We’ve all met the overly positive person that seems like the just can’t catch a break, but they inspire us to try to look at life more positively anyway. We have also met the overly negative person that seems so blessed, but they just can’t see it. Some suggest that our survival instinct weighs the bad over the good to help us defend against threats and loss in life, making it easier to ignore the positive experiences throughout the day. Do you think this can affect our health?

Negative attitudes and feelings can upset the body’s hormone balance and deplete the brain chemicals required for happiness. Chronic Stress has been show to decrease lifespan and is related to a number of health conditions like hypertension, heart disease, digestive disorders and more. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson has spent years studying the effects of positivity on recovery from cardiovascular stress, better sleep, fewer colds and greater since of happiness. In an interview, she indicates that we need 3 positive emotions to counteract every negative one. These acknowledgements can reverse the physical effects of negativity and build psychological resources that contribute to a flourishing life.

The good news for pessimists (or realists) is that we have the ability to learn to be positive! The attitude of forgiveness can be learned and can lead to better mental, emotional and physical health. Forgiveness is fully accepting that a negative circumstance has occurred and relinquishing negative feelings surrounding that event. One Stanford project trained 260 adults in forgiveness and 70% reported decreased feeling of hurt, 13% experienced reduced anger and 27% experienced fewer physical complaints. The attitude and practice of forgiveness has also been linked to improved immune function, lower blood pressure, and improve cardiovascular health. In a separate study people who chose to count blessings reported feelings of happiness, increased physical activity, fewer physical complaints and better sleep than those who created lists of hassles.

The holiday season brings its own set of challenges and hassles, but this year we are recommending to our patients and staff to look for the joy through creating a true practice of gratitude. This video by Brene Brown highlights what she found her study of joy and gratitude. 

David Shern, Ph. D., president and CEO of Mental Health America comments, “The holiday season can be a challenging time of year. Being aware of stressors and taking steps towards managing them is essential to making the holiday season healthy.” Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. When something negative upsets you, stop and say 3 things you are grateful for.
2. When problems come up, tell yourself this is an opportunity to find solutions that will work better.
3. Rather than complaining to a person, tell them what you love about them or why you are glad to spend time with them.
4. Stay well rested
5. Keep regular chiropractic adjustments to keep your immune system functioning at its highest possible level.

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Sources: 
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/health/thoughts-emotions/how-do-thoughts-emotions-impact-health
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/activities/brene-brown-discusses-relationship-between-joy-and-gratitude
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IjSHUc7TXM#t=176