Why Grouchy People Age Faster

Ever been surprised to learn someone’s age because they just look so young? Or because they look way older than their age?

No doubt lifestyle choices like diet, sleep and exercise play a big part. Your genes do, too. These are obvious.

But here’s one not-so-obvious factor influencing how your body ages: your thoughts. That’s right, what you’re thinking right this very minute could have a role in how quickly (or slowly) you age.

Nobel-winning scientist Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel call it the telomere effect and recently wrote a book explaining their research and findings. Their theory? Certain actions you take can spark healthy cell renewal that slow down — or even reverse — the aging process. Your thought patterns are one of those actions.

Cellular biology 101: Beware of the short telomere

To understand how Blackburn and Epel came to this conclusion, you must first understand what the basic definition of a telomere. Telomeres are at the end of human chromosomes, and they protect those chromosomes from deteriorating and unraveling. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. And short telomeres are one reason humans age.

Certain behaviors tend to shorten your telomeres. One of those, Blackburn and Epel say, are your thought patterns.

Always the cynic

People who easily become angry and get irritated by others fall in the “cynical hostility” group. It’s not good for the health of their hearts or blood pressure. And it’s not good for their telomeres. Theirs are shorter.

Blackburn and Epel point to a study on men who displayed cynical hostility. “These men had the opposite of a healthy response to stress,” they write. The men who scored high in hostility were more susceptible to disease and health problems. They were more likely to age faster.

Don’t be such a pessimist

Pessimistic people are more likely to have shorter telomeres. They’re also more likely to suffer health problems and die younger. Illnesses such as cancer and heart disease progress faster in the bodies of people are pessimistic.

Rehashing the past

Those who can’t let go of the past have shorter telomeres. Blackburn and Epel call this one rumination, and it’s another destructive thought pattern for your health. They point out the difference between rumination and thoughtful introspection, which is healthy and normal

Rumination entails rehashing what went wrong over and over again. It’s essentially like glue for stress because it keeps those stressful thoughts and feelings around longer. It leads to higher levels of anxiety and increased chance of depression.

Suppression is good for no one

The deep dark depths of your mind are a dangerous place — especially when it comes to unpleasant thoughts and experiences. We may feel inclined to do our best to ignore what’s uncomfortable. But this can be harmful for our health.

Avoiding negative thoughts has a negative effect on our telomeres, one study found. By striving to avoid stress via suppression, our stress levels just get worse. And of course, chronic stress is a major risk factor that affects your longevity.

While this research might seem like a downer, you might find it promising because unlike your genes, you do have control over your thoughts. So if you find yourself feeling hostile, pessimistic, or intensely ruminating on an experience, catch yourself and acknowledge your disruptive thinking. Then, follow Blackburn and Epel’s advice: Let that thought fade away.