For even the most positive of people, this year has made it difficult to remain upbeat.
But if you are looking for that extra push to try to look on the bright side of things, a new study carried out at Northwestern University in Illinois has shown that people who are positive and enthusiastic are less likely to experience memory loss as they get older.
The research, published in the journal Psychological Science, looked at 1,000 US adults and was carried out over a number of years, as participants got older.
Between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and 2006, and 2013 and 2014, participants were asked about the emotions they had felt over the 30 days leading up to the study, before being asked to take a memory test, which saw them recall words directly after hearing them, and again 15 minutes later.
Researchers took into account the participant’s age, gender, education and history of depression, and were able to look at the results to see a link between what psychologists refer to as “positive affect” – how a person experiences positive emotions – and memory loss.
While the results showed a natural memory decline with age for all participants, researchers found that those with higher rates of positive affect had in general, a better ability to recall information.
“Individuals with higher levels of positive affect had a less steep memory decline over the course of almost a decade”, Emily Hittner, lead author of the study, said.
The findings add to a growing body of research on positive affect's role in ageing healthily. Researchers suggest that as a result, future studies might address the pathways that could connect positive affect and memory, such as physical health or social relationships.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
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Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mobile phone packages comparison
The specs
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
