The Great American Grump Out: Look On The Bright Side, Optimism Is Good For Your Health
by Nicole
Today (May 7) is the seventh annual Great American Grump Out, during which no grumping, frowning, grousing, or complaining is allowed. If being happy for the hell of it for a full 24 hours sounds like too much to bear, consider this: according to Harvard's Men's Health Watch, "optimists enjoy better health than pessimists."
Analyzing data from a series of studies, researchers found that:
- Optimistic coronary bypass patients were only half as likely as pessimists to require re-hospitalization.
- Highly pessimistic men were three times more likely to develop hypertension.
- People with positive emotions had lower blood pressures.
- In one study, the most pessimistic men were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease compared with the most optimistic.
Concerned about which came first, the chicken or the egg, or in this case optimism or good health, researchers adjusted their results to take into account pre-existing conditions, but still found that an optimistic outlook had significant positive health benefits.
So give a glass half-full outlook a try, at least for the rest of the day. You might find you like it!
| 05/07/08
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Health
