Research comparing the moods of young adults with seniors finds that older people are happier than the young.
A scientist at Northeastern University thinks he knows why. It has to do with how you choose to look at things.
According to a study by Derek Isaacowitz, it turns out that older people seem to be happier because they avoid looking at the negatives in life and focus on the positive.
It sounds simple, but his research shows that younger people don’t generally do this. Instead, they pay much more attention to negative images and hurtful events than do older people.
As Isaacowitz points out, older people seem to be better at controlling and improving their emotions because they take their eyes off negative items and turn their eyes toward more positive material. He calls this “positive looking.”
Consequently, Isaacowitz notes, there is actually a strong relationship between positive looking and mood. If you possess good attentional abilities, positive looking patterns can help improve how you feel.
And mood is an incredible healer and health protector. Nearly every ancient healing technique that includes breathing and relaxation techniques improves your outlook and mood and ultimately protects health.
Yoga is probably the most popular of these techniques. And one way to increase even yoga’s benefits for your outlook and mood is to do “hot” yoga.
This is yoga practiced in an environment that is often humidified and 95° F or warmer. And in one study that looked at the effects from hot yoga show that even doing one session gives you greater physiological and mood benefits than regular yoga.