Optimism Is Good for You and Your RA

When it comes to rheumatoid arthritis, optimism is good for more than just your physical health: It also promotes resilience and helps people feel empowered to engage in an overall healthier lifestyle, including exercising more, eating better, and quitting smoking, according toa studyby the American Heart Association. It may even help reduce inflammation (and that's something to feel optimistic about!). Learn more about how good mood affects your RA.

Having a chronic medical condition is like riding a roller coaster. There's the anticipation of waiting for the ride to start, which can be equated to the wait for a diagnosis. The climb is similar to your efforts at making health improvements. The roll down the hill can be the feeling of fear that your health is deteriorating, or the thrill of knowing that a treatment is working. Resilience, or “bouncebackability,” helps you maintain equilibrium throughout the ride.

“Optimistic people have healthier hearts, study finds,” proclaimed the headline of an article about new research from the University of Illinois. During the study, 5,100 adults between the ages of 45 and 84 underwent tests for blood pressure, body-mass index, fasting plasma glucose and serum cholesterol levels, dietary intake, physical activity, and tobacco use. Participants also answered questions about their emotional and mental health. At the end of the 11-year study, the researchers found that the most optimistic people had higher health scores.

As a person living with RA, you probably get regular C-reactive protein (CRP) tests to measure the amount of inflammation in your body. Becoming more optimistic can positively influence those levels. A New York Times article entitledA Positive Outlook May Be Good for Your Healthcited a study in the Journal of Gerontology of more than 4,000 people that identified optimism as one of several factors that promoted longevity.

A more positive view of aging can enhance the belief in one’s abilities, decrease perceived stress, and foster healthful behaviors. In the Journal of Gerontology study, people with positive views of aging had lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of stress-related inflammation. Perhaps stress is contributing to the increase in your CRP readings. Do what you can to lower the “temperature.”

“I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to realize that life is a complex matter,” said Walt Disney. The “ostrich in the sand” view can be detrimental to your health, as shown in this study:Unrealistic optimism promotes unhealthy behavior. Of 800 college-aged drinkers, those who took an overly optimistic view of whether their drinking habits were harming their health and grades experienced more problems. The moral: Be realistically optimistic.

I am a reformed pessimist. For decades, I chose to look at life from the dark side. It prevented being disappointed or hurt when things didn't go as planned. While that was true, there was something far more sinister occurring. On the surface, I protected myself, or so I thought, but deeper down that pessimism was harming me. It triggered the stress response, which contributes to the inflammatory response. Yes, there was something wrong with that picture!

In the documentaryAdventures of an Incurable Optimist迈克尔·j·福克斯与帕金森disea居住se, says, “Since I’m not sure of the address to which to send my gratitude, I put it into everything I do.” The uncertainty of life with a chronic health condition can fan the flames of fear. Adopting an attitude of gratitude mitigates those fears, and helps transform your stress. Turn the searchlight on to illuminate the positives in your life, regardless of size or scope.

New behaviors take a while to develop, and may not be evident for some time. It's important to carefully monitor how you feel, as the improvements can be subtle at first. To become more optimistic, work on the following skills: Regularly transform your stress; practice mindfulness; change your perspective; identify your strengths; temper your perfectionism; keep a gratitude journal; perform small acts of kindness; get creative; set attainable goals; celebrate your successes.

“Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make, makes you. Choose wisely.” ~ Roy T. Bennett,The Light in the Heart.

不要等到你的条件改变to feel better. Instead, learn to feel better and change your condition. Feel better by choosing an attitude of optimism.