Title: Negativity and your health

In our quest for a life as healthy as possible we often overlook that moods and attitudes play a very important role in our health. A happy and relaxed person is always healthier than one who goes through a period of depression or who has to put up with a lot of stress. There’s only so much that the body can compensate for before the overall health starts to suffer. These negative moods can destroy you from the inside just as sure as any illness. They leave your body open to various diseases and make you less able to deal with them.

Depression is one such thing. Doctors have noticed that people who succumb to depression during illnesses take a longer time to recover and may even develop complications. Instead of letting the body heal itself, these people make everything worse by letting depression take over and turning the will to live against itself. Studies have shown that people who are depressed after a heart attack are more likely to die in the 6 months following the event. Depressed people need more medication and more healthcare. They develop the more severe forms of diseases and are more at risk.

Loneliness is another big problem. People who have no friends, no sympathetic ears to hear their problems and no shoulders to cry on are forced to cope with stress and hardships all alone. Support from friends and relatives makes thing seem easier than they actually are and helps one go through tough times. Whether we’re talking about boring house chores or annoying co-workers, we all need someone willing to listen while we unload all the grief and depression. And it’s good to listen to someone else’s problems, too. It moves you to compassion and proves that your problems may not be that big after all.

Unfortunately, we’re also living in a stressful world. Whether we realize it or not, the daily life in cities is filled with loud noises, bright lights, crowded subways or buses, rush hours and a million other things that annoy us. Bills and expenses add to the stress, while going to a high-powered job that requires at least ten hours of work per day means that we don’t get much time to relax. Living in a constant state of stress is bound to damage our health sooner or later, although many times we fail to recognize the danger until it’s too late.

The best thing is to exercise some moderation and a change of lifestyle. Drink less coffee and alcohol. Smoke less or kick the habit altogether. Take 30-minute walks in the park instead of slumping on the sofa and watching TV. Buy some relaxing music and make a habit of your daily relaxation. Read a book once in a while or go to an art gallery if that’s the thing that can get your mind off work and worries. Remember that there are beautiful things in life and that you’re not a robot moving from one task to another.