Mind Over Matter – Can Optimism and Happiness Improve Heart Health?

The short answer is, yes. It has been proven that optimism benefits your health both mentally and physically as mental and physical health are deeply connected. Living with heart disease or managing a recent heart disease diagnosis has both a physical and mental impact on your life, and it may leave you feeling anxious as you try to return to a normal life. The good news is, having a positive outlook on life may help your recovery. 

“Mind over matter” – the popular saying means that regardless of your physical and current situation, you have control over your mindset and the ability to make changes based on that. It encourages you to think of each situation from a positive point of view since “where there is a will, there is a way.” 

In 2019, a study was published stating that optimism improves heart health through a number of psychological and physiological factors. Read the findings below.

A Positive Mindset Benefits Your Health 

Optimists see the glass as half-full (a positive outlook on life) while pessimists see the glass as half-empty (negative outlook on life), and both can impact your health. According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, optimism and a positive mindset is associated with better health and lower risk of disease. A study conducted in September 2019, which supports the Heart & Stroke’s claim, tested how optimism is associated with cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, stroke, angina, or death by cardiovascular causes. They found that optimistic participants had a 35% lower risk for cardiovascular events than those participants who were pessimistic. These findings suggest that promoting a positive mindset and reducing negativity in your life may be an important aspect of preventative heart health.  

These findings also support that notion that optimists tend to follow healthier habits, have better coping mechanisms in stressful situations, and eat healthier diets. And it has been said that optimists tend to live 15% longer than pessimists.

How to be More Optimistic 

Optimism can be learned; you are not born either an optimist or a pessimist. There are many ways to train yourself to have a more positive outlook and see the positives of a situation (or at least the silver linings) rather than the negatives (or worst case scenarios). Here are some good habits to try:

• Journal daily and write down what you are grateful for, what you are scared of, and why you feel that way. Tracking and monitoring your emotions is a good way to tell what triggers them. And focusing on what you are thankful for promotes positive thinking. 
• Outlook is contagious, so spend time with other positive people. If you spend time with more positive people, your outlook will become more positive too.
• Visualize your best self and the best possible future for yourself. Set goals and work towards them every day. 
• Talk to yourself like you would to your best friend. Dispute your negative thoughts and put things into perspective. Find a middle ground between the worst and best case scenarios. This often helps to see things as they are.

Having a positive outlook and being healthy are interconnected. Optimism has been linked to many more physical health benefits too, such as lower blood sugar and cholesterol, increased immunity, and reducing your chance of infection. Having both a healthy body and healthy mind is essential when living with heart disease or a new diagnosis. It is possible to live and enjoy life with heart disease and you can read more about managing emotional reactions and physical health.