… is good for your heart.
A study recently reported in the Psychological Bulletin, found that optimism–seeing a glass as being half-full rather than half-empty–is good for your heart. Researchers Julia Boehm and Laura Kubzansky from the Harvard School of Public Health found “…that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease) regardless of such factors as a person’s age, socioeconomic status, smoking status or body weight.” For example, they found that “…the most optimistic individuals had an approximately 50 percent reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event (stroke, heart attack, etc.) compared to their less optimistic peers.” These researchers also found that people with a high level of optimism engaged in healthier behaviors such as exercising, eating a balanced diet and getting sufficient sleep. So, a good place to start is to choose optimism and then engage in these healthy behaviors. Your heart will thank you for it.
