For the grouches among you, it turns out that there’s another reason to resent those “happy people” — they have been found to be able to fend off the common cold and flu better than others can.
This latest study is the result of a previous look at the same topic, but more research needs to be done, as the original study did not account for certain social and mental factors associated with the human emotional state. Published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal, this study aimed to prove that the emotional state of being happy could influence a person’s vulnerability to catching a cold.
Researchers looked at 193 adults, aged 21 to 55, who were healthy at the outset of the study. The study participants completed standard personality tests and were assessed for how they perceived their own health and for what the researchers call “emotional style.” If an individual was classified as having a “positive emotional style” (PES), they were happy, lively, and calm. If they had a “negative emotional style” (NES), they were generally anxious, hostile, and depressed.
After being separated into these two groups, all of the study subjects were exposed to a rhinovirus (i.e. the common cold) or flu virus through nasal drops. They were each then put into quarantine, where the researchers checked them for physical symptoms of cold/flu and collected information on the symptoms reported by the participants.
Based on the totally objective monitoring of cold/flu symptoms, such as a runny nose, the researchers found that the greater the person’s PES, the lower his/her risk of getting cold or flu was. Moreover, even when they were sick, the happier, more relaxed individuals reported fewer and less severe symptoms (in relation to their actual physical symptoms, the reported symptoms were far better than expected). The NES participants were more negative when it came to their symptoms.
These findings strongly suggest a link between attitude and health. The more upbeat you are, the less likely you are to catch a cold. Even more importantly, it seems that happy- go-lucky people don’t suffer as much when they do get sick — it’s just not certain whether they just don’t think about the symptoms as much as a negative person does, or if their emotional state of happiness actually triggers some kind of physical response.
Okay, so you can’t take a happy pill, but who says you can’t take steps to improve your attitude? Anger, anxiety, and depression can be powerful forces, but there are steps you can take to help lift yourself out of a negative state of mind — and they don’t have to involve drugs!
One simple, yet extremely effective mood booster is regular exercise. Now, don’t groan — it’s hard to start up a new routine, but most people feel like they can’t live without physical activity once they experience the emotional high it can bring. Start small — take a fairly brisk walk every day.
That brings us to another natural mood enhancer — the rays of the sun have been found to help bring a little happiness into some people’s lives. Just make sure you wear some sunblock if you’re out in the sunshine for more than 20 minutes.
Other potential methods of changing your attitude include diet (check with your doctor or nutritionist), aromatherapy, massage, acupressure or acupuncture, and many herbal remedies (check with your naturopath or health food store). If your negative emotional state is deeply entrenched, consider psychotherapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy. You can also get to the root of the problem by keeping a journal. One final suggestion is meditation — it’s an extremely relaxing therapy that could lead to a calmer outlook and less anxiety.
A healthier emotional state can obviously improve your life in many ways, including helping you fight off those pesky viruses that can make you miserable or put your health at risk.
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Tags: exercise, herbal remedies
