消極思維有礙健康

劉　歐

A growing amount of research shows a pessimistic outlook can take a huge toll on your health. This may be because pessimists are not as good as optimists at handling stress, which taxes the immune system and causes other health problems, such as high blood pressure. Optimists go into situations with more confidence, so events seem less threatening and stressful. And in situations where stress is unavoidable, Positive thinkers also have stronger coping methods. Looking at the bright side may also lead to a longer life. Researchers have found that those who were pessimists had a 19 percent increased risk of death. Studies of HIV patients also have found that the health of optimists doesnt decline as rapidly.

Fortunately, even a confirmed negativist can change. To start, experts recommend using a trick called creative accounting. Keep a mental checklist of all the good things that happen to you. Simply focusing on the positive can boost your mood. You can also try to avoid upward comparison. There will always be someone prettier or wealthier, but constantly comparing yourself to them will leave you feeling down and envious.

Finally, recognize how your mood affects your outlook. Optimists know that if they are in good spirits, their day-to-day experiences and interactions are more positive. So see if you can muster a smile. The result might be a happier—and healthier—you.

越來越多的調(diào)查顯示，悲觀厭世會大大有損于你的身體健康。這可能是因為悲觀主義者不像樂觀主義者那樣善于處理壓力，從而影響免疫系統(tǒng)的正常工作和導(dǎo)致諸如高血壓之類的健康問題。樂觀主義者具有更強(qiáng)的自信心，所以事情在他看來較少具有威脅和壓力。在壓力似乎是不可避免的情況下，思想樂觀的人也擁有有效的應(yīng)對方法。多看事物的積極面也許會導(dǎo)致長壽。調(diào)查者們發(fā)現(xiàn)，悲觀主義者死亡的機(jī)率多19%。對艾滋病人的研究也發(fā)現(xiàn)，樂觀主義者的健康不會迅速衰退。

幸運的是，即便是一個程度很深的消極主義者也可能改變。首先，專家們推薦一種被稱作創(chuàng)造性記帳的方法。在腦中保存一張發(fā)生在你身上的所有好事的清單，把思維集中在積極的事物上就可使你的情緒高昂起來。你還可以有意避免攀比。總有一些人比你更漂亮或更富有，但如果經(jīng)常把你自己同他們做比較將使你感到沮喪和妒忌。

最后，請注意你的情緒是如何影響你的觀點的。樂觀主義者懂得，如果他們保持良好的精神狀態(tài)，他們每一天的經(jīng)歷和交往將更加積極。因此如果你能笑容常在，其結(jié)果可能會是一個更加快樂和健康的你。