{"id":796,"date":"2020-02-21T16:53:33","date_gmt":"2020-02-21T09:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illume-emag.com\/?p=796"},"modified":"2020-02-21T16:53:33","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T09:53:33","slug":"power-positive-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/power-positive-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Positive Thinking"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s heartwarming news: People with a family history of heart disease who also had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event within five to 25 years than those with a more negative outlook.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the finding from Johns Hopkins expert Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H., and her colleagues. The finding held even in people with family history who had the most risk factors for coronary artery disease, and positive people from the general population were 13 percent less likely than their negative counterparts to have a heart attack or other coronary event.<\/p>\n

Yanek and her team determined \u201cpositive\u201d versus \u201cnegative\u201d outlook using a survey tool that assesses a person\u2019s cheerfulness, energy level, anxiety levels and satisfaction with health and overall life. But you don\u2019t need a survey to assess your own positivity, says Yanek. \u201cI think people tend to know how they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hope and Your Heart<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe mechanism for the connection between health and positivity remains murky, but researchers suspect that people who are more positive may be better protected against the inflammatory damage of stress. Another possibility is that hope and positivity help people make better health and life decisions and focus more on long-term goals. Studies also find that negative emotions can weaken immune response.<\/p>\n

What is clear, however, is that there is definitely a strong link between \u201cpositivity\u201d and health. Additional studies have found that a positive attitude improves outcomes and life satisfaction across a spectrum of conditions\u2014including traumatic brain injury, stroke and brain tumors.<\/p>\n

Can You Boost Your Bright Side?<\/strong><\/span>
\nAlthough a positive personality is something we\u2019re born with and not something we can inherently change, Yanek says, there are steps you can take to improve your outlook and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n

Simply smile more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\nA University of Kansas study found that smiling\u2014even fake smiling\u2014reduces heart rate and blood pressure during stressful situations. So try a few minutes of YouTube humor therapy when you\u2019re stomping your feet waiting in line or fuming over a work or family situation. It\u2019s difficult not to smile while watching a favorite funny video.<\/p>\n

Practice reframing.<\/strong>
\nInstead of stressing about a traffic jam, for instance, appreciate the fact that you can afford a car and get to spend a few extra minutes listening to music or the news, accepting that there is absolutely nothing you can do about the traffic.<\/p>\n

Build resiliency.<\/strong>
\nResiliency is the ability to adapt to stressful and\/or negative situations and losses. Experts recommend these key ways to build yours:<\/p>\n