Optimism And Health – Are They Related?

Optimistic people tend to face their problems more effectively. They firmly believe that despite the adversities of life, they can achieve anything they want. They give up less often and their approach is usually proactive. Those who are optimistic tend to focus on what they can win rather than what they could lose. Does this view of life have anything to do with the relationship between optimism and health?

In numerous studies (self-assessments, evaluations by experts, statistical data on the number of doctor visits or measurement of survival time after heart attacks) , optimism has proven to be a predictor of good health . We want to go into this in more detail.

Types of optimism

When we hear “optimism” we usually think of a positive outlook on life and favorable outcomes that are closely related to people’s mental and physical wellbeing. However, there are two different types of optimism:

• Planned : This is the optimism we usually refer to. It encompasses constant and generalized expectations of getting good results. This type of optimism is considered to be relatively stable.
• Situational : This form of optimism includes concrete expectations of achieving good results in a certain context, under certain circumstances, during stressful events, etc.

Scientific studies usually focus on planned optimism and try to figure out how to teach people such generalized optimism. Sheier and Carver developed the Life Orientation Test for this. This test measures generalized expectations.

Factors that affect our wellbeing

Optimism, positivism and wellbeing are directly related to each other. There are several factors that determine whether you are at a higher or lower level:

• Personality : According to Myers, a large part of our subjective well-being is determined by our personality. More precisely, this means that genetic factors can explain 50% of the variance in our happiness. For this reason, it is also relatively stable over a long period of time.

• Wealth : Money is not just happiness. On a personal level, wealth is not associated with joy. In fact, those who keep wanting more money tend to be more unhappy than those who don’t.
• Interpersonal relationships: Being closely connected with other people is a basic and essential human need. Most people feel happier when they have enriching relationships than when they don’t.
• Achieving Your Own Goals : Achieving goals definitely increases people’s wellbeing.

Optimism, behaviors, positive emotions, and physical health

Optimistic people often use strategies that aim to solve problems directly. This is especially true if it gives them the feeling that they are in control of the situation. They then assume that they are able to change the situation too. You act first and then evaluate what has happened. It is different with pessimists: They first assess the situation and then, when the expected result convinces them, they act.

Positive emotions are associated with an increase in immunoglobulin A. These antibodies are considered the first line of defense against disease. However, not only measurable effects can be expected from these emotions, but also subjective ones. People who feel happy:

• Show fewer physical symptoms than those who are sad. Sad people tend to feel more uncomfortable.
• Seeing themselves as less vulnerable , making it easier for them to keep up with their health.
• See themselves more able to develop health-promoting behaviors and have more self-confidence that they can overcome an eventual illness.

“Even a positive thought in the morning can change the whole day.”

Dalai Lama

Explain the relationship between optimism and health

There are three mechanisms that aim to understand the correlation between these two aspects:

• Physiological Mechanism: Optimists have less cardiovascular reactivity to stress and a higher immunological status. That means they have more effective biological defense mechanisms, which means fewer health problems.
• Emotional mechanism: The relationship between optimism and health is also indirect, through emotional states. Negativity is linked to poorer functioning of the cardiovascular and immune systems.

• Behavioral Mechanism : Optimists display health-promoting behavior to a greater extent than pessimists. This behavior includes, for example, exercise, alcohol consumption only in moderation, a balanced diet and the avoidance of misconduct.

Coherent self-reports

Many studies conclude that optimistic people tend to recover from illness better than pessimistic people. Here are some dates that support this idea:

• Pregnancy and childbirth: Optimistic women experience fewer depressive symptoms during pregnancy and after childbirth. They also feel less anxious , which helps them a lot on a psychological level after a miscarriage.
• Surgery : In a long-term study done on patients who had undergone surgery, it found that optimists showed lower levels of negative emotions , hostility, and depression prior to the procedure .

• Cancer : Women who showed positive during the work-up of breast cancer diagnoses showed less discomfort before and after therapy .
• HIV patients: Some studies suggest that HIV positive people who are optimistic have fewer negative emotions and worries related to the development of the disease.

Once you have studied optimism and its consequences in depth, it is entirely up to you whether you want to adopt and maintain a positive attitude in order to achieve your goals. One thing is certain, however: a positive attitude improves health, mood, and general well-being.