An Irish proverb quite aptly says, ‘A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.’ Since decades investigations have asserted that happiness and several other positive emotions play an important role in health. True to this, the following tidbit seems to have some astonishing facts to reveal. A recent study claims that positive emotions fight against poor health in later adulthood.
A positive attitude supposedly enables people to opt for a proactive approach towards aging by exercising and sleeping well on a daily basis. Such individuals may also avoid unhealthy behaviors like smoking and risky sex. Positive emotions are apparently very helpful for the elderly because they are more susceptible to disease.
During the study, Anthony Ong of Cornell University and colleagues observed that subjects with stronger positive emotions have lower levels of chemicals related to inflammation that is further linked with stress. Adopting a positive attitude seems to help people resolve some of the physical damage triggered by stress. Experts also mention that positive emotions improve the quality of life. It was concluded that positive emotions appear as a powerful tool to tackle stress, pain, and illness.
The study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science.