Health · Mental Health · 1 day ago
Psychologist says emotional well-being matters alongside longevity habits
Psychologist Jesús Matos says emotional well-being deserves attention alongside diet, exercise and other habits linked to living longer.
He discussed the issue around World Mental Health Day, which is observed on October 10.
Matos says well-being is not just about feeling happy in the moment or avoiding mental health conditions.
It also involves having a sense of purpose, supportive relationships and living conditions that allow some peace of mind.
He says circumstances such as working two jobs to pay rent can limit well-being, so responsibility for happiness cannot rest only on individuals.
Feeling well may also help people connect with others, learn and build resources for the future.
Matos points to research on nuns that linked more positive emotions in writings from their youth with living nearly seven years longer, while noting that such findings compare groups.
Psychologist Jesús Matos says emotional well-being deserves attention alongside habits associated with longevity.
He argues that well-being depends not only on personal feelings but also on material conditions and the surrounding environment.
Matos says feeling well can support relationships, learning and exploration, which may help build resources for the future.
He cites a study of nuns that found nearly seven years’ difference in longevity between groups whose youthful writings expressed more or fewer positive emotions.
- Who
- Jesús Matos, a health psychologist and coordinator of a master’s programme in applied psychology for general well-being at ISEP.
- What
- He discussed emotional well-being, relationships, daily habits and longevity.
- When
- The article was published on 10 October 2026, World Mental Health Day.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- The interview addressed why feeling well may help people live longer and better, and why happiness cannot be treated as solely an individual responsibility.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Everyone is eating broccoli and trying to get into hyperbaric chambers. But nobody talks about being happy.
We cannot leave that out of the conversation.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Interviewee
- Jesús Matos
- Outlet
- Hola
- Publication date
- 10 October 2026
- Occasion
- World Mental Health Day
- Study finding
- Nearly seven years’ difference in longevity between groups of nuns’ writings with more or fewer positive emotions
Sources
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