Positive Thinking and Long Term Health: Are They Connected?
Chronic emotional and physical pain can cause a great deal of damage to our bodies. (Click to read Tip #1) One way to help your loved one beat the odds is to help them stay positive.
2nd Tip: Inspire positive thinking.
Invite children, siblings and friends to send cheerful letters, pictures and cards. Spread out the timing of the mail to support a happier mood every day.
Inspiring Positive Thoughts
My friend Peggy recently had a knee replacement and found herself in a great deal of pain during recovery. After the emotionally painful experience of losing a daughter to cancer, she just didn’t have any reserves left to deal with this new physical pain. As a minister, she knew from experience how important inspiration is to healing so she gathered up her courage and asked for help on Facebook. Just having her Facebook friends respond brought her some relief, she said, because she didn’t feel so alone anymore, but the flood of jokes and beautiful pictures sent by her friends also really helped lift her mood.
The Link Between Positivity and Healing
There’s a definite link between a positive outlook and long-term health. Johns Hopkins Medicine outlines their research on positivity and health outcomes in “The Power of Positive Thinking”. How a positive attitude helps keep us healthy isn’t yet clear, but studies show a significant improvement in health and life satisfaction for a variety of health conditions – heart disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke and even brain tumors. The article recommends some techniques for cultivating a more positive mindset, such as smiling (even just going through the physical motions of smiling) and maintaining good relationships with family and friends.
By sending cheerful letters, pictures, and cards, you can help your loved one heal from whatever they may be going through. By simply giving them a reason to smile more, laugh, and feel closer to family and friends, you’re helping to create a community of support and healing. The best part about this kind of communication is that your ties to the people close to you will also be reinforced, improving your own health and well-being in the process.
Next Steps:
Inspiring good feelings aren’t the only way to help give care from a distance. You can also help keep your loved one safer. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the next tip is posted. Stay connected today by sending your loved one an e-card. Build one by clicking below.