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https://nyti.ms/2nEuwCX
WELL | LIVE
APositiveOutlookMayBeGoodforYour
Health
PersonalHealth
ByJANEE.BRODY MARCH27,2017
Lookonthesunnysideoflife.
Turnyourfacetowardthesun,andtheshadowswillfallbehindyou.
Everydaymaynotbegood,butthereissomethinggoodineveryday.
Seetheglassashalffull,nothalfempty.
Researchersarefindingthatthoughtslikethese,thehallmarksofpeople
sometimescalledcockeyedoptimists,candofarmorethanraiseonesspirits.They
mayactuallyimprovehealthandextendlife.
Thereisnolongeranydoubtthatwhathappensinthebraininfluenceswhat
happensinthebody.Whenfacingahealthcrisis,activelycultivatingpositive
emotionscanboosttheimmunesystemandcounterdepression.Studieshaveshown
anindisputablelinkbetweenhavingapositiveoutlookandhealthbenefitslikelower
bloodpressure,lessheartdisease,betterweightcontrolandhealthierbloodsugar
levels.
Evenwhenfacedwithanincurableillness,positivefeelingsandthoughtscangreatly
improveonesqualityoflife.Dr.WendySchlesselHarpham,aDallasbasedauthor
ofseveralbooksforpeoplefacingcancer,includingHappinessinaStorm,wasa
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4/22/2017 APositiveOutlookMayBeGoodforYourHealthTheNewYorkTimes
practicinginternistwhenshelearnedshehadnonHodgkinslymphoma,acancerof
theimmunesystem,27yearsago.Duringthenext15yearsoftreatmentsforeight
relapsesofhercancer,shesetthestageforhappinessandhope,shesays,bysuch
measuresassurroundingherselfwithpeoplewholiftherspirits,keepingadaily
gratitudejournal,doingsomethinggoodforsomeoneelse,andwatchingfunny,
upliftingmovies.Hercancerhasbeeninremissionnowfor12years.
Fosteringpositiveemotionshelpedmakemylifethebestitcouldbe,Dr.
Harphamsaid.Theymadethetoughtimeseasier,eventhoughtheydidntmake
anydifferenceinmycancercells.
WhileDr.Harphammayhaveanaturaldispositiontoseethehopefulsideoflife
evenwhentheoutlookisbleak,newresearchisdemonstratingthatpeoplecanlearn
skillsthathelpthemexperiencemorepositiveemotionswhenfacedwiththesevere
stressofalifethreateningillness.
JudithT.Moskowitz,aprofessorofmedicalsocialsciencesatNorthwestern
UniversityFeinbergSchoolofMedicineinChicago,developedasetofeightskillsto
helpfosterpositiveemotions.InearlierresearchattheUniversityofCalifornia,San
Francisco,sheandcolleaguesfoundthatpeoplewithnewdiagnosesofH.I.V.
infectionwhopracticedtheseskillscarriedalowerloadofthevirus,weremorelikely
totaketheirmedicationcorrectly,andwerelesslikelytoneedantidepressantsto
helpthemcopewiththeirillness.
Theresearchersstudied159peoplewhohadrecentlylearnedtheyhadH.I.V.
andrandomlyassignedthemtoeitherafivesessionpositiveemotionstraining
courseorfivesessionsofgeneralsupport.FifteenmonthspasttheirH.I.V.diagnosis,
thosetrainedintheeightskillsmaintainedhigherlevelsofpositivefeelingsand
fewernegativethoughtsrelatedtotheirinfection.
Animportantgoalofthetrainingistohelppeoplefeelhappy,calmandsatisfied
inthemidstofahealthcrisis.Improvementsintheirhealthandlongevityarea
bonus.Eachparticipantisencouragedtolearnatleastthreeoftheeightskillsand
practiceoneormoreeachday.Theeightskillsare:
Recognizeapositiveeventeachday.
