Does a positive mental view improve our physical health?

As autumn continues, the weather turns, and daylight hours become shorter I have noticed different ways in which people view the change of season:

• Some view it as the end of summer with nothing more to look forward to but cold, darkness and winter viruses.

• Others view the time of year as a time to look forward to cosy evenings by a warm fire, snuggling into fluffy jumpers and planning for Christmas.

I became curious about how this positive or negative view might impact on the mental and physical health of these people, so I did a little research.

As with everything, there is a huge amount of information available on how positive thoughts might impact on our bodies – some is more scientifically based than others and of course some is contradictory. I did find some interesting studies linking positivity or optimism to healthier bodies.

One such study was undertaken in 2019 by Dr Laura Kubzansky, Co-director of the Centre for Health and Happiness at Harvard School of Public Health. She observed nearly 70,000 nurses and discovered that the more optimistic of these had an estimated 15% longer lifespan. One possible explanation for this is that people who exhibit more positive emotions are better at dealing with stressful situations and so have lower levels of cortisol in their blood. This is important since cortisol is a hormone that can lead to inflammation and can also dampen the replenishing action of telomerase – an enzyme that protects our chromosomes and can help with anything from heart disease to lung conditions and aging.

Research by molecular biologist Dr Elizabeth Blackburn (awarded the Nobel Prize in 2009 for her research on telomerase) found that, on average, pessimists have less telomerase than optimists. In one study, 30 volunteers spent 3 months at a retreat meditating for 6 hours a day. The levels of telomerase in their cells was found to be one-third higher compared to another group who did not go on the retreat. Dr Blackburn and her team believe this was related to the general improved sense of wellbeing rather than the meditation in particular. Therefore, they surmise that anything that increases our sense of wellbeing should improve our telomerase levels and thus our overall health.

Dr Kubansky also notes that there are some studies linking depression to changes in the bacteria and other organisms in the gut. This is important since these organisms are linked to several aspects of our physical health including whether we are overweight. She believes it may be possible that a more positive mental state could positively impact the gut.

Linking the above facts suggests that thinking more positively should increase our physical health due to the reduced cortisol, increased telomerase, and improved gut health. So, it seems that those looking forward to the onset of winter may be likely to have a healthier time, and possibly longer life.

If you would like to have a more positive outlook, challenge yourself to write down three positive things that happen to you, or around you each day. Once this becomes too easy, increase it to five things each day. You should soon find yourself noticing many more positives and begin to naturally see the silver linings.

For more details on the studies referenced above take a look at:

https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/blog/positive-thinking-and-the-power-of-placebo/

https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/the-brain-can-you-really-think-yourself-healthy/

Originally published 12th November 2021