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Calm, Active People, Long May You Live

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@tampatrib.com

Published: November 8, 2008

The secret to a long life is actually pretty simple, say researchers at the National Institute on Aging.

After tracking more than 2,300 people for more than 50 years, they found that calm and active people lived longer than their counterparts, according to a recent issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

The findings - based on the long-running Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging - looked at links between individual personality traits and lifespan. The data showed that certain personality traits were definitively linked to a longer life. Those include emotional stability, organization, discipline, conscientiousness and resourcefulness.

Other traits led to a shorter life: anger, emotional instability, anxiousness and depression, among them. The study concluded that "longevity was associated with being conscientious, emotionally stable, and active."

This study is not new news. Most people know that happiness and an active lifestyle foster good health. In a similar 2003 study, researchers found that men with Type A personalities - "competitive, impatient, uptight" - had heart attacks earlier than those who did not have a Type A personality.

Please note: personality or activity level is not fixed or predetermined, and it can be proactively changed by an individual. Helpful tools may include formal psychiatric and psychological intervention; hobbies; a new sport; activities such as walking, tai chi, or yoga; spirituality; a career overhaul, or self-help.

The Sacramento Bee

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