We often think of medicine passively these days. You get the treatment—pills, shots, procedures—and it fixes you up. No personal investment needed. Like a car wash, you simply show up and ride the conveyor belt, emerging shiny and clean.
Even Occasional Positivity Uplifts Immunity
Beyond medical treatments, there are many factors that contribute to immunity, including age, genetics, sleep, diet, exercise, social interaction, and mood. This last factor is underappreciated as we hustle through demanding days.- Stronger immune response
- Less disease
- Decreased pain
- Better prognoses
- Lower mortality rates
How a Happy Mood Suppresses Immunity Threats
Mood affects the immune response at the surface—through lifestyle habits—but also by “turning on” or “off” a number of key biochemical reactions, according to a body of research.
Cultivating positive moods helps return the body to a regenerative state that counters corrosive stress responses. Feel-good neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin generate relaxation by engaging the vagus nerve, part of the parasympathetic nervous system. Relaxation allows the body to repair itself while chronic “fight-or-flight” stimulation causes wear and tear. Importantly, relaxing also benefits cardiovascular health, which touches most diseases.
5 Ways to Use Positivity to Strengthen Immunity
Although you could take a pack of prescriptions to fight infection, a positive mood could be the most natural starting place, with little downside!Make Time for Comedy
As the adage goes, “laughter is the best medicine.” Time dedicated for comedy and humor may surprise you in reversing a difficult day while simultaneously bolstering immunity.Pause to Savor Joy
Taking time to intentionally appreciate positive moments has the benefit of increasing their value. By savoring these experiences, people can enhance positive emotions and prolong the emotional benefits derived from positive experiences.Be Present Through Mindfulness
Mindfulness complements savoring, training nonjudgmental attention on the current moment rather than getting tangled in regrets, worries, or other negative tunnels of thought.Try Journaling
As humans, a sense of integrity is important. Journaling brings clarity by funneling thoughts onto paper.Embrace Conscientiousness
Decades of research has shown that lowering overly negative moods is most effective when paired with cultivating conscientiousness—the tendency toward diligence, organization, and detail orientation. In fact, many of us may mistake negative stress reactions for “taking things seriously,” when in fact we are far better off simply getting things done.Several tools could help to encourage conscientiousness living. For one, it pays to take time to plan our activities and reflect on how well we achieved our goals. Aids such as checklists, sticky notes, and time-tracking apps may help us to get more organized. Planning ahead by time-blocking—using an app such as Google Calendar or a planner to map out how we will spend the hours of days to come—also facilitates better awareness of time. You could even schedule time each week to reflect and make your next schedule!
Sometimes life gets messy. When that happens, you can make use of what clinical psychology calls “coping cards,” which include if-then statements (“If X happens, then I will do Y”). In this way, we plan in advance for how to best handle challenges even if we aren’t very tactful in the moment.
In the intricate dance between mind and body, positivity is a step we can all master. So make a move and watch your health follow your lead.
