12/28/23, 9:13 PM How Do Thoughts and Emotions Affect Health?

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Thoughts & Emotions How thoughts and emotions affect health

How Do Thoughts
and Emotions
Affect Health?
Contributor(s): Karen Lawson, MD
Reviewer(s):
Archelle Georgiou, MD; Kate Hathaway, PhD;
Sue Towey, RN, CNS, MS, LP

Share

Your thoughts and emotions can affect your

health. Emotions that are freely experienced and
expressed without judgment or attachment tend to
flow fluidly without impacting our health. On the
other hand, repressed emotions (especially fearful
or negative ones) can zap mental energy,
negatively affect the body, and lead to health
problems..

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12/28/23, 9:13 PM How Do Thoughts and Emotions Affect Health? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

It's important to recognize our thoughts and emotions and be aware of the
effect they have—not only on each other, but also on our bodies, behavior,
and relationships.

Poorly-managed negative emotions are not

good for your health
Negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can create
chronic stress, which upsets the body's hormone balance, depletes the brain
chemicals required for happiness, and damages the immune system. Chronic
stress can actually decrease our lifespan. (Science has now identified that
stress shortens our telomeres, the “end caps” of our DNA strands, which
causes us to age more quickly.)

Poorly managed or repressed anger (hostility) is also related to a slew of health

conditions, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiovascular disease
(http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/conditions/heart-disease), digestive disorders, and
infection.

The importance of positive emotions

Watch Living with Positivity: An Interview with Barabara

Fredrickson

Scientist Barbara Fredrickson has shown that positive emotions:

1 Broaden our perspective of the world (thus

inspiring more creativity, wonder, and options)

2 Build over time, creating lasting emotional

resilience and flourishing.

Dr. Fredrickson has spent years researching and publishing the physical and
emotional benefits of positivity, including faster recovery from cardiovascular stress,
better sleep, fewer colds, and a greater sense of overall happiness. The good news
is not only that positive attitudes—such as playfulness, gratitude, awe, love, interest,
serenity, and feeling connected to others—have a direct impact on health and
wellbeing, but that we can develop them ourselves with practice.

Overcoming our negativity bias

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12/28/23, 9:13 PM How Do Thoughts and Emotions Affect Health? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

Because we are wired to defend against threat and loss in life, we tend to prioritize
bad over good. While this is a tidy survival mechanism for someone who needs to
stay hyper vigilant in a dangerous environment, the truth is that for most of us, this
"negativity bias" is counter-productive.

Our "negativity bias" means that we spend too much time

ruminating over the minor frustrations we experience—
bad traffic or a disagreement with a loved one— and
ignore the many chances we have to experience wonder,
awe, and gratitude throughout the day.

In order to offset this negativity bias and experience a harmonious emotional state,
Fredrickson proposes that we need to experience three positive emotions for every
negative one. This, she claims, can be done intentionally for those of us less “wired”
to positivity. These positive emotions literally reverse the physical effects of
negativity and build up psychological resources that contribute to a flourishing life.

The role of forgiveness

Forgiveness means fully accepting that a negative event has occurred and
relinquishing our negative feelings surrounding the circumstance. Research shows
that forgiveness helps us experience better mental, emotional and physical health.
And it can be learned, as demonstrated by the Stanford Forgiveness Project, which
trained 260 adults in forgiveness in a 6-week course.

70% reported a decrease in their feelings of hurt

13% experienced reduced anger
27% experienced fewer physical complaints (for example, pain, gastrointestinal
upset, dizziness, etc.)

The practice of forgiveness has also been linked to better immune function and a
longer lifespan. Other studies have shown that forgiveness has more than just a
metaphorical effect on the heart: it can actually lower our blood pressure and improve
cardiovascular health as well.

The benefits of gratitude

Brene Brown discusses the relationship between joy and gratitude Acknowledging
the good aspects of life and giving thanks have a powerful impact on emotional
wellbeing. In a landmark study, people who were asked to count their blessings felt
happier, exercised more, had fewer physical complaints, and slept better than those
who created lists of hassles.
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12/28/23, 9:13 PM How Do Thoughts and Emotions Affect Health? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

Ten ways to be a more thankful person

(https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/10-ways-be-more-thankful-
person)

Brené Brown has found that there is a relationship between joy and gratitude, but
with a surprising twist: It’s not joy that makes us grateful, but gratitude that makes us
joyful.

Brene Brown on joy and gratitude

Positive emotions lead to emotional resilience

Positive emotions have a scientific purpose—to help the body recover from the ill
effects of persistent negative emotions. Thus cultivating positivity over time can help
us become more resilient in the face of crisis or stress.

Emotional resilience is like a rubber band—no matter how

far a resilient person is stretched or pulled by negative
emotions, he or she has the ability to bounce back to his
or her original state.

Resilient people are able to experience tough emotions like pain, sorrow, frustration,
and grief without falling apart. Resilient people do not deny the pain or suffering they
are experiencing; rather, they retain a sense of positivity that helps them overcome
the negative effects of their situation. In fact, some people are able to look at
challenging times with optimism and hope, knowing that their hardships will lead to
personal growth and an expanded outlook on life.

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Express your
emotions

Many people are afraid to

express strong emotions
because they fear losing control.
This exercise can help you to Take a positive
own your emotions and learn
how to express them in a safe breath
and healthy way.

Begin by identifying what you Inhale into a soft belly, taking

are feeling right now, in this in light, love, and healing
moment. energy. Picture this as clear,
Practice saying what you are bright, or sparkling. Feel
feeling out loud, using "I" yourself becoming brighter
language. For example: I feel as you fill with light and joy.
angry, I feel sad, I feel
Exhale fully, releasing any
scared. Own your emotions.
negative states or feelings.
Start by expressing your
You may picture it as
emotions when you
darkness or a fog. If you
are alone. After you become
have anger, fear or sadness,
more comfortable, practice
breathe them out. If you have
with someone with whom
tension, anxieties, or worry,
you have a safe, trusting
release them as you exhale.
relationship.
Finally begin to practice in
more challenging situations.
Remember not to blame the
other person and to be open
to hearing their
experience. You can also ask
others for feedback.

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Take the
positivity self-
test

In order to offset our tendency to

dwell on potential threats and
other negative emotions, we
need to notice and enhance our
positive emotions. Barbara
Fredrickson has created an
online assessment that allows
you to identify your emotions in
the last 24 hours--both positive
and negative-- and gives you
your positivity ratio. By
recognizing emotions such as
joy, awe, love, gratitude,
interest, hope, and inspiration,
you can increase the positivity in
your life.

Take the self-test

(This will take you to another

website)

References

Related Articles

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Nurture your
relationships

Dare to be vulnerable Interview: Robert

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12/28/23, 9:13 PM How Do Thoughts and Emotions Affect Health? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

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