Start the New Year With a Smile

What is an easy, free and painless way to ward off sickness this winter? Well, according to one researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, it's as simple as maintaining a positive attitude.

A study published by Professor Sheldon Cohen in the July 22, 2003 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, the American Psychosomatic Society's journal, states that keeping a positive and emotionally stable attitude can go a long way in preventing diseases like the common cold. Cohen's study is the first to measure emotions in initially healthy people and finds that those who are generally happier are more resistant to infectious disease.

The study was conducted with 334 healthy people between the ages of 18 and 54. Subjects were tested for positive feelings such as being happy, pleased and relaxed, as well as negative emotions such as being anxious, hostile and depressed. They were then administered nasal drops to develop two kinds of common cold. The people with a positive emotional style were found to be less susceptible to catching cold than the people with a negative emotional style. Although those with positive attitudes were more resistant to illness, the study did not establish that people with negative attitudes are necessarily more prone to disease. But they definitely exhibited more symptoms of illness than those with a positive emotional attitude.

If you still haven't decided on a New Year's resolution, here's an easy one: Smile. It will help you maintain a positive attitude, and possibly keep you healthier.

Resources:

Read more about Dr. Cohen's study.

A positive attitude can help you live longer, according to recent research.

There are many benefits to optimism. Besides a lower risk of death, positive thinkers have more energy, feel calmer and more peaceful, and generally have less pain and physical limitations due to pain.

December 27, 2003