Mayo Clinic Minute: How optimism improves your health

Optimism is good for your health. Dr. Richa Sood says optimistic peoples' behavior often includes taking charge of their health.

The physiological aspect of not being optimistic can be measured.

Inflammation increases your risk of heart disease and other issues. Pessimism also affects cell aging. You see, chromosomes are capped with what are called "telomeres."

The good news is that if you work to be more optimistic, you may improve your overall health.