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Lately, I've been finding conventional medicine is starting to come around a little bit. Today, researchers are starting to make the connection between the healing process and emotional health. If you read my twice-weekly eHealthy News You Can Use newsletter, you know how much I believe the spirit within us works in concert with our bodies to strengthen the whole person. And that negative thoughts and emotions eventually hurt your body is some way.
That's why I was pleased to read the results of a seven-year study that found people who have a positive attitude may delay the aging process and were less likely to show signs of frailty than their pessimistic peers.
At the start of the study, the patients were in relatively robust good health. The researchers assessed the development of frailty during the study by measuring the participants' weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed and grip strength. They found people who had a positive outlook on life were significantly less likely to become frail.
Although researchers said more research is required to pin down why there should be a link, they speculated positive emotions may directly affect health by altering the chemical balance of the body.
In fact, the lead researcher believes "there is a connection between mind and body - and that our thoughts and attitudes/emotions affect physical functioning, and over all health, whether through direct mechanisms, such as immune function, or indirect mechanisms, such as social support networks."
One healthy and positive way to get your emotions back on the right track: Learn the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), the psychological acupressure technique I routinely use in my practice and most highly recommend to optimize your emotional health.
I can't say often enough that emotional health is absolutely essential to your physical health and healing. No matter how devoted you are to the proper diet and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body's ideal healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way.
BBC News September 12, 2004