HR file: Accentuate the positive

All the research shows that positive and optimistic people live longer and perform better than their more pessimistic and cynical colleagues. One classic study reviewed baseball cards from 1952 and 1953. It found that the players who smiled for the photos lived on average 11 years longer than those who did not. For a recovering pessimist this is an unnerving finding: be happy or die.

You cannot tell people to be happy, positive or optimistic. That comes from within. So how can you cultivate positive habits of the mind that will let you perform better and live longer? The critical insight is that we can choose how we feel. There are simple routines that can help anyone choose to banish the clouds of gloom. Here are some tips that help professionally and personally.