Optimism Saves Lives
For regular readers of my blog, you will remember that a few days ago I wrote on the importance on focusing on the positive rather than the negative. It appears that this sentiment has some current research to back it up. In the American Journal of Epidemiology 70000 women were studied and the study shows that those who are optimistic cut the risk of many life ending conditions like cancer and lung and heart disease in their later lives.
A healthier lifestyle is considered to be part of this, but the necessity of positive thinking and a positive outlook on life is also a significant factor in these results. The study also shows that utilising mindfulness and talking therapies can be of significant benefit in assisting people to change their view on life to a more optimistic view.
This is of no suprise to me, for many years one of the most common issues that I work with has to do with optimisim versus pessimism. With the way people are bombarded with the negatives of the world it is perfectly understandable that their view may be screwed. I help clients to realistically see things from a different perspective in that every negative situation also has a positive side and that if one takes that view point it makes it all the more easier to deal with the very real challenges that we all face in these modern times.
