A balanced diet, exercise, genetics, and even certain medications can work in concert to make a person healthy. But a person’s demeanor also can factor into personal health.
The Mayo Clinic says that whether or not a person is an optimist, or a pessimist can affect many areas of his or her health and well-being, and those who see the glass as half-full may ultimately be healthier than those who see it as half-empty.
Positive thinking can make it easier to manage stress. The body responds differently based on an individual’s mood, and it may produce stress hormones if a person’s outlook is negative. Such stress hormones can compromise the immune system, increase blood pressure, and even reduce the body’s ability to burn fat effectively. Thinking negatively and being on edge also can increase a person’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease and aging prematurely.
Conversely, maintaining a positive attitude can be good for your health. Studies have shown that thinking positively can lower rates of depression and anxiety, increase life expectancy, and provide greater resistance to certain illnesses, such as the common cold.
Researchers are unsure why positive thinking has such profound effects. But in addition to limiting stress-releasing hormones, positive thinking may inspire people to live healthier lifestyles that make them more likely to get routine physical activity and eat a healthy diet. Happy people also may be less likely to use tobacco products or alcohol as a coping mechanism when dealing with elevated stress levels, and such people will not have to deal with the side effects that can come with these unhealthy behaviors.
Becoming a more positive thinker can take a little effort for those without a natural inclination for optimism. But because positive thinking boasts such significant health benefits, men and women might want to try the following methods to embrace their optimistic side.
• Exercise. Start an exercise regimen, as physical activity naturally reduces stress and can improve mood.
• Embrace humor.
• Identify areas that need change. Think about moments in life that may bring you down or inspire negative reactions. If work is problematic, figure out ways to make it better and work toward improving the situation.
• Be supportive of yourself. Consider what you would say to others and then treat yourself the same way. Would you be overly negative or derogatory toward a complete stranger? Probably not, and there is no reason to be harsh with yourself, either. Push negative thoughts away.
• Volunteer.
• Think like a child. Take a cue from youngsters and find joy in the little things. Let children be the leaders in activities and mimic what they do. You just may find yourself laughing more and enjoying yourself. Being silly for a little while is one way to recapture the feelings of youth.
Positive thinking is more than the subject matter of self-help books. It’s a viable way to improve personal health and live longer.
Four tips for a more enjoyable life
• Life is short, so live it to its fullest potential. Live it optimally. This is your life, so don’t waste its most precious resource—time. No matter one’s spiritual leanings, economic and education status, health, intelligence level, etc., one thing is true for all: Our time on Earth is finite. There will be a time for most of us when, perhaps after a frightening diagnosis from a doctor, we reflect deeply upon our time and consider the most important moments, and all the time that may have been squandered.
• Balance is key. Too much or too little of something, no matter how good, is actually not good. Balance is one of the easiest tenets to understand, but arguably the most difficult to maintain. Obviously, too much alcohol is bad; then again, there are some health benefits to moderately imbibing red wine. What about too much of a good thing; can a mother love her children too much? Yes, if she is an overprotective “helicopter parent.” The best antidote to overkill of anything is awareness; try to be aware of all measures in your life.
• Learn to tap your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses. Engaging your strengths at work and in your personal life is important. When we do what we’re good at and what comes easily, we feel self-confident and satisfied. Some people, however, are not in jobs that utilize their strengths, or they don’t put their talents to work at home because they’re mired in the prosaic work of living. It’s important to identify your strengths and find ways to engage them. It’s equally important to recognize our weaknesses and work on improving them (because we can). This is essential for achieving balance.
• Life is about making the right choices. Integrative decision-making makes this easier. There are many different types of decision-making, including systematic, hierarchal, impulsive, decisive, and flexible. Integrative decision-making can be used for problems large and small.
It includes the following process:
1. Define the problem.
2. Frame the problem.
3. Develop all your options.
4. Analyze your options.
5. Make the decision.
6. Execute your decision.
7. Debrief yourself.
While experts may be the best consultants for compartmentalized areas of your life, only you know the other aspects that affect your well-being and can determine how a decision in one area will affect another area.
