Healthy Thinking

Surprisingly, just believing that you have control – even when you really don’t – can affect your physiological response to stress and your health.

Changing the way you think is one of the best things you can do to enhance health. Research suggests that positive thinking—optimism, confidence, and a sense of control—has very positive health benefits. It can affect your immune system, your susceptibility to disease, and perhaps even your life span. Here are some studies that demonstrate the power of optimistic thinking.

Optimism and immunity

• In one study, researchers measured chemical substances in saliva that protect us from infections like colds. Immunity was higher on days when people felt positive about their lives than on days when they felt down.
• Blood samples were taken from both optimistic and pessimistic people. The optimists had a higher ratio of disease-fighting "helper" immune cells to "suppressor" immune cells than the pessimists.

Optimism and cancer

• Mice and rats were implanted with tumors in several studies, and given electric shocks. The ones who fought the tumors more successfully were those who could turn off the shock by pressing a bar. This gave them some control over a stressful situation.
• Confidence and optimism also appear to help those facing life-threatening diseases. Women who had a second occurrence of breast cancer survived longer if they felt joy in living, and talked to themselves optimistically.
• There is evidence that people can learn to think more positively, and so improve their physical health. For example, one group of patients with cancer were taught more constructive thinking habits. They also received relaxation training. These patients' natural killer cells showed much higher activity than patients who received similar medical treatment, but no counseling.

Attitude affects longevity

• In one study, seniors who believed they were in "poor" health were nearly three times more likely to die within seven years than those who rated their health as "excellent." The self-ratings more accurately predicted who would die than the doctors' objective reports.
• People who thought they were in poor health (despite the fact that their doctors had given them a clean bill of health) had a slightly greater risk of dying sooner than health optimists. Those who saw themselves as well (even though doctor's reports suggested that they had poor health) lived slightly longer.
• Even a sense of control over minor daily events can improve health. Nursing home residents who were given a choice of what to have for breakfast or what night to see a movie were happier and more active. After 18 months, they had half the death rate of those not offered as much control.

Attitude affects illness

• In a company undergoing major reorganization, executives who felt a sense of control over their situations felt challenged rather than threatened by the change. They were less likely to get sick than the executives who saw the change as a threat, and felt powerless.
• A long-term study of college graduates found that men with optimistic self-talk were physically healthier later in life, and had less chronic illness than more pessimistic alumni. Optimistic students at another college reported fewer sick days, doctor visits, and symptoms (such as fatigue, sore muscles, and coughs) than the students with negative self-talk.
• In another study, elderly people were asked to list all the good and bad things they expected to happen in the future. Two years later, those with a more positive outlook had better health (including fewer physical symptoms, less tension, greater energy, and fewer colds) than people who were more negative about the future.

Attitude and surgery

• Optimistic patients facing open-heart surgery develop fewer complications, including heart attacks during surgery. They recover more quickly, and return to work, hobbies, and exercise sooner than their pessimistic counterparts.
• Patients undergoing surgery who were given the suggestion that they could control blood flow during the procedure cut their blood loss by half.

Believing beats reality

• Surprisingly, just believing that you have control—even when you really don't—can affect your physiological response to stress, and your health.
• In one experiment, people were asked to solve math problems while being distracted by irritating noise. They showed less stress if they were told they could stop the noise by pressing a button. Even though no one pressed the button, and the button didn't really shut off the noise, they still experienced fewer stress symptoms (sweaty hands, racing hearts, ringing ears, and headaches).

Beliefs become biology

• Because optimists are more active than pessimists, they are more likely to do something for their health (go to the doctor, change their diet, or exercise). Optimists may also be more active than other people in seeking out support—another factor that's been shown to promote health.
• We don't yet understand exactly how optimistic thinking translates into better health. But we do know that thoughts determine moods, and moods reflect changes in both hormonal activity and immune function. However it works, the evidence clearly shows that it's worth-while to learn to think as optimistically as possible.