Weekly challenge (I mean, opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week. You could even add it to your calendar. Join us!
An interesting study published last year found that optimism boosts the immune response. That’s right—filling your half empty cup to half full can improve your immune system’s response to infection. Who knew it could be that easy?
Study participants were law students. They were found to have increased immune response when their outlook about law school was more positive, and decreased response when they were feeling more pessimistic about it. Though the students’ general outlook on life (optimistic or pessimistic) did not have an effect on results, having an optimistic or pessimistic disposition with regard to specific, important events was associated with immune function.
This doesn’t mean that you need to go about your day being cheerful and optimistic about every little thing. There is a need to be realistic at times. But if you find yourself getting caught up in something that might not be as bad as it seems, try to cultivate a little optimism—for your immune system! It may even lead to a solution that you hadn’t considered.