Optimism 1 and Health
Optimism and Health Robin C. Hieronymus PSY 220 7/30/2010 William Goodwin
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Optimism and Health The affects of optimism on psychological and physical health.
Optimism is the tendency to look on the brighter side of things or to expect and see the best in all things. Optimism can be linked to health as stress can cause damage to a person inside and out. Thinking positively will help you be happier, healthier and things will most likely turn out better for you as well. There are two independent types of optimism: dispositional optimism, which is similar to other personality traits, and explanatory optimism, which affects an individual's interpretation of success and failure. Individuals with high scores on optimism have better health outcomes, and when they are confronted with life-threatening illnesses, they will cope with it in a better, healthier way. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (C.B.T.) offers one potential intervention that may or may not increase a person's level of optimism with a corresponding increase in health. People who learn to maintain an optimistic attitude may not only avoid depression, they may actually improve their physical health, according to a controlled study by the University of Pennsylvania's Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and Gregory Buchanan, Ph.D (Discovery Communications, LLC., 2010). I know I have a lot of depression and a personality disorder as well, but I am definitely a pessimist, but would love to become more optimistic so that I can become happier, healthier and maintain a better life for me and my children.
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People who have an optimistic view tend to engage themselves in health-promoting actions such as: not smoking, not drinking alcohol, and watching their diet, using sunscreen, taking vitamins, exercising, and other healthy choices in ones daily life. People who are optimistic about their lives are less likely to become sick or to develop a disease as a person who is pessimistic will. In a study that monitored the blood pressure of people doing normal activities, the results showed that a person who was optimistic had less of a chance of elevated blood pressure than a pessimist. Another study showed that optimism can lead to faster recoveries from surgeries and major accidents. Optimists tend to experience less stress than pessimists do because they believe in themselves and their abilities and they expect good things to happen. Optimists see negative events as minor setbacks to be easily overcome, and view positive events as evidence of further good things to come. Believing in themselves, they also take more risks and create more positive events in their lives. Optimists dont give up as easily as pessimists do, and they are more likely to achieve success because of it. In a study of 99 Harvard University students, those who were optimists at age 25 were significantly healthier at ages 45 and 60 than those who were pessimists. Other studies have linked a pessimistic explanatory style with higher rates of infectious disease, poor health, and earlier mortality (Scott, M.S., 2010). Those that are happy with a more optimistic outlook on things such as life, have a healthier and stronger immunity to things. Optimists cope in ways that are beneficial to their health and reduce or eliminate stressors and problems so they can produce positive effects on their immune system. I have been stressed and worried over different situations and the more I
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worry, the unhealthier I get, causing my immune system to crash and then I tend to become sick and it seems as though it only gets worse from there. However, if I had been more positive, I would been have happier and therefore my immune system would be healthier as well and things would just get better from there. Those who are more optimistic seem to become more successful in life because they are more focused on their goals thinking with a clear mind and always looking with their heads up. Optimists explain positive events as having happened because of them (internal). They also see them as evidence that more positive things will happen in the future (stable), and in other areas of their lives (global). Conversely, they see negative events as not being their fault (external). They also see them as being flukes (isolated) that have nothing to do with other areas of their lives or future events (local). For example, if an optimist gets a promotion, she will likely believe its because shes good at her job and will receive more benefits and promotion in the future. If shes passed over for the promotion, its likely because she was having an off-month because of extenuating circumstances, but will do better in the future (Scott, M.S., 2010). Pessimists think in the opposite way. They believe that negative events are caused by them (internal). They believe that one mistake means more will come (stable), and mistakes in other areas of life are inevitable (global), because they are the cause. They see positive events as flukes (local) that are caused by things outside their control (external) and probably wont happen again (unstable). For Example, a pessimist would see a promotion as a lucky event that probably wont happen again, and may even worry that shell now be under more scrutiny. Being
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passed over for promotion would probably be explained as not being skilled enough. She'd therefore expect to be passed over again (Scott, M.S., 2010). In Conclusion, with all the studies done and all the research I have found, it is easy to see that optimists are happier, healthier and lead more active, fulfilling lives while pessimists are more likely to be unhappy, unhealthy and lead a life of depression and despair. I believe that anyone who puts their mind to it can become more optimistic in their daily lives by seeing things in a more positive way and not always looking at the negative part of things. Not only does a more positive outlook on things make you feel better, but who would want to walk around thinking negative thoughts all day and getting negative effects from it? It is obvious that optimism can lead to health benefits and may also extend the life of a person as well.
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References:
HealthyWomen. (2010). Optimism & Your Health. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/optimism-your-health? context=healthcenter/40&context_title=40&context_description Scott, M.S., E. (2010). The Benefits of Optimism. About.com. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://stress.about.com/od/optimismspirituality/a/optimismbenefit.htm Discovery Communications, LLC. (2010). Learned Optimism Yields Health Benefits. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://health.discovery.com/centers/mental/articles/optimism/optimism.html Ellis, M. (2009). Optimism May Have Life-Extending Benefits. HealthNews.com. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/mental-health/optimismmay-have-life-extending-benefits-2762.html Wong, S. (2010). Always look on the bright side of life. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2009/aug/11/optimism-health-heart-disease Kliff, S. (2010). This Is Your Brain on Optimism. Newsweek, Inc. Retrieved August 1, 2010 from http://www.newsweek.com/2007/10/23/this-is-your-brain-on-optimism.html