive thoughts is a cure to illness.’”
Lipskaia notes that socioeconomic status, specifically, may not have been properly accounted for. “A person with financial means and good social support has plenty of reason to be optimistic on their own,” she says, “and that muddies the waters when you are trying to make a causal argument.”
The authors themselves call for future research, above all for “randomized trials designed to increase optimism among older adults,” which could help better showcase and explore this link.
Sources:
- https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70392
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2022.2084710
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797610362061
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11403199/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11058077/
