Are you a positive person? Optimism and thinking positively can affect your life in so many ways. It makes sense that people who have a positive attitude are happier and more confident. But you may not know that there are several other ways a positive attitude can benefit and add value to your life.
But don’t just take our word for it. Here are six ways positive thinking benefits your physical and mental health–and the scientific results to back up these claims.
1. A Better Immune System
A positive attitude may be able to protect you from germs, such as the common cold. A study from the University of Kentucky found that a positive attitude plays a role in immune system health. Researchers found that first-year law students’ optimistic attitudes and immune system responses corresponded. The more optimistic a student was feeling, the stronger their immune system. The less optimistic a student felt, the weaker their immune system became. One interesting thing about this study was that it observed differences in attitude and immune response within the same person. This shows that adopting a positive attitude each day can change your health, even if you have held a negative attitude in the past.
2. Less Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular, or heart, disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. But a good attitude could reduce your risk for this common disease. A 2015 study from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana found that optimism had a strong effect on cardiovascular disease. Using data on patients ages 52 to 84, the study found that those who rated themselves as highly optimistic were more likely to have intermediate or ideal cardiovascular health, as compared to less optimistic patients.
3. Breast Cancer Prevention
Can having a good attitude prevent breast cancer? Yes, according to a study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. Researchers questioned 255 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as 367 women without the disease. They found that past attitudes had an effect on whether the women got breast cancer or not. Head researcher Ronit Peled said, “a general feeling of happiness and optimism can play a protective role [against breast cancer]”.
4. Increased Creativity
Are happier people more creative? A 2010 study published in the journal Psychological Science found that participants who listened to happy music and watched a video of a laughing baby were able to better recognize a pattern. Other participants, who watched and listened to neutral and sad music and videos, did not score as well as the “happy” group. Listening to happy music or watching a video that makes you laugh are easy ways to increase your happiness and creativity each day.
5. Better Ability to Deal with Stress
In a review on Psychological Resilience, Positive Emotions, and Successful Adaptation to Stress in Later Life, researchers showed how a positive attitude can help seniors deal with stress, including the death of a loved one. Subjects who had a good attitude were able to adapt to stress in order to recover from it more quickly. It makes sense: Optimistic people are better able to cope with whatever happens in their lives, including negative events.
6. A Longer Life
Could an optimistic attitude be the secret to living a longer life? Recent research implies it could. An analysis published in the January 2017 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women with a highly optimistic attitude had a lower rate of mortality overall. The most optimistic women were 30 percent less likely to die from common diseases, such as respiratory disease, cancer, infection, and heart disease.
Positive thinking is very powerful. Work towards increasing the positivity of your thoughts, and you can enjoy its many benefits.