Dick Van Dyke just turned 100, his secret has nothing to do with diet or exercise

As he turned 100 at the end of 2025, many people naturally wondered about actor Dick Van Dyke’s secret. He did not credit an expensive diet, a miracle supplement or a complicated fitness routine. Instead, while promoting his book ‘100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life,’ he shared a remarkably simple thought: ‘I never wake up in a bad mood.’

Scientists increasingly believe that this way of thinking may be more powerful than it appears. A growing body of research suggests that optimism, emotional resilience and meaningful relationships are linked with healthier ageing and a longer life. Optimism is often misunderstood as pretending everything is perfect; it is actually the ability to expect that difficult situations can improve and to keep moving forward despite setbacks.

One of the most fascinating pieces of evidence comes from the ‘Nun Study,’ which began in the 1930s. Researchers collected autobiographical essays written by young nuns, and decades later compared those writings with the participants’ health records. Women who naturally expressed more positive emotions in early adulthood lived, on average, significantly longer than those whose writings reflected fewer positive emotions.

Van Dyke has also remained socially active, continuing to perform, interact with people and stay involved in work he genuinely enjoys. In another of his books, ‘Keep Moving: And Other Truths About Living Well Longer,’ he summed up his outlook simply: ‘Old age is part fact, part state of mind, part luck.’

Image: Wikimedia Commons/by Gage Skidmore