Three ways the power of positive thinking boosts physical health

Two brothers orphaned at a young age by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 turned personal tragedy into triumph; here’s why you too should always look on the bright side

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Optimistic people have better physical health. Photo: Corbis

Published: 8:02pm, 17 Dec 2015Updated: 8:02pm, 17 Dec 2015

There is growing evidence that optimism and positive thinking – exemplified by Paul and Rob Forkan, orphaned as children but who’ve triumphed over tragedy to help others – has health benefits. Findings suggest that positive thinkers are not only healthier and less stressed, but also have greater overall well-being.

University of Kentucky psychology professor Suzanne Segerstrom is renowned for her extensive research into psychological influences on the immune system. In her book, Breaking Murphy’s Law: How Optimists Get What They Want From Life – and Pessimists Can Too, Segerstrom explains that optimism is not only about feeling positive, but also about being motivated and persistent.

Paul (left) and Rob Forkan, founders of sandal-making firm Gandys Flip Flops, pose for pictures with their products. A decade after being orphaned by the Asian tsunami, the British brothers are successful entrepreneurs who are giving back to the Sri Lankans who helped them. Photo: AFP

Optimists, she says, tend to deal with problems head-on. They plan a course of action, seek advise from others and stay focused on solutions. They tend to expect a good outcome, and even when they don’t get it, they find ways to learn and grow from the negative experience.

Here are a few benefits of seeing the cup as half-full.

1. An immunity boost

Feeling better about the future may promote better immunity against some infections, according to a study published in 2010 in Psychological Science. In the study, 124 first year law students were examined five times over six months, each time answering questions about how optimistic they felt about law school. Then they were injected with material to effect an immune response and two days later, they came back to have the injection site measured. A larger bump in the skin meant a stronger immune response.

As each student’s expectations about law school waxed and waned, their immune response followed suit. At more optimistic times, they had bigger immune responses; at a more pessimistic time, a more sluggish immune response.