Being Positive Is Good for Your Health

Looking for an effective way to avoid getting a cold this winter?  How about sprucing up your general feeling about the world?  A study released this week provides evidence that our Moms may have been right about the power of a sunny disposition.

According to Professor Sheldon Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University, “We need to take more seriously the possibility that positive emotional style is a major player in disease risk."  His initial study exposed 334 healthy adults to a cold virus.  Those who demonstrated many positive feelings (defined as "happy, lively, calm or other positive emotions") were less likely to get ill than those who demonstrated less.  Whenever more positive individuals did come down with a cold, they experienced less symptoms.  A subsequent study of 193 adults produced similar results.  They studies conclude that positive emotions can bolster the immune system and improve health.  For more information on these studies, look to Carnegie Mellon, Science News, and Psychosomatic Medicine magazine. 

These results should surprise no one.  As was suggested by Robin Williams' character in the 1990 movie Awakenings, "The human spirit is more powerful than any drug and that is what needs to be nourished with work, play, friendship, family.  These are the things that matter."      

Here's one more good reason for us all to lighten up.  The message of this research seems especially timely as we head into the Christmas season.  Use your own vitality to bring a little joy to those colleagues, family and friends who are lucky enough to be in your presence.  It's good for your health.