Keep in the sunlight. Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Benjamin Franklin

With all the challenging situations facing us in our environment daily: high unemployment, scarce resources, increased pressure and stress in the workplace, ongoing wars, diminishing safety-nets in our communities through charities and social services and an impending pandemic coupled with a shortage of vaccines, it is no wonder many of us are worried. At the same time, the evidence has continued to mount that being optimistic is a good thing. In light of this, I thought a little update on some of the more recent research related to health and optimism might be well-timed. The question is, “Can you think yourself to better health?” While the answer to that question is not absolutely clear, the jury is not out on whether there is a link between health and being optimistic.

Here are some of the more impressive related studies which have come out in recent years:
As part of the Women’s Health Initiative, a fifteen year study launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a group of researchers analyzed eight years of data on the 97,253 women age 50 and over involved in the study. Their findings, released in March at the Conference of the American Psychosomatic Society in Chicago by Hilary Tindale, MD from the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, showed that age-adjusted rates of coronary heart disease increased significantly with decreasing levels of optimism, and decreased significantly with decreasing levels of hostility. Compared with women in the study who were more pessimistic, optimistic women were 30% less likely to die from heart disease and 33% less likely to die from all causes. These effects were particularly pronounced in African-American women.

Other studies focusing on specific medical conditions have also shown a clear positive link between optimism and outcomes. In one study, 309 middle-aged patients who were scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery were evaluated by physicians prior to the operation with not only the usual complete physical exam, but also by administering a psychological exam designed to measure optimism, depression, self-esteem and neuroticism. The researchers then continued to monitor the patients for the six months following their surgery. They found that those who scored high on the optimism scale were 50% less likely to be re-hospitalized during that time period. Optimism was also found to be similarly protective in a study of 298 angioplasty patents. Pessimists in this group were three times more likely to require re-hospitalization, a repeat angioplasty procedure or bypass surgery during the following six months than their more optimistic cohorts.

Optimism seems to make a difference with cancer patients as well. In a study last year published in the Journal of Pain and symptom Management, Dr, Margaret E. Kurtz and her team of researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing, found that in a group of 214 patients undergoing chemotherapy for their cancer, those who scored high in optimism on pre-tests reported experiencing less severe pain during the sixteen week process. Interestingly, patients in this same study who had high scores in “mastery” and optimism, reported a double bonus, less fatigue (also typically caused by chemotherapy treatment), and less severe pain.

Many more examples are available, as are questions about cause and effect versus association, but there is no question that being optimistic can be a good thing for many reasons, including its possible protective effects on health and longevity. What can you do to become more optimistic? Here are three quick tips below:

Coaching Tips:

1. Surround yourself with positive people. Seek and nurture a positive work environment. Make it a criterion when you are interviewing for a new position; look for it especially in those you will work most closely with. Share this article with your spouse, family or closest friends and encourage them to partner with you in developing a more optimistic and positive environment.

2. Monitor you own internal dialog. If you tend to see the glass as half-empty, or find yourself complaining a lot and becoming an “Eeyore”, consciously replace negative self-talk with more positive alternatives. For example, instead of saying to yourself, “I’ll never get this”,try “There will be other opportunities.” Or, instead of, “I’ll never be able to make it through this”, you could try, “I’ve handled tough things before; I’ll be okay with this too.”

3. Keep an “Optimism Log.” Once a day,(at night before you go to bed is ideal), write down at least three good things about your day. They can be relatively big things, such as: “My presentation went great, and everybody congratulated me!”, or small, “It finally stopped raining”, but start writing it down. This will help you to notice and remember all the good things in your world, brighten your spirits and remind you to be happy and positive.

These are only three of the many tips and strategies which help to build optimism. Begin now with these. Remember, the key to changing the way you think is repetition and practice. Be conscious of your goal, keep at it and have a beautiful day!