The Importance Thoughts Have on Your Health
Remember the old adage: “I think, therefore I am?” Many people believe that the saying can be accurately amended to: “I think positively, therefore I am healthy.” Certainly, positive thoughts do not in themselves act as warriors inside the human body; if so, every cancer patient would be made to watch reruns of Seinfeld as part of their treatment protocol. Still, there is definitely something to be said about the merits of a positive attitude. Your thoughts can directly affect your health status. Read below and learn what can happen when you harness your positivity – and what can occur when you become a “Negative Nelly.”
- Worriers can bet on increased stress levels. This isn’t some New Age theory; scientists have proven that the hormone cortisol (commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ hormone) is released during times of duress, and cortisol has been found to weaken the immune system. By itself, excess cortisol is worrisome. Coupled with the high blood pressure worriers are susceptible to, it is a downright health hazard. Imagine worrying incessantly on top of having a diagnosed malady. Instead of just needing to treat the disease, you now need to also deal with the cortisol and high blood pressure. That is not the right direction toward a cure.
- Positive thinkers make the best of a bad situation. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t practical. A patient who hears a doctor explain that their life expectancy is 2-4 years understands he may not have much longer to live. Instead of dwelling on what he cannot change, though, the positive thinker begins to live fully and richly, ticking items off his bucket list and growing closer with friends and family. Give a negative thinker the same diagnosis, and he becomes withdrawn and unsociable, a person who disappears into the background of humanity. Cure or not, that is no way to live.
- The power of mindfulness inspires an increased state of consciousness. The world’s possibilities open to a person who is willing to embrace them. This realization can lead to lowered stress levels and a profound sense of calm, giving the body the opportunity to heal itself.
No, positive thinking is never going to be written on the prescription pad. But the alternative, negativity, can be downright hazardous to your health status. What do you have to lose in finding the silver lining in your situation? You may well have your health to gain.