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4/22/2017 APositiveOutlookMayBeGoodforYourHealthTheNewYorkTimes
Savorthateventandlogitinajournalortellsomeoneaboutit.
Startadailygratitudejournal.
Listapersonalstrengthandnotehowyouusedit.
Setanattainablegoalandnoteyourprogress.
Reportarelativelyminorstressandlistwaystoreappraisetheevent
positively.
Recognizeandpracticesmallactsofkindnessdaily.
Practicemindfulness,focusingonthehereandnowratherthanthepastor
future.
Dr.MoskowitzsaidshewasinspiredbyobservationsthatpeoplewithAIDS,
Type2diabetesandotherchronicillnesseslivedlongeriftheydemonstrated
positiveemotions.Sheexplained,Thenextstepwastoseeifteachingpeopleskills
thatfosterpositiveemotionscanhaveanimpactonhowwelltheycopewithstress
andtheirphysicalhealthdowntheline.
Shelistedasthegoalsimprovingpatientsqualityoflife,enhancingadherence
tomedication,fosteringhealthybehaviors,andbuildingpersonalresourcesthat
resultinincreasedsocialsupportandbroaderattentiontothegoodthingsinlife.
GreggDeMeza,a56yearoldarchitectinSanFranciscowholearnedhewas
infectedwithH.I.V.fouryearsago,toldmethatlearningpositivityskillsturnedhis
lifearound.Hesaidhefeltstupidandcarelessaboutbecominginfectedandhad
initiallykepthisdiagnosisasecret.
WhenIenteredthestudy,Ifeltlikemyentireworldwascompletely
unraveling,hesaid.Thetrainingremindedmetorelyonmysocialnetwork,andI
decidedtobehonestwithmyfriends.Irealizedthattoshowyourrealstrengthisto
showyourweakness.Nopunintended,itmadememorepositive,more
compassionate,andImnowhealthierthanIveeverbeen.
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4/22/2017 APositiveOutlookMayBeGoodforYourHealthTheNewYorkTimes
Inanotherstudyamong49patientswithType2diabetes,anonlineversionof
thepositiveemotionsskillstrainingcoursewaseffectiveinenhancingpositivityand
reducingnegativeemotionsandfeelingsofstress.Priorstudiesshowedthat,for
peoplewithdiabetes,positivefeelingswereassociatedwithbettercontrolofblood
sugar,anincreaseinphysicalactivityandhealthyeating,lessuseoftobaccoanda
lowerriskofdying.
Inapilotstudyof39womenwithadvancedbreastcancer,Dr.Moskowitzsaid
anonlineversionoftheskillstrainingdecreaseddepressionamongthem.Thesame
wastruewithcaregiversofdementiapatients.
Noneofthisisrocketscience,Dr.Moskowitzsaid.Imjustputtingthese
skillstogetherandtestingtheminascientificfashion.
Inarelatedstudyofmorethan4,000people50andolderpublishedlastyearin
theJournalofGerontology,BeccaLevyandAvniBavishiattheYaleSchoolofPublic
Healthdemonstratedthathavingapositiveviewofagingcanhaveabeneficial
influenceonhealthoutcomesandlongevity.Dr.Levysaidtwopossiblemechanisms
accountforthefindings.Psychologically,apositiveviewcanenhancebeliefinones
abilities,decreaseperceivedstressandfosterhealthfulbehaviors.Physiologically,
peoplewithpositiveviewsofaginghadlowerlevelsofCreactiveprotein,amarker
ofstressrelatedinflammationassociatedwithheartdiseaseandotherillnesses,
evenafteraccountingforpossibleinfluenceslikeage,healthstatus,sex,raceand
educationthanthosewithanegativeoutlook.Theyalsolivedsignificantlylonger.
Thisisthefirstoftwocolumnsonpositiveemotionsandhealth.
Thisisthefirstoftwocolumnsonpositiveemotionsandhealth.
AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonMarch28,2017,onPageD5oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:PositiveEmotionsMayExtendLife.
2017TheNewYorkTimesCompany
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