Can healthy thoughts actually result in better physical health?
We often hear that the body follows the mind but do healthy thoughts matter? When it comes to living a long and healthy life most people are aware that they should participate in fitness activities, eat a balanced and healthy diet and go visit a health care practitioner if they are ill. But what if there was data suggesting that simply changing your outlook could also improve your overall physical health?
It seems like research suggests that we can indeed manifest good health. Or at least improve our current health condition. Here are five research studies suggesting that optimism and laughter can have positive long term health effects.
Laughter vs. Diabetes
Diabetics benefited from laughter- A twelve-month study conducted by Oak Crest Health Research Institute showed that a group of diabetics described as the laughter group, increased good cholesterol (HDL) and decreased inflammation markers over the non-laughter group. Both groups still were on standard blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetic medications. Blood tests showed an HDL increase of 26% versus just 6% between the laughter and non-laughter group.
When they say “Laughter is the best medicine”, I guess it’s true.
Positive thoughts and heart health
Optimism can help with heart health– In November of 2001 Harvard School of Public Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs found that an optimistic attitude could be a factor in reducing coronary heart disease. A ten-year study of over 1300 men showed that participants with an optimistic attitude had less than half the occurrence of CHD (coronary heart disease) than those that had a pessimistic attitude.
This might be a case of optimistic people possibly being more outgoing and getting out more. Perhaps they are more likely to participate in sports or exercise. Whatever the reason a positive mental outlook always helps not just fight health issues, but seemingly prevent them.
Healthy thoughts and pain
Laughter for pain tolerance– UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Rx Laughter conducted a study in 2007 that showed children tolerated pain longer while watching comedy. A group of eighteen healthy children with a mean age of twelve placed their hands in 50-degree water for up to three minutes. The study found that the children who were watching comedy were able to tolerate the cold water for longer periods of time while watching the comedy that those who did not.
Cold water is no laughing matter! However, these kids showed that they could just laugh it off.
Healthy thinking may work worldwide despite the situation
Emotions affect health world wide– A 2009 study by the University of Kansas and Gallup polled more than 150,000 adults in 140 countries found that participants who rated themselves with higher levels of happiness or enjoyment reported less incidents of pain, fatigue or illness than those with a higher degree of sadness or worry. This held true regardless of other factors such as food, shelter and protection.
Is it the chicken or the egg? Are healthier people happier or are happier people healthier?
Unhappy Wife Unhappy Life
Unhappily married women have a higher degree health risk– In March of 2009 the University of Utah found that women who said they were in an unhappy marriage also had a higher incident of health-related problems like obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and diabetes. The study was conducted on 276 couples over four years with ages ranging from 40 to 70.
This is quite the opposite of “happy wife, happy life”. But in this case it’s the wife that is suffering.
Healthy thoughts may help
It is clear that part of taking care of one’s body should include physical factors such as proper nutrition, plenty of water, running, weightlifting or any number of individual and team sports. But it is also clear from these research studies and others that having a positive mental outlook and taking time out of your day for humor can also reduce the occurrences and severity of other health related problems. It seems to be true that laughter is indeed the best medicine.
- take time out of your day to have a laugh
- focus on things you can accomplish and accomplish them
- look at the bright side of things
- literally stop and smell the roses
- take a mini vacation
- watch a sunset
Whatever it takes to inject some peace, optimism and joy into your day. Your body will thank you for it later.
