This news is especially great for me since being on time has never been something I’ve been particularly good at — much to the disappointment of my late grandfather, who regularly noted, “If you’re not five minutes early, you’re late.”
No offense to you, grandpa, but recent research that was released in Harvard Health Publishing totally backs up my…let’s call it a life philosophy.
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It, along with several other studies, have found that chronic lateness is a positive indicator of one’s lifespan. People who fall into this category tend to be less stressed out, more zen, and less concerned about deadlines. That chill results in lower blood pressure, better cardiovascular health, less risk of a stroke, and lower rates of depression.
All of that leads to a longer, happier, healthier life, my friends.
People who are late also tend to be more optimistic. They actually believe they can squeeze in those last minute to-dos. Such positive thinking can have some great health benefits, the study notes.
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“Optimism helps people cope with disease and recover from surgery,” the study states. “Even more impressive is the impact of a positive outlook on overall health and longevity. Research tells us that an optimistic outlook early in life can predict better health and a lower rate of death during follow-up periods of 15 to 40 years.”
That’s some serious good juju, right?
But wait, there’s more.
This 2003 study found that late people also tend to be natural multi-taskers, which indicates an ability to problem solve as well as think well on their feet.
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So you can stop feeling bad about running 5, 10 or even 15 minutes late everywhere you go. When your friends or family give you a hard time, you can smile and feel smug about the fact that there’s a good chance you’ll be the last one standing.
You know, if you’re into that kind of thing.
