Scientific Evidence of the Effect of Positive Thinking on Health and Happiness

Scientific Evidence of the Effect of Positive Thinking on Health and Happiness
Page content

Positive Thinking: The New Buzzword

When you really want something the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it – that pretty much sums up the power of positive thinking. Recently, many scientific studies have concluded that happiness and health are mostly about attitude. Until a few years ago, positive thinking wasn’t really something that one would preach, propagate or read about. But now, it forms the core of spiritualism and religion. Why? Because right now, we need it the most!

Positive Thinking as a Destressor

A person with a positive outlook toward life is more likely to cope up with diseases and unpleasant surprises that life throws up every once in a while. This in turn translates to lower stress levels, better immunity and subsequently, happiness. When a person is happy, the body releases ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins that boost up the body’s natural resistance to pathological and lifestyle diseases. This phenomenon roughly forms the scientific principle behind mind-body medicine.

Optimism and the Heart

Optimism has also been proven to protect the heart from stokes and cardiovascular disease. Details of the study can be found here. It is speculated that people who think positive are less likely to resort to stress-induced behavior like overeating, alcoholism and eating unhealthy comfort foods – all of which directly contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

The Quest for Health and Happiness

Optimistic individuals are often more sure of themselves and exude more confidence than their pessimistic counterparts. This in turn reflects upon their work –life balance, success and productivity in general. They are also less likely to suffer from psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, eating disorders and memory loss.

Once we analyze a failed relationship or even loss of a job in retrospect, we will find that everything ultimately boils down to attitude. Wouldn’t it be easier to deal with conflicts if both parties adopted a positive approach? Wouldn’t you meet with professional success if you carried out your work with passion and interest? It is no secret that people feel more comfortable and happy around individuals with a positive aura as opposed to those who crib, blame and wallow in self-pity.

Every human being yearns for happiness and tries to find it material pursuits, relationships, achievements and possessions. What we fail to realize is that happiness is the easiest to find because it lies within us. Don’t sweat the small stuff and life will be as beautiful as it is meant to be!

Please read this disclaimer regarding the information contained within this article.