Having a Positive Attitude is Good for Your Health

Good news for Optimists (but then any news would be good news for them!) – positive thinking is good for you! It has been suggested for some time that your ‘explanatory style’ influences your health, but more research is proving that.

A key study in 2002 by Maruta et al. (read it here) showed that pessimists had a lower quality of life and below average physical and mental health. The study concluded by saying that “wellness of being is not just physical but attitudinal. How you perceive what goes on around you and how you interpret it may have an impact on your longevity, and it could affect the quality of your later years.” The potential influence of positivity is quite profound – Professor Sperry (Nobel Prize Winner) discovered that the unconscious is unable to understand negatively phrased statements. Rephrasing positively is therefore more likely to register and create change!

Why is optimism and pessimism so important? Stephen Russell (author of mind and meditation books) claims that there is “no such thing as a neutral thought”.

If you are not a positive person, and feeling concerned by the potential damage you are doing to yourself, do not be alarmed! There are techniques to help restore mental wellbeing through positivity. Using repetition of daily affirmations can help create an optimistic outlook over time, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been proven to reduce negative thoughts as well.

The benefits of a good attitude extend further than just feeling a bit happier – your whole mind, emotionally and  cognitively as well as your physical body will be feeling better for it too!

Contributed by Anya de Iongh