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January 01 2015

Friday Factoid: Optimism is Heart Healthy!

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Friday Factoids, Mental Health and Wellness, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

 

By now most people are aware, at least to some degree, of things that are good for your heart.  Exercise? Check. Oatmeal? Done. Salmon? Affirmative. Managing Stress effectively? Why of course! Now let’s throw in a healthy dose of optimism for good measure! Results yielded from a new study conducted by the University of Illinois are suggestive that optimism can lead to improved heart health.

 

Led by Dr. Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work, the study examined more than 5,100 adults between the ages of 45 and 84. The construct of cardiovascular health was calculated by assessing seven dimensions: blood pressure, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose and serum cholesterol levels, dietary intake, physical activity, and tobacco use. These are the current metrics used by to American Heart Association to assess heath health. Each of these seven dimensions were rated either zero, one, or two (denoting poor, intermediate, and ideal scores, respectively) with higher scores corresponding with healthier heart states. To evaluate level of optimism, the participants completed surveys measuring mental health, levels of optimism, and physical health. In their results, a correlation was found between the participants’ total health score and their levels of optimism.

 

So it looks like we now have another reason to maintain a healthy, optimistic outlook on life!

 

Nauert, R. (2015). Optimism is heart healthy. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 12, 2015.

 

 

Faisal Roberts, M.A.
WKPIC Doctoral Intern

 

 

 

November 11 2014

Friday Factoid: The Power of Positive Thinking. . .with a Healthy Dose of Realism

Author Susan Vaught Categories Blog, Continuing Education, Current Interns, Friday Factoids, General Information, Mental Health and Wellness, Resources for Interns 0 Comments

 

Many of us have been advised to “think positive”, but is this platitude truly helpful? The ubiquity of such advice is undeniable, and its efficacy seems intuitively strong, but the bulk of research is now showing that optimism may actually serve as a hindrance. While a happy-go-lucky attitude may work wonders in reducing stress, it also depletes us of the energy we need to successfully pursue our goals.

 

Individuals who are particularly adept at imagining positive results fool their brains into reacting as if the positive outcome occurred in reality. This, in turn, slackens ones readiness to actively pursue his or her goals. Think of a time during which you felt particularly optimistic about an exam, only to feel confounded and ambushed on test day, earning a score far below that which you expected. Now think of a time during which you were notably anxious about an upcoming exam, with the potential for flunking ever salient. Such a pessimistic outlook, if entertained early enough, may have led to a great deal of studying and preparation in order to minimize the chances of receiving a failing grade, leading to a performance on the exam that far exceeded your expectations.

 

Acknowledging the notion that optimism and positive thinking might hinder performance does not, however, imply that negative thinking and pessimism is the optimal strategy for success. Rather, researchers have endorsed a hybrid theory which recommends blending positive thinking with a healthy dose of realism. This can be applied by spending a few minutes vividly imagining a wish coming true, followed by a few minutes imagining all of the potential obstacles that might get in the way. This process, referred to as mental contrasting (Oettingen, 2014), has produced powerful results in experiments, leaving participants feeling more energized and subsequently resulting in greater success, compared to groups tasked with positive thinking alone.

 

So the next time you are faced with a challenge, expect to succeed, but also prepare for the various contingencies that might get in your way. As Zig Ziglar famously stated, “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst.”

 

Reference
Oettingen, G. (2014, October 24). The Problem with Positive Thinking. Retrieved from nytimes.com .

 

Graham Martin, MA
WKPIC Doctoral Intern