39. Smeets, E., K. Neff, H. Alberts, and M. Peters, “Meeting Suffering With Kindness: Effects of a Brief Self-Compassion Intervention for Female College Students,” Journal of Clinical Psychology 70, no. 9 (September 2014): 794–807, doi:10.1002/jclp.22076; and Neff, K. D., and C. K. Germer, “A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program,” Journal Of Clinical Psychology 69, no. 1 (January 2013): 28–44, doi:10.1002/jclp.21923.

40. This exercise is adapted from Dr. Neff’s website: http://self-compassion.org/exercise-2-self-compassion-break/. For more information on developing self compassion, see K. Neff, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself (New York: HarperCollins, 2011).

41. Valenzuela, M. and P. Sachdev, “Can cognitive exercise prevent the onset of dementia? Systematic review of randomized clinical trials with longitudinal follow-up.” Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 2009. 17 (3): p. 179–87.

42. Scheier, M. F., C. S. Carver, and M. W. Bridges, “Distinguishing Optimism from Neuroticism (and Trait Anxiety, Self-Mastery, and Self-Esteem): A Reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 67, no. 6 (December 1994): 1063–1078.

43. Marshall, Grant N., et al. “Distinguishing optimism from pessimism: Relations to fundamental dimensions of mood and personality.” Journal of personality and social psychology 62.6 (1992): 1067.

44. O’Donovan et al., “Pessimism Correlates with Leukocyte Telomere Shortness and Elevated Interleukin-6 in Post-Menopausal Women” (See #7 above.); and Ikeda et al., “Pessimistic Orientation in Relation to Telomere Length in Older Men: The VA Normative Aging Study.” (See #8 above.)

45. Glaesmer, H., et al., “Psychometric Properties and Population-Based Norms of the Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT – R),” British Journal of Health Psychology 17, no. 2 (May 2012): 432–445, doi:10.1111/ j.2044–8287.2011.02046.x.

46. Eckhardt, Christopher, Bradley Norlander, and Jerry Deffenbacher. “The Assessment of Anger and Hostility: A Critical Review.” Aggression and Violent Behavior 9, no. 1 (January 2004): 17–43. doi:10.1016/ S1359–1789 (02) 00116–7.

47. Brydon et al., “Hostility and Cellular Aging in Men from the Whitehall II Cohort.” (See 4 above.)

48. Trapnell, P. D., and J. D. Campbell, “Private Self-Consciousness and the Five-Factor Model of Personality: Distinguishing Rumination from Reflection,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 76, no. 2 (February 1999) 284–304.

49. Ibid; and Trapnell, P.D., “Rumination – Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) Shortforms,” unpublished data, University of British Columbia (1997).

50. Ibid.

51. John, O. P., E.M. Donahue, and R. L. Kentle, R. L., The Big Five Inventory – Versions 4a and 54 (Berkeley: University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Personality and Social Research, 1991). We thank Dr. Oliver John of UC Berkeley for permission to use this scale. John, O. P., and S. Srivastava, “The Big – Five Trait Taxonomy: History, Measurement, and Theoretical Perspectives,” in Handbook of Personality: Theory and Research, ed. L. A. Pervin and O. P. John, 2nd ed. (New York: Guilford Press, 1999): 102–138.

52. Sadahiro, R., et al., “Relationship Between Leukocyte Telomere Length and Personality Traits in Healthy Subjects,” European Psychiatry 30, no. 2 (February 2015): 291–295, doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2014.03.003, pmid: 24768472.

53. Srivastava, S., et al., “Development of Personality in Early and Middle Adulthood: Set Like Plaster or Persistent Change?” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 84, no. 5 (May 2003): 1041–1053, doi:10.1037/0022–3514.84.5.1041.

54. Ryff, C. D., and C. L. Keyes, “The Structure of Psychological Wellbeing Revisited,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 69, no. 4 (October 1995): 719–727.

55. Scheier, M. F., et al., “The Life Engagement Test: Assessing Purpose in Life,” Journal of Behavioral Medicine 29, no. 3 (June 2006): 291–298, doi:10.1007/s10865–005–9044–1.

56. Pearson, E. L., et al., “Normative Data and Longitudinal Invariance of the Life Engagement Test (LET) in a Community Sample of Older Adults,” Quality of Life Research 22, no. 2 (March 2013): 327–331, doi:10.1007/s11136–012–0146–2.

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