One of my great mentors, Pat Cane, founder of Capacitar International, recently shared some research demonstrating that “the Positivity Effect has been studied by researchers since the 1970s showing that positive people have better health, motivation, relationships & success in “life”.¹
Why is it then, that this is still so controversial for some? We hear references to “toxic positivity” and “cruel optimism” that seem to suggest that positivity and optimism is wrong in some way.
In today’s blog, I’d like to share some facts that point in favour of taking a more positive and optimistic view on life and some tools to enable you to embrace both should you so choose.
Studies at John Hopkins University have shown a strong link between positivity and health. A positive attitude was found to improve outcomes and life satisfaction across a spectrum of conditions, including traumatic brain injury, stroke and brain tumours.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic explored the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health and reported the following results:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of distress
- Greater resistance to illnesses
- Better psychological and physical wellbeing
- Better cardiovascular health & reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- Reduced risk of death from cancer, infections and respiratory conditions
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
A Study on Positivity in Women at Harvard Chan School of Public Health funded by an NIH Grant, researched data of 70,000 women (2004-2012) enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. The study showed that the most optimistic women had:
- 30% lower risk of dying from a variety of diseases
- 16% lower risk of dying of cancer
- 38% lower risk of dying from heart disease
- 39% lower risk of dying from stroke
- 38% lower risk of dying from respiratory disease
- 52% lower risk of dying from infection
The study also showed that levels of optimism can be altered with simple interventions, such as writing down and thinking about the best possible outcomes or visualizing positive outcomes to challenging situations.
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Stanford University researchers studied 240 children (ages 7-10) and found that being positive improved their ability to answer math problems, increased their memories and enhanced their problem-solving abilities.
Research demonstrates that positivity and optimism have positive effect. So why is it still being debated?
There is no doubt that there is a type of toxic positivity that becomes so as a result of denying the challenge/s in our lives and forcing ourselves, or feeling forced by others, to plaster a smile on top. When I encourage positivity and optimism for myself or my clients or for you reading this today, I am not arguing for denial of current realities. And I readily acknowledge the need to allow ourselves to feel the pain and challenge of those conditions.
However, in the immortal words of Kirsten Welles, Master coach at the Brave Thinking Institute where I trained, “you don’t want to pitch a tent there”. You don’t want to get stuck in the pain and the challenge. And in that regard, I do argue for denying the power of unwanted and unpreferred conditions to dictate your feelings or control your outcomes in the longer term.
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Photo by Josh Couch on Unsplash
You have dominion.
As Viktor Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a [wo]man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
No matter what is going on in your life, you get to decide the meaning you give to it and how you respond to it. You can choose to look for and find a silver lining. You can choose to seek and find what Napoleon Hill refers to as “the seed of equal or greater benefit”.
You get to choose.
My invitation to you is to choose positivity and optimism on the basis of the results they enable – improved health, better coping skills and enhanced outcomes.
Here are some guidelines from the Mayo Foundation to create new positive habits of thought:
- Identify the areas you want to change.
- Check yourself during the day. Stop & evaluate!
- Be open to humour during difficult times. Laugh at life!
- Follow a healthy lifestyle: exercise, diet, sleep.
- Surround yourself with positive supportive people.
- Practice positive self-talk.
- Be thankful!
If you’ve been following my work for a while, these are all familiar strategies!
And I want to share with you this practice developed in a 2005 study led by Martin Seligman: “Three Good Things”. The practice is to spend 5-10 minutes at the end of each day writing in detail about three things to celebrate, large or small, and also reflect on why they were worth celebrating.
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Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
Participants in the original study reported increased levels of happiness that persisted for six months. This practice is effective because it not only helps you remember and appreciate moments that are positive, but it also helps you savour the moment and remember it more vividly later on. You can also use last week’s blog exercise of Tapping in the Good, to continue to train your nervous system to the positive.
Ultimately, as Einstein put it, “The single most important decision any of us will ever make is whether or not to believe the universe is friendly.”
I choose to believe the Universe is friendly and I encourage you to exercise your choice too and make it one that works for you!
[1] Dr Patricia Cane, presentation to Capacitar Ireland Renewal Day, February 2024 and Dr Patricia Mathes Cane, Integrative Tools for healthcare Professionals: Restorative Practices for Ourselves, Our Teams & Our Patients.
Cover Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash