Work hard to live longer

Our personalities influence our health more than imagined and being carefree and easy- going may not be as great as you think.

You could be the butt of jokes among friends for being a hardworking, laborious fool in an age when smart work pays more than hard work. But the reality is that health wise you are better off than your peers. A new study says that those who take their work seriously and work harder tend to live longer.

The finding comes from the latest book The Longevity Project by psychology professors Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin at the University of California. Quoting a study done on school kids for 80 years, the book says that the kids who worried about their exams and projects and studied hard, lived longer than the extraordinarily bright and cheerful kids. This debunks the old theory that happy and carefree people live the longest. Rather, it's persistence and a cautious attitude that add years to life.

"Having a conscientious personality leads people to adopting healthier habits," says Dr Vishal Chhabra, consultant psychiatrist, VIMHANS. The worrying nature of such people makes them take things on a serious note and pay attention to details. " This increases their ability to plan ahead, control their impulses and take long term decisions. Because they are mostly concerned about their future, they rarely get into unhealthy habits such as substance abuse.

They also follow doctor's advice strictly," adds Dr Chhabra. This is quite unlike the optimists who tend to ignore details, take doctor's advice lightly and may easily acquire unhealthy habits or addictions.

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