How Positive Thinking Impacts Your Heart

Do you wake up every morning with a positive outlook? Do you always try to see the silver lining in every situation? Do you always see the glass half full instead of half empty?

If you answered “yes” to these questions, you are doing your heart a lot of good.

There is a lot of research that shows that a having a positive outlook – being cheerful, optimistic, having a purpose in life, and exercising gratitude – can protect your heart. Those with an optimistic attitude also have fewer cardiovascular diseases, lead healthier lives, and tend to live longer.

How does positive thinking help your heart?

A lot of studies show that people who are more inclined towards negative emotions have a higher risk of heart disease. Positive thinkers are better protected against the inflammatory damage caused by stress. Another possibility is that having a positive outlook helps people focus more on long-term goals and make better life decisions.  

Your body and brain both work hard to protect you when they sense a threat. This holds true even if that threat is only in your head. Once your brain processes your negative thoughts, your body will respond. When you feel negative emotions, the blood flow to the heart decreases, and your body releases stress hormones which results in a higher blood pressure and heart rate. Negative emotions also weaken the body’s immune response.

Yes, emotional vitality, which is characterized by feelings of emotional balance, hopefulness, and enthusiasm is good for you!

Practicing positivity

Being optimistic doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to life’s curve balls. It just means that you focus on the good and expect results that will benefit you. It’s all about looking forward to health, happiness, and success.

Our thoughts affect our actions – and our actions influence a lot of aspects in our life: from the quality of our relationships to how we view the world.

Here are some suggestions on how you can incorporate positivity into your everyday mindset.

1. Find humor

Smiling reduces blood pressure and heart rate, particularly during challenging times. So the next time you are fuming over a family or work situation, try watching a funny video, or do something that will lighten up your mood. It’s hard not to smile while watching a funny Netflix film!

2. Identify triggers

Stress management begins with identifying your stress triggers and developing strategies to manage them. Determine areas in your life that you tend to think negatively about, like relationship, work, or chores.

3. Reframe

Are you feeling stressed because of a traffic jam? Instead of dwelling on negative thoughts and feelings, practice reframing. Appreciate the fact that you own a car and get to spend some time listening to your favorite tunes. Look for the good and positive in every situation.

4. Build resiliency

Resiliency is the ability to adapt to life’s stressful and negative situations. Build resiliency by:

• Learning to accept that change is a constant part of life.
• Maintaining good relationships with family and friends.
• Taking action on problems as they arise, instead of procrastinating or simply hoping that they disappear on their own.

You cannot control life’s events, but you can control how you perceive and react to them. By making a few simple changes, you can embrace the power of positive thinking. It is a happier place to be – and your heart will thank you for it!

Caring for your heart needs to be a priority, and making changes in your perception, diet and lifestyle can help. However, even if we are healthy, there is still a chance that we might experience a cardiovascular concern. At Physicians Premier, your ER in Corpus Christi, we guarantee quality emergency care and minimal to no wait times!

Sources:

“Human Emotions on the Onset of Cardiovascular and Small Vessel Related Diseases,” US National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6117769/

“Understanding the stress response,” Harvard Medical School, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

“Mayo Clinic Minute: How positivity helps your heart,” Mayo Clinic, https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-how-positivity-helps-your-heart/

“This Is How Your Thoughts Become Your Reality,” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2016/06/15/this-is-how-your-thoughts-become-your-reality/?sh=691727f7528a